While on vacation in Vermont last week my wife Sarah and I (along with our webmaster/developer/designer Josh Benner and his wife) toured the First Congregational Church of Bennington, VT.

From their history:

"The Old First Church was gathered in 1762, the first Protestant church in Vermont. Much of the early history of Bennington and of Vermont took place in and around the original Meeting House, built in 1763, and 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".

Over 200 years now since the dedication of the present building, we continue to be an active church community."

On our honeymoon three years ago Sarah and I stopped by this old church because Robert Frost is buried there.  We visited after hours last time, so we did not have the opportunity to tour the inside of the church. This time we fortunately did.

The inside is fashioned in the Puritan style with the pulpit high above the congregation and the lectern housed below it (see the below picture).

A member of the church was guiding visitors through the church with trivia and good nature, and there was an information table with some souvenirs to purchase (a book of Robert Frost's poems, some prayer aides, etc.). ... more