There are currently no upcoming shows with this presenter.
The Upright Steeple Society is a Vermont nonprofit corporation with a mission to salvage, repair, renovate and restore the York Street Meeting House (formerly the First Congregational Church of Lyndon) and maintain it as a nonsectarian meeting house available for community functions in the Town of Lyndon, Vermont.
Formerly Lyndonville’s oldest church, First Congregational was organized in 1817 by nine people who met in each other’s homes until the church was built in 1829 for $4000 (the equivalent of $128,000 today). The church could accommodate about 300 worshipers comfortably, but by the 2000s, the congregation had shrunk back down to its original size. The building itself was in rough shape, with its steeple listing visibly to one side, and the historic landmark seemed destined, like many of the old white churches that nevertheless characterize New England village charm, for decay and, eventually, demolition.
A group of Lyndon Corner community members took it upon themselves in 2008 to save the First Congregational Church, repurposing it as a vibrant community use building. Hence the Upright Steeple Society was born.
Eight years, countless volunteer hours, and $400k later, the York Street Meeting House opened to the public. It’s since been used a live music venue, a public meeting facility, and a source of
pride once again for its greater community.
Interested in performing at or renting the York Street Meeting House? Send an email to info@catamountarts.org!
See more images of the York Street Meeting House HERE.
“Service Held at Oldest Church in Town” – Caledonian Record, August 26, 1997
York Street Meeting House Activities
Upright Steeple Society Chronology