Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-10-07
FIRST CHURCH TO Be .
RE0PENED ON SUNDAY
Repaired and Redecorated dur
ing the Summer at an Elk.
pense of $12,000-Built in
1912, Following Destruction
of First Edifice by Fire

10 me FriSt Cnurcn, (Congregational)
which has been closed since July / for
repairs and redecorating, will be open
for public service once more next Sum
day. During the three months that the
church has been closed. approximately
$4,000 has been expended in repairing and
re-decorating the interior of the edifice.
putting in a new lighting system and
laying a new carpet. No changes have
been made In the plan of the church and
the members OF the parish will find the
interior structure as usual. but with a
greatly freshened appearance and re-
markable improvements in the lighting
effects.
Great pains have been taken by the
committee In charge of the repair work
to secure the very best lighting effects
possible. The system which has been en-
ployed Is known as the ''sunburst" effect
1t consists, chiefly, of clusters of lights
attractively arranged at various intervals
along the ceiling. There are few lights
underneath the balconies. This lighting
system was planned by Boston architec, {
who has had a great deal of experience
In lighting churches the architecture of
which is similar to that of the First
Church.
| The entire ceiling of the church has been
rebuilt the plaster being removed and
wood substituted in it's place. The ceiling
/ is done in square panels of cream and
white presenting very attractive APP
! pearance. The white interior has been
maintained in the re-decoration, with
! touches of the cream shade to set off
the whole. The painting and re-decorat-
ing has been done by local painters.
The entire church has been carpeted
anew. The carpet was purchased by the
mn Ace of 81 tba oh he
color of the carpet is green. to harmonic
with the cushions in the pews
A large number Of general repairs have
been made in the church building where
needed. These repairs include the fixing
of the roof the putting in Of a new brick
platform at the entrance to the church.
and minor carpenterng jobs. Repairs
have been made to some extent, Also or
the parish house and on the parsonage
The outside of the church was painted
last season as a part Of the general plan
for improving the premises.
THE WHITE CHURCH
As the First Church society opens a
new church year in this renewed edifice
older residents will call to mind the
earlier years of the First Church in Bur
lington. No one now living, however, car
look back to the beginning Of this societ,
in the city. and very few will remembel
the first building Of this society, which
was known as the White Church. ant
was one Of the Oldest church edifices II
the city.
This White Church was built on tn,
site where the present church building
stands. The society records afford M
light on the erection of this first meeting
house. but they do state that the buildin.
n
guilt Of wood and faced toward the north
The style was that commonly seen il
New England in the early part Of the las
century. From the name. the Whit
Church. the street now known as Soutl
Winooski avenue was first called Whit
street. Older residents of the city ar
sometimes heard to refer to the street a
White street, even in the present day.
The interior of the White Church wa
modernized and refitted in 1895 at an ex
pense of a little more than $1,000. At tina
, time. Deacon Samuel Hickok presented
, to the church an organ valued at abou
the same amount. A city newspaper o
4 that day says that in furniture and fix
lures the White Church was probabl
ss.second to none in the State.
, BURNED IN 1899
At three o'clock on Sunday morning
June %, 1889. the White Church was dc
: stroyed by fire. Before the fire was ex
tinguished, members of the society o
the ground resolved to rebuild AS 500
as possible plans were drawn up an
considered. The result was the presen
church edifice, which was erected in 1874
e In tho interim between 1899 and 1912. III
u congregation met for services in the coui
house and. later In the lecture room(s SUI
posed to refer to the present paris
s housed. which had been enlarged FOR tn
u purpose.
> In 1905. the centennial celebration of I'll
c First Church society was observed. I
this same year the church was enlarge
Z and the organ placed at the rear of tn
pulpit. as It is to-day. 1t Is thought ths
the expense Of this enlargement and tn
change of the organ amounted to approx
: mately $4,000.
q Members and friends of the church wi
be glad to get back into the church built
8 ing. not only because of its re-fresheno
appearance, but also because the paris
r house has proven very inadequate to cal
: for the large congregation of the Las
n few weeks, especially since the COLES
Q opened. Both morning and evening SCI
:. vices OH Sunday will be held in til
!! church.
II The committee which has had in charr
e the repairing and re-decoratng Of III
!. church is made up of Roy l.. Patrick, |
w. Jardine and Henry Todd