The “Goodrich Grist-Mill” one of the oldest buildings in Wells dates back to the 1780s… I’d love to go inside!
Daniel Goodrich an early settler had a large family and one of his sons Roswell Goodrich built the grist-mill that was operated years later by his brother Halsey and he worked it until he passed away at 60 years of age in 1857. The mill was then run by Halsey’s son Orville Goodrich.
See Other Points Of Interest & Remarkable Experiences in our area!
The Old First Church • Photo Credit: Carol M. Highsmith
The Old First Church • Gathered in 1762 • First Protestant Church in Vermont
Our Fascination with New England Churches; from the perspective of architectural simplicity that’s on display at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in our tiny village of Wells, Vermont; to the grand New England simplicity seen inside The Old First Church in Bennington to the more majestic simplicity of the Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts.
Overview & Perspective
These remarkable small-town, white buildings and church structures were largely erected by local builders without the benefit of architects. Their designs and inspiration largely came from traditional designs and pattern books, which may have contributed the essence of plainness so common in early church construction. Revered for their beauty, simplicity and elegance – early churches of New England hold a special place in our hearts as we’re all drawn to these remarkable New England towns and villages to experience this unique sense of place that broadly defines our New England character.
More About The Old First Church
The Old First Church was “gathered” on December 3, 1762, the first Protestant congregation in the New Hampshire Grants. The organizers were “Separatists,” influenced by the Great Awakening, from Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, and were proprietors of the new town of Bennington.
The present church, built in 1805 and dedicated January 1, 1806. As a result, the Vermont Legislature, in 1935, designated the church as “Vermont’s Colonial Shrine”.
Robert Frost’s remains are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church. Although he was not a member of the church, he read his poem, The Black Cottage, at the rededication in 1937. Robert Frost and the house where he lived in Shaftsbury is located just north of Bennington, see the Robert Frost Stone House Museum.
Lavius Fillmore, cousin of the nation’s thirtieth president, and the church architect, built three more churches including the Congregational Church of Middlebury that’s considered Fillmore’s masterpiece, was completed in 1809. See Pond Mountain Inn’s Fort Ticonderoga / Middlebury Day Trip Itinerary for more things to do in the area.
Most of the abbreviated content taken directly The Old First Church website.
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Will you join us for breakfast outside at Pond Mountain Inn? At day break, organic breakfasts are served al fresco under our traditional rough-sawn timber framed pergola overlooking pastural gardens and lush undisturbed mountains… Today, we served… Farm-Fresh Poached Eggs, Avocado Rose, Ice House Farm Chèvre, our 21-Hour No-Knead Homemade Bread with Ploughgate Creamery Cultured Butter and finished with a drizzling of Dancing Ewe Farm Olive Oil… even the King Arthur Flour comes from Vermont! In-Season, we’ll locally pick the strawberries and blueberries.
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Adventure Wellness • Experience the Unfamiliar
Some of the finest trout lakes and rivers are here in Vermont – so what, right! It’s difficult to understand the joy of sitting precariously on some wooden boat plank, struggling to convince a huge nightcrawler of the benefits of the hook in my other hand, then sending both into the lake at whatever depth that assures an unsuccessful day… So far, this is my portrayal of fishing.
I really don’t know how to fish, and I don’t want to spend the time learning—but I want to going fishing with someone that takes care of it all. Problem solved! We’ve taken the drudgery out of recreational lake fishing and made it into a relaxing, meditative wellness practice capable of delivering peace and tranquility to those determined to go somewhere beautiful and experience the health benefits of spending time outside and the exhilaration of reeling in big fish!
We’re catching Brown Trout (in the photo), Rainbow Trout, Bass, Perch, Northern Pike or any of the other 90-plus species of fish that are abundant throughout the state…. And it’s exciting!
Read more about what we’ve done to create the most amazing day fishing!
Adventure Wellness at Pond Mountain Inn
Pond Mountain Inn 