On Sunday, April 15, Dr. Daniel and Viola Cooledge visited the United Church of Ludlow to invite all present to join them at the church’s public Birthday Party May 5th and 6th.

Daniel was born in Ludlow in 1839. He matriculated in Black River Academy in 1858 but interrupted his studies to volunteer for the Civil War, where he was wounded, taken prisoner, and exchanged. He returned to B. R. A. and met Miss Alice Viola Marsh born in Plymouth in 1847. Viola said they fell in love, then Daniel began medical school at UVM, and they married in 1866. She was excited to experience New York City during his residency at Bellevue Medical. Dr. Cooledge opened a Ludlow medical practice in 1868. Later, the Cooledges opened a drug store on Main Street. Viola assisted in the store while raising five children. She became the first woman registered pharmacist in Vermont, and following her husband’s death in 1911, she managed the store herself until her death in 1934 at the age of 87. The store kept the Cooledge name for 75 years.

On January 28, 2004, the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior added the United Church of Ludlow to its august listing known as the National Register of Historic Places, an honor accorded to only a handful of Ludlow structures.  The Church building was completed in May 1892, and this year is the 120th anniversary of its construction.  By coincidence, it also is the 220th anniversary of the founding of the Church in 1792.

The Church’s bell was cast by the Holbrook Bell Foundry of East Medway (Massachusetts) in 1839, just 50 years after the US Constitution was ratified by the 13 states. The Holbrook Bell Foundry was established in1816, by Major George Holbrook. Major Holbrook earlier had established a bell foundry in Brookfield, Massachusetts in 1797. That business was successful but Holbrook had made the error of guaranteeing a “friend’s” borrowings and was obliged to make the payments and was financially ruined. Broken in spirit, he returned to his home town of Wrentham, Massachusetts, and, while there, he learned that a new bell was wanted for a new meeting house in East Medway and he secured a contract to cast it.

On a recent Sunday before worship, the United Church of Ludlow received a visit from Rev. Peter Read, first pastor of the Ludlow Congregational Church. Read was important in the history of Ludlow and its first church. Born in Massachusetts in 1751, in 1776 he married Mary Pitcher, who died in child birth. He married Lydia Gilbert in 1786. In 1792, the year after Vermont became the 14th state, the Reads moved with three children from New Haven, CT to Ludlow. Upon arrival, Read immediately took up activity in organizing the town and religious affairs. He served as selectman in 1793 and 1795-1799 and in 1795 was Ludlow’s first Representative to the Vermont Legislature. Pictured above is Rev. Read (aka Bob Kottkamp) holding 1806 book describing church origin in his handwriting.

Ludlow’s first free library opened its doors in 1892.  Known as the Florence Memorial Library, it occupied about 20 percent of the first floor of the United Church of Ludlow building.  The library was accessed by two outside doors, one of which has since been replaced by a window.  The furnishings of the library were donated by James S. Gill and his wife Rachel, of Ludlow and Boston, in memory of their daughter Florence.  Originally a public library, free and open to local citizens, it was closed after the Fletcher Memorial Library was opened in 1900. A plaque over the original fireplace in the library still commemorates the Gill’s gift to the community.

Included in the obvious treasures of the United Church of Ludlow are fifteen stained-glass windows that grace its sanctuary.  Many of the Church’s less obvious treasures are in the form of information – such as birthdates, baptisms, marriages and deaths, among others.  The Church’s May 5 and May 6, 2012 Birthday Party – the 120th for the Church’s Building and the 220th for the Church’s founding – will include many free activities available to the public. The Birthday Party activities will take place from 3 to 5 pm on Saturday, May 5th (followed by a scrumptious dinner at a ridiculously low price) and on Sunday, May 6th from 2 to 4 pm (concurrently with a free Ice Cream Social). The Church’s primary stained-glass window (see above) can be back lit, making it especially beautiful at night when the lights are on – a real treasure.  This window is unusual due to its focus on women

On February 8 about 4:30 pm, the belfry of the United Church of Ludlow resounded with the pealing of the 1839 bell for a full three minutes. What was all the commotion about? The bell announced the victory of the United Church and thirteen other nonprofit organizations in the lawsuit brought against them by relatives of Phyllis Agan to nullify provisions in her trust, which left a total of $1.5 million to the collection of Ludlow institutions. Phyllis and Bill Agan were married by the United Church pastor in 1946; Phyllis was a dedicated and vitally active church member for over 50 years.

The United Church of Ludlow, built in 1891, is getting a fresh coat of paint in its continuing efforts to restore and renovate the historic structure.  Following a lengthy evaluation, the church decided it was time to update the building's color and replace some aging shingles and trim.  This is part of the ongoing effort of the church's board of trustees to ensure that the building will be well-maintained for future millenium.  The United Church of Ludlow is one of four sites in Ludlow honored by being named to the National Register Of Historic Sites.

"When the United Church was erected in 1892, no one considered the need for special access requirements to the building or restrooms," Ralph Pace said when commenting on the need for ADA (Americans with Disability Act) compliance.

Men of Church Repaint
Lobby and Stairway

After being named to the prestigious National Register of Historic Places, the men of United Church of Ludlow decided it was time to "spruce up" some of the older portions of the church that had not seen a paint brush in years.  Pictured above, from left to right, are Bill Kneebone, Bob Cysyk, and David Almond as they paint the ceiling of the lobby and prepare the walls for a fresh coat of coat.  The refurbishing project includes the ceiling and walls of the entry way to the 2nd floor sanctuary, the main stair case, and the main entrance into the church. Men of Church Repaint