Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-23
METHODHsN ~ VERMONT.
An Interesting Account Of Its q ri gin in
the lsreen Mnmnfnin AIafe

The ecclesiastical BODY known as the
Methodist Episconal Church in Vermont had
its first representati5n in the State i'm l7gG
when Nicholas Snetben was annointed nv
Bishop Asburv nj the conference held at
Thomson. Conn. and commencing On the
18th of September. to 'sVershire Circuit s.
Through the urgent reoiIest Of a Mr. John
Lang,lon. then living in Versbira. there had
been appointed In 1894 Rev Joshun Hall ia
"Veruont. but bcinr detained by work in
the State of Maine he had not filled this an
pointment. No appointmeut WAS made for
this section in 1895. and IL was not until l7g6
that n Methodist preacher came bv official
authority to the State. and. so far rs any an
thentic records can be found no Methodist
preacher was heard in the state before that
time. Mr.. Lanrdon WAS "A native of Sontb
Wilbaham. Mass. and one of the carly set
tiers in Vershire. Through his Relatives in
Massachusetts he had become acniminted
with Methodist DOCTRINES and had csnoused
the same. and in RESPONSE To his reneaied no
titions the nppointment of Mr. Snetben vyos
made. Mr. Snethen came To the house Of
Mr. Lapr,on. il is supposed. very soon after
his APPOINTMENT AT the conference in Sentcm-
Der. 1896. and was either accomnanied ar
soon followed nv his nrps,ding older Rev
,Iesse Lee. we'll known ms the nioneer NIotho.
dist PREACHER of New ENGLAND Wbether
Mr.. Lee or Mr.. Snptheu preacbed the first
Methodist sermon in Vermont cannot Inc de-
termined. but il is believed TO be AN authentic
fact that the first sermon in this state by n
Methodist minister was spoken bv one of
these men in the fall of 1895 in the house of
Mr.. John Langdon in Versbire. A recent
visit TO the spot where this house formerly
stood WAS to the writer an occasion Of mncb
interest. The house has long since disnn-
peared from the spot, but the cellar is sin
there in outline, the same as when the house
was standing. The broad foundation for the
chimney. built according TO the oden stvIe
to occupy a space of dozen feet snnare
more or less Is vet in Mace and brnshing
aside the covering of snow and the dobris ~
brick and leaves. we stood unon the old
hearthstone. broad flat stone unon the found-
alton. where il was placed when the bonso
was built in the DAYS of the early settlements
in Vermont and tried to reoIi,e tbot II ,,,os
here that tbe first itinerant in Vermont f,nnd
a welcome after his Iong journey from con
ference and drew nm before M bosni,ahI,
fire of ssBrotbnr Tan,rdon'' for root aud cher
And then II little IntcT very likely ON The ,,,c'
ming after his arrival. we NAV sn1nose that II,
stood an tbis heartbstone willie IN ,oi,rLI,ore
gathered in The kitchen around him ne bs
rave utterance to the first sermon in IN.
Green Mountain State spoken from the stand.
noint of belief in the doctrine of Arninins
with the Wesleyan method of onnlicntion
The only Methodist family besides that M
Mr. Tanrion which ,yc tinj or,, r,,ord os ",
eyisting i'm EASTERN Vermont at ti,at Tine ,,,a,
tb,t ~ r.iIos pocl,ott in Rradeo,d NJ
- - ~
Iohn WcsIe, IN Fnolard bofnro bor y,