The Greensboro United Church of Christ celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2004. In November of 1804, fifteen years after the town of Greensboro was settled, twenty-one people met in the local store to organize a church in Greensboro.

During its first years visiting ministers occasionally came to conduct communion services, baptisms, marriages, or funerals. Then in 1810 Rev. Salmon King, a missionary from Connecticut, became the first settled pastor. In 1814 a Sabbath School was organized in Greensboro, reportedly the first one in Vermont.


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history-gucc-church-19004-interior_01The church erected its first building in 1827 when Kiah Bayley was pastor and two years later installed the church bell, but it was not until 1852 that the first parsonage was completed. Meanwhile, the Scottish families in town organized a Presbyterian church in 1845 and built a meeting house in 1850 and an adjacent parsonage thirty years later.


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In 1929 under the leadership of Rev. Ferdimore Vogan, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists were federated and used the Congregational building as their house of worship. The Presbyterian Church became Greensboro’s “Community House” until 1969 when it was torn down.


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The present building
has undergone many changes. Soon after the members celebrated the Centennial in 1904, they renovated the structure, adding 15 feet to the front and constructing a new bell tower. In February 1916, the church acquired a used pipe organ from the Congregational Church in Athol, Massachusetts. Seven years later, in 1923, they added an alcove to the front of the sanctuary for the organ and choir, closed off the balcony at the back of the sanctuary where the choir used to sit and made it into a kitchen and dining room.


In 1970, Fellowship Hall was built where the church horse barn had been. It provided a new kitchen and large dining space as well as bathrooms and a basement. Sunday school rooms were added in the old upstairs balcony at the back of the sanctuary. In 1976 the church sold the parsonage across the street from the church and bought the house adjacent to the church building for the new parsonage. In 2001, a new entrance with an elevator was added to Fellowship Hall to make the building handicapped-accessible.


history-2016-church-facadeGreensboro’s summer residents have been a vital part of the church throughout the 20th century. They formed an Associate Members group in 1942. The tradition of having summer preachers in the church pulpit began early in the 1900’s and continues today. In 1977, a generous bequest from summer resident, Frederick Pleasants was given, allowing the church to support many worthy causes and organizations.


Although structural changes and upkeep are important, the real history of the Greensboro church lies in its pastors and parishioners. They have given to others, locally and worldwide, and many of its members have become pastors or gone to other parts of the world as missionaries. This is a church that not only celebrates its long, rich history, but also looks forward to furthering its work and mission in the world.