The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-12-30
Methodism in Vernon.
An Interesting account Of Its Origin I'm
the Green Mountain State.

An Interesting account of Its Origin I'm
| the Green Mountain State.
The ecclesiastical body known as the
Methodist Episcopal Church in Ver-
mont had its first representation in the
State in 1896, when Nicholas Snethen
was appointed by Bishop Asbury at
the conference held at Thompson,
Conn.,, and commencing on the 10Th of
September, to "Vershire Circuit"
Through the urgent request of Mr..
John Langdon, then living In Vershire,
there had been appointed In 1894 Rev.
|Joshua Hall to "Vermont," but being
detained by work in the State of Maine
he had not filled this appointment.
No appointment was made for this sec
ton in 1895, and it was not until 1896
that Methodist preacher came by
official authority to the State, and, SO
far as any authentic records can be
found, no Methodist preacher was
heard In the State before that time.
Mr.. Langdon was q native of South
Wilbraham, Mass, and one of the early
settlers in Vershire. Though his rela-
tives in Massachusetts he had become
acquainted with Methodist doctrines
| and had espoused the same. In respons,
to his repeated petitions the appoint
ment of Mr.. Snethen was made. Mr..
Snethen came to the honse of
Mr.. Langdon, it is supposed, very soon
after his appointment at the conference
in September, ,1796, and was either ac-
companied or soon followed by his
presiding elder, Rev. Jesse Lee, we'll
known as the pioneer Methodist preach
er of New England. Whether Mr.. Lee
| or Mr.. Snethen preached the first
Methodist sermon in Vermont cannot
be determined, but it is believed to be
an authentic fact that the first sermon
in this State by a Methodist minister
was spoken by one of these men in the
| fall of 1876 in the house of Mr.. John
Langdon in Vershire. A recent visit
to the spot where this house formerly
| stood was to the writer an occasion OF
much interest. The house has long
since disappeared from the spot, but
the cellar is still there in ontline, the
| same as when the house was standing.
The broad foundation for the chimney,
built according 10 the olden style, TO
occupy space of dozen feet square,
more or less, is yet IN place, and brush
| ing aside the covering of snow and the
debris of brick and leaves, we stood
upon the old hearthstone, broad fiat
stone upon the foundation, where it was
placed when the house was built in the
days of early settlements in Vermont
and tried to realize that it was here
that the first itinerant in Vermont
found welcome after his long journey
from conference, and drew up before the
hospitable fire of "Brother Langdon"
for rest and cheer. And then, little
later, very likely on the evening after
his arrival, we may suppose that he
stood OIL this hearthstone while Tie
neighbors gathered in the kitchen
around him rs he gave utterance to the
tirst sermon in the Green Mountain
Stale spoken from the standpoint of
belief in the doctrine of Armnius,
with the Wesleyan method of applca-
ton. Tho only Methodist family besides
that of Mr.. Langdon, which we find
any record of as existing in eastern
Vermont at that time, was that of Giles
Pickett in Bradford, Mrs. Pickett
having been housekeeper for Rev.
John Wesley in England before her
marriage and removal TO this country.
The ''Langdon Place. is situated upon
high land in the north part of Vershire,
but few rods from the town line, and
about one mile from the little village of
"Corinlh Corner" A halt mile to the
east of this Langdon Place, and also
Just within the town line, is the lot of
land on which was built the first Meth
odist Church erected i'm Vermont.I No
trace OF the foundation is now visible,
the building having been removed
some years since; but the lot ie well
known, and tho "oaraway'- which
sprang from the seed dropped by the
attendants there in years gone by still
has its growth upon the land. The
building was taken down and removed
about the year 1889 or 40, and the tim
bers still remain as the sturdy frame
work of ''sap house" standing near
From this small beginning Of Metho-
dism in Vermont it has grown TO its
present number of 1918 members,
2O41 probationers, and owning 1S5
churches, valued at 1928, ,70S; and 125
parsonages, valued at Sl6S, 600. These
figures include the Poultney charge,
which, being the seat of the Troy Con-
ference Seminary, is included in that
conference, while the entire State of
Vermont, with this exception, is now
in the Vermont Conferenc,.-[Boston
Journal Cor.