Newfane Congregational Church

HOME PAGE - WHAT'S COMING UP

2009-12-31T14:30:00.000-05:00

Announcements for the Week Ahead
November 1 – November 8, 2009

Sun. Nov. 1: Dummerston Installation – 2:00
Mon. Nov. 2: Al-Anon – 7:30 pm
Tue. Nov.3: Bell Choir practice – 5:30 pm
Tue. Nov.3: Sew Whats – 5:00 pm
Wed. Nov. 4: Pastor-Parish Relations Committee – 5:30
Wed. Nov. 4: Deacons Meeting – 6:30 pm
Thurs. Nov.5: Garden Club – 2:00 pm
Thurs. Nov.5: Choir – 7:00 pm
Fri. Nov. 6: Set-up Ladies Aid Sale – 9:30 am
Sat. Nov. 7: Ladies Aid Holiday Sale and Luncheon 10:00–2:00
Sun. Nov. 8: Worship Service – 10:00 am
Sun. Nov. 8: Windham Union Assoc. Meeting – 12:45 pm

Candidate Weekend

2009-07-30T17:13:00.001-04:00

On a weekend in May, the sun came out with Rev. Sandy Daly. Called to be our Settled Pastor, Rev. Daly joined us for a community welcome potluck dinner on Saturday evening.

Young and old joined together to meet Sandy

and on the following Sunday gave her candidate sermon. Following the worship service the congregation held a special meeting, where it was voted unanimously to welcome Sandy as our settled pastor! Welcome, Sandy!

The Church's Minister

2009-07-30T07:55:00.001-04:00

The Reverend Sandra L. Daly 2009

I have been married to my husband Roger for nearly 27 years. We are both ordained United Church of Christ pastors. Our life together continues to be a delight! Three of our four children are married, and we have seven grandchildren. My son and family live near Seattle and my daughter lives outside of Vail CO. Roger’s son and daughter and their families both live north of Atlanta GA. Our family is one of the greatest blessings in our lives – we just wish they didn’t live so far away!

My favorite hobby is gardening. I do some of my best thinking and praying with my hands in the dirt. I like most any kind of craft, from sewing to painting to “creating” with grandchildren. Roger and I have renovated several of the homes we have lived in over the years and get great satisfaction out of doing the work ourselves.

My route to ministry has been a long and winding road! My family moved several times around the country during my elementary years, then we settled in Exeter NH where I graduated from high school. As a young mother I taught and then directed a preschool for 7 years in a small town near Exeter. I also took courses at UNH. Then over the years, I tried my hand at several things: bank teller, aerobics instructor, bookkeeper, real estate agent and broker, wallpaper/painting contractor… all to help with living costs and college tuitions. During those years I was also involved in all aspects of church life, with a particular focus on youth. This was really where my heart was.

After several years of volunteer youth ministry in the local church and at the state level, I thought maybe God was calling me to ministry. Finally, in my 40’s, I finished my bachelor’s degree and earned my Masters of Divinity from Andover Newton. I was co-pastor with my husband Roger in Danbury CT, staying an additional year as sole pastor. In 2002 I became the Interim Associate Minister in Simsbury CT, with a focus on youth, missions, and creative worship. We spent 2005 living in Seattle, during which I was on sabbatical pursuing my interest in Celtic Christianity, visiting Scotland, and being a “Nana” to my granddaughters. It was a wonderful year, but I missed parish ministry. My husband and I recently served 3 years as interim ministers in Essex Junction, VT. Soon after moving to Chesterfield NH in the summer of 2008 I had the opportunity to serve Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro during the final phase of their interim time. We are happily settled on “Hallelujah Farm” in Chesterfield where we are growing a ministry of hospitality and retreats. After all these years of transition I am delighted at the prospect of settled ministry where roots can take hold and rich enduring relationships built.

I love to teach and sing and worship. I am drawn to those who are “seekers”, who ask the hard questions and look for new ways to recognize and celebrate the “holy stuff of life”. I feel humbled and honored to be with those who are experiencing significant passages in their lives – whether letting go or embracing something new. I believe we are strengthened by the life we share together in the church, and that together we can make a difference to those beyond our doors. Our lives are often over-filled and stressed. I feel called to lift up and celebrate the simple joys and abundant blessings from God, and the essential truth that love is at the core of discipleship. Together I pray, we can laugh, cry, delight and wonder. I look forward to getting to know you all, to working side by side in ministry, and to keeping the momentum moving forward as we discover God’s call in this next chapter of our lives.

With a prayer for peace – Sandy

Decemberfest

2008-12-08T09:36:00.004-05:00

Decemberfest (sponsored by the Newfane Business Association) began in the afternoon in Union Hall where about 100 children talked with Santa Claus. Outside at 5pm, over 100 people lighted candles and sang seasonal songs.

The highlight was the count down to the lighting of the tree and the luminaries on the Common.

Then into the church for a soup and bread supper, with lots of cookies and goodies to finish up the meal.

The evening ended with a program in the church that included Christmas carols, seasonal music, and the now traditional reading of "The Night Before Christmas" by Chris Petrak. Included in the program was the Newfane Community Bell Choir (sponsored by the church) and the Dover Youth Ringers.

Decemberfest is a Vermont way to begin the Holiday Season - gathering all ages of the community together for simple activities.

Advent Wreath Making

2008-12-02T07:09:00.002-05:00

The Sunday before Advent, several families stayed after the coffee hour to make Advent Wreaths - a first step in preparing for the holidays - a fun time for all ages.

Sacrament of Baptism

2008-11-20T09:13:00.002-05:00

On November 9 & 16, the church celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism.

Ellen Roffman, David Hull, and Apple Gifford were received as new members on the 9th. Dave and Apple presented their daughter, Lucy, for baptism.

Also on the 9th, Riley was baptized. He was presented by his grandparents and guardians, Rick & Laura Taylor. His father, Justin, also participated.

On the 16th, Maria & Wayne Manning presented their daughter, Elia, for the sacrament.

Participating in the Sacrament was Elia's great uncle, the Rev. Steve Fuller, Associate Rector at Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls.

Community Halloween Party

2008-11-01T16:05:00.002-04:00

Some of our parents organized a community Halloweeen Party on Halloween night, starting with games, cookie decorating, and costume parade, then a pot luck, followed by trick or treating in the village. A fun evening!!

Why the Party is Successful - and Fun

2008-10-13T16:10:00.008-04:00

The Party on the Common

A few reasons
Why
it is so successful

and so much fun.

Over 225 Volunteers

... from the Church
Community
Neighboring Towns
and at least 5 States in the Northeast

... and ranging in age from 8 years to 98 years

Heritage Festival - Our Party on the Common

2008-10-13T08:19:00.004-04:00

A perfect fall weekend brought thousands of people to Newfane Common for the 38th Annual Heritage Festival. Here are just a sampling of photo from the two day event which benefits the church, and enables the church to contribute significantly to community needs and maintain its presence in the heart of the community.

Apple Pies Signal Approach of Heritage Festival

2008-09-26T08:45:00.004-04:00

Wednesday Apple Pie Making in Newfane is the signal that Heritage Festival is approaching. 15-20 people have been gathering on Wednesday mornings in the church to make 50-60 pies each week.

There are the peelers ...

... and the slicers ...

... the crust makers and the rollers ...

... the assemblers and bakers ...

... all done with loving hands.

Service by the River

2008-08-13T07:44:00.005-04:00

Filmmaker Joe DeFelice filmed the Service by the River, Smith Brook, July 20, 2008, when the church celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism.

Earlier in the service, new members were welcomed: Kimberly & Ted, Caryl & Joe, Jo-Ellen & Jay, Maria. Baptized were Kimberly, Hattie (daughter of Kimberly & Ted), River (son of Caryl & Joe), Jessica (daughter of Jo-Ellen & Jay), and Carter (son of Jo-Ellen & Jay).

Photographer Dan Marx provided these pictures from the Service which was held on the lawn and along/in the river behind Ginny Grabowski's home.

Brookline Service

2008-07-28T07:35:00.003-04:00

Services on Sunday, July 27, were held in the Brookline Church. The church was built in 1836 and retains most of its original character. Typical of New England churches, large windows bathe the interior with light, although the trees which have grown up around the church reduce the light somewhat.

Music comes from an old Estey pump organ. Don Maher came out of retirement for this Sunday to work the pedals.

For many years, the lay reader for the Brookline service has been Vera Harrington, and she filled that role again this year. Vera moved to Brookline with her parents in 1929 and joined the church. She was seventeen years old. She is seated in the front row, waiting for the service to bein.

Baptism in the River

2008-07-21T13:40:00.002-04:00

The weather was uncertain early on Sunday, July 20, but rain only threatened. Families, friends, and church members gathered on the lawn behind Ginny Grabowski's home for worship, including welcoming seven new members into the fellowship of the church, and baptizing one adult and four children in the shallow waters of Bruce Brook. Ginny had a wonderful "coffee" hour afterwards, and the Deacons provided a cake.

There will be additional pictures from the service posted soon. Here are just a few from the fellowship celebration after the service.

River DeFelice and Hattie Colligan were two of the children baptized. They are holding vases of garden flowers given to their parents in honor of joining the church and celebrating their children's baptism.

The kids always enjoy the refreshments, especially when there is cake. Many are friends in school, and enjoy seeing one another outside of school.

Additional Photos - Newfane Hill Service

2008-07-03T14:41:00.002-04:00

Dan Marx took these photos from the Newfane Hill Service.

Newfane Hill Service

2008-06-29T18:34:00.002-04:00

The church's annual service on Newfane Hill was held on Sunday, June 29 - commemorating the date when the church was first gathered on June 30, 1774. The service was held near the monument of the first Windham County Courthouse and the old "whipping post," and just a short distance from the site of the first Meetinghouse. This area near the top of Newfane Hill is the site of the original Newfane settlement and town center. The County seat and most of the village was moved to Park Flats in the early 1830s, now the village of Newfane.

After the service, we were invited to the home of Bucky and Carleen Pelsue at the top of Newfane Hill for our iced tea hour and a period of good conversation and distant, though hazy, vistas.

Sunday School Program

2008-06-23T10:52:00.003-04:00

The Sunday School did the Children's Time on Sunday, June 22. They gave a brief program on what they had studied during the year.

Annual Congregational Meeting

2008-06-19T07:43:00.000-04:00

The 233rd Annual Congregational Meeting was held on Wednesday, June 18. Twenty-five people attended the meeting which was ably and graciously moderated by Debbie Cook. The written reports of the boards, committees, and organizations showed a church which has been busy and active in the past year, and bits and pieces of these reports will be included in upcoming issues of "The Steeple."

Three items should be highlighted. The Board of Deacons had an unusually large number of vacancies due to completion of terms and resignations because of family health issues. The Nominating Committee was unable to fill a two year vacancy on the six person board. When someone is willing to fill this vacancy, the Council will make the appointment.

In the Heritage Festival report, Carleen Pelsue wrote that after twelve years chairing the Festival, this will definitely be her last year. This major event provides about a third of the church's budget. As yet, the church is looking for one or two people to take on this responsibility.

The meeting also heard from outgoing Trustee Rick Wilson who showed a very preliminary model for a 16' x 28' addition to the back of the church to provide a second stair exit from the sanctuary, a handicap lift, and eventually space for the church office space and a pastor's office. The meeting responded positively to the plan and approved the Trustees contacting an architect. The church's capital fund has about $40,000, a good start for this potential project.

25 Nations Represented at SIT Evening in Newfane

2008-06-13T06:50:00.004-04:00

For the third year, the church hosted an evening in Vermont for women and men participating in the “Summer Peace Building Program: Conflict Transformation across Cultures” at the School for International Training. They represented 25 countries and many cultures.

The evening began in the historic Windham County Court House where Side Judge Maryann Clarkson spoke about the Vermont judicial system.

The participants did a walking tour of the village, visiting several of the local businesses and the library.

Then they came to the Newfane Church where church members and friends were waiting with a good old-fashioned church potluck dinner and conversation around the tables.

After dinner, Chris guided the group through introductions, then spoke about the history of the church, church and state in Vermont, and the community service of the church. As Town Moderator, he also spoke about democracy in Vermont and citizen participation in town affairs.

Newfane's State Representative Dick Marek talked about state government and issues which Vermont faces. Chris and Dick together took questions and reflected on civility and order in public life.

The Newfane Bell Choir played "Let There Be Peace on Earth" and the entire group joined in singing.

Chris concluded the evening by extending Newfane's hope that all of us might know peace in our time and our place, and - whatever the name we may use - God's blessing .

Don Maher Retires as Music Director

2008-06-13T06:35:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, June 8, the worship service was filled with music as Don brought his many years of music ministry to a conclusion. Family, old friends, and choir alumni joined the church's choir under Don's direction. Newfane native Peter LaMoira was on the organ, Martha Clark (co-music director for the last year) was on piano. Add in the Newfane Bell Choir, plus oboe, and guitar accompaniments, and a full church intent on honoring Don's "compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." The last hymn in the service was also Don's favorite: "When In Our Music God is Glorified" - the title exemplifies Don's lifetime of providing music in churches, including the Newfane Church since his return to Newfane in 1991. Thank you Don!

Characterized by his warm smile, Don prepared the choir for the Sunday service.

Sunday morning, Don rehearsed the church choir, which included family, choir alumni, and friends.

Don with Martha Clark, co-music director, and Peter LaMoria, guest organist and former Newfane resident, and the choir.

Don was overwhelmed with the regard and affection displayed by the congregation. He is speechless as the congregation stands at the end of the service and recognizes his long music ministry.

As the reception wound down after the service, Chris and Don took a moment to rest on the steps to the sanctuary.

Pastoral Search Committee

2008-06-05T10:16:00.004-04:00

With the Church Profile completed in May 2008, the Committee was then ready to begin advertising for the position of pastor for our church. The primary advertising medium was through the VT Conference-UCC [VTC-UCC]. We also placed ads in selected denominational newsletters/magazines and sent copies of the announcement to several divinity schools. In early July, Rev. Pam Lucas, VTC-UCC, met with the Committee to help us effectively read and evaluate the applicants’ Ministerial Profiles. She brought with her the first set [9] of applicant profiles.

Including the first set of 9 profiles, and over the course of the rest of the year and through March 2009, we received a total of 29 Ministerial Profiles. There were 15 female applicants and 14 male applicants. Surprisingly, there was only one Vermont applicant. There were 10 other New England applicants and 5 additional Northeast applicants. Rounding out the applicant pool: Midwest – 7; South – 3; and West – 3. Each Ministerial Profile was very thoughtfully and carefully read and evaluated by each member of the Committee. The profiles were then reviewed and discussed by the full Committee, and a decision made whether or not to consider each applicant further. This process, over a period of 10 months, led the Committee to select 6 applicants with whom we would conduct telephone interviews. From these, we identified 3 candidates we wished to observe further in a neutral pulpit.

You now are all aware of the final outcome of this effort. On April 6, 2009, the Search Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the Church Council extend a Call to Rev. Sandy Daly. Monday, April 13, 2009, the Council unanimously voted to affirm the recommendation. Following Rev. Daly’s acceptance of the Call, the Moderator, Treasurer, and Search Committee Chair met with her to work out the details of the Call Agreement. Saturday, May 30, 2009, Rev. Sandy Daly, with her husband, Rev. Roger Daly, joined church members and friends for a potluck get-acquainted supper. The following Sunday, May 31, 2009, Rev. Sandy Daly conducted the worship service, and directly following the service, the church members present unanimously voted to accept Rev. Daly as our new settled pastor. She officially begins her pastoral duties on Sunday, June 14, 2009.

The Pastoral Search Committee is especially grateful to members and friends of the Newfane Congregational Church for their prayers, patience, and support during this process. We are also deeply appreciative of all applicants’ interest in our church and wish them success in their respective searches.

Random Photos

2008-06-05T10:01:00.002-04:00

The Church & Heritage Festival

2008-06-05T08:12:00.005-04:00

Churches with a small membership often struggle to pay the expenses of the church. As the costs of heating, utilities, insurance and upkeep on old buildings rise, they become increasing threats to the survival of a congregation. The Newfane Church is no different.

What is different about the Newfane Church, is that it holds only one fund raiser a year in order to supplement the support provided by members and friends - the Heritage Festival. The "benefit" which Heritage Festival provides allows the church to cover these expenses and to open its building to a wide range of community uses including:

Senior meal served monthly
Newfane Bell Choir
Weekly "well Fitness"
"Sew Whats" sewing group
Yoga for health
Early Childhood Play Group
Kitchen use by Newfane Business Association for its activities on the Common
Decemberfest soup & concert
Weekly Al-Anon meeting

The Heritage Festival also ennables the church to give generously to community organizations which address the medical, physical, and social needs of people in the community. Included in this local mission giving is:

Grace Cottage Hospital
Valley Health Council
Fuel Assistance
Morningside Shelter
Newbrook Fire Department
Newfane Children's Christmas Fund
Brattleboro Hospice
Habitat for Humanity
Women's Crisis Center

The church also supports the wider mission of the United Church of Christ and gives to two church founded NGOs in India which support spiritual, educational, medical and economic development for people living in the foothills of the Himalayas.

This continuing presence and mission is possible because the church's 70 members are supported by an additional 200 members and friends in the community and throughout the Northeast who help with Heritage Festival every year - flipping hamburgers, slicing pie, popping popcorn, emptying trash, peeling apples, rolling dough, dicing potatoes, sorting fleas and dusty old books, moving tables and chairs, and doing the hundreds of other jobs.

... and then there are the 80 plus artists and craftspeople who display their work - and the thousands of visitors who wander about the Common, lunch in the Food Tent or Church Deli, try their luck at the Super Raffle, take home a home-made pie, and have an all-time good time at one of southeastern Vermont's premier events during Vermont's most colorful season.

For complete information about the Newfane Heritage Festival go to www.newfaneheritagefestival.org

The Church Today

2008-06-05T07:42:00.005-04:00

The First Congregational Church of Newfane (also known as the "Newfane Congregational Church," or just the "Newfane Church") has about 65 active members who are regularly involved in the worship and ministries of the church. There are also many members and friends (resident and non-resident) who are connected with the church and often contribute in many ways to the life of the church.

In 1999, the Church defined its Mission with the following statement:

As Members of the Newfane Congregational Church Our Mission is to live and grow together in faith.

Our Goals are for all ages and all people:
☞ To witness to God's Love by sharing with and caring for people in our local and global communities.
☞ To provide lively worship in a welcoming atmosphere.
☞ To offer enrichment through opportunities for learning, spiritual growth, and service. To participate in these opportunities as individuals.

Even in laid back Vermont, life is often hectic, focused on activity and material concerns. The Church's place on the Common is a reminder that life has a spiritual component, and that values like "faith, hope, and love" are of greater significance to life's fulfillment than the values of acquisitiveness, consumption, and activity that predominant in our culture.

The Church holds Sunday Worship Services at 10am, with special services at Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Communion is observed the first Sunday of the month (except during Lent). The history of the Churches of our area are observed each year. On the last Sunday of June and July, worship services are held, respectively, on Newfane Hill (where the church was first gathered) and at the Brookline Church on Grassy Brook Road.

For a small membership church, the Newfane Church has a remarkably vital music ministry under the direction of Martha Clark, an experienced and talented musician. Martha provides the organ and piano music which accompanies worship, directs the volunteer choir, and arranges for special music and musical events. In addition, the church sponsors the Newfane Community Bell Choir which supplements the music of the church and provides bell choir music for community events and in neighboring churches.

Families with young children have begun participating in the church, making the time before, during, and after worship a lively and energetic time. Children participate in worship and share in a “Childrens’ Time,”after which they have Sunday School in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.

A Brief History of Newfane Church

2008-06-05T07:14:00.002-04:00

The church was first gathered on Newfane Hill, June 30, 1774, as the "Congregational Church of Christ," with nine members, including Jonathan Park, the first settler in Newfane, and Luke Knowlton, holder of the original town charter. Early histories indicate that the church met in the courthouse, but the courthouse was not built until 1787 when Newfane became the shiretown. The first minister was the Rev. Hezekiah Taylor who began ministering in 1774 and was officially "settled" by the vote of a Town Meeting in November, 1781. Mr. Taylor served as minister until 1811.

At a town meeting in 1792, it was voted to build a meeting house, forty feet by fifty feet. The house was not raised until July, 1799. The pews were sold at public auction to pay for finishing the house.

With the removal of the shire to Fayetteville, the congregational church also shifted. In 1832, they joined with four other Protestant sects to build the Union Church (now Union Hall). There were fifty-two pews. The pews were sold at auction. Each sect "had the pulpit" for the number of Sundays equal to the number of pews which they had subscribed. The Congregationalists had 20 Sundays, the Universalists 19, and the Methodists 13.

In April, 1838, the Congregationalists decided to construct their own Meetinghouse in order to "secure the use and occupancy of the New Meetinghouse to the members of the Society and the control of the pulpit to the Congregational Church." The congregation changed its name to the "Orthodox Congregational Society of Newfane" in 1839.

By September, 1838, the new Meetinghouse had been raised. The next year all the structural work was completed and nine sheds for parishioners' horses were built behind the church. The building seated 300 people and was built at a cost of $4000 plus many donated materials. It was dedicated on Sunday, October 2, 1839.

The Congregational Meetinghouse underwent a major change about 1865 when the gallery was cut down and the "Desk" or Pulpit was altered. Historical records are sketchy, but this seems to indicate that the building was originally a single story structure with a main floor and gallery. With the gallery removed, the building could be divided into an upstairs place of worship and a downstairs area used for many different purposes.

In 1875, the Ladies’ Aid Society was organized, and a Young People’s Christian Endeavor Society began in 1888. Ministry with young people has long since taken other forms, but the Ladies’ Aid is still a vital part of the life and work of the congregation.

The choir was located in the back of the renovated upstairs worship space. In 1891, a platform was constructed adjacent to the rostrum for use by the choir.

In 1897, slate replaced the wood shingles on the church roof and more modern pews were installed in the sanctuary. A furnace was put in the first floor of the church in September, 1904, in place of the old wood-burning stoves.

In December, 1914, the church was incorporated in the State of Vermont as "The First Congregational Church of Newfane." Also in 1914, electric lighting was installed. Prior to this innovation light came from kerosene lamps, with reflectors, placed in swinging brackets fastened well up on each window casing. In the middle of the auditorium was a large chandelier hung from the ceiling and carrying a cluster of oil lamps.

During the summer of 1921, the church interior was redecorated through the efforts of the women of the church. The sanctuary of the building was completely refinished, including new lighting from Spain, in 1968.

The congregation was a member of the Vermont Congregational Conference until the Congregationalists nationwide merged into a new denomination, the United Church of Christ, in 1957. First Congregational Church of Newfane became part of the United Church of Christ in 1976.

Visit Newfane Common

2008-06-05T06:49:00.005-04:00

Newfane Common is considered by many to be the most picturesque New England common, and it is certainly one of the most photographed. Standing on Route 30 and looking west, the Common is dominated by the Windham County Court House. To the left (south) is Union Hall. To the west is the Meeting House of the First Congregational Church.

The Town of Newfane (or township as it would be known in other parts of the country) was chartered in 1753 by Benning Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire. Jonathon Park was the first settler in 1766, clearing land on Newfane Hill not far from the original town center, now near the intersection of Newfane Hill Road and Otis Lane. In 1787, Newfane became the shire town (or county seat) of Windham County.

About 1824, the shire was moved from Newfane Hill to Fayetteville (now Newfane Village), probably because travel was easier along the West River Valley, thus enabling easier access to the county builidings. Many of the building from the village on Newfane Hill were moved by oxen to the new village location.

The first two building erected on the common were the court house and the jail. What remains of the original jail complex (including the jail, an inn, barns and shed) is to the east of Route 30 and is the office of the Windham County Sheriff.

The stately Windham County Court House in the center of the Common is the culmination several building phases. Originally it was a federal-style building with a symmetrical boxlike shape; the federal-style is retained in the entranceway. Many changes were made to the Court House in its early years, with the most dramatic being in 1854 when the two story, Greek revival portico was added with the four majestic Doric columns. Finally, in 1907, the building was extended westward with the addition of two bays. The Court House was renovated and restored a few years ago, and continues to serve the judicial needs of Windham County.

To the south of the court house is Union Hall. This building began as a “Union Church” in 1832. Five Christian Sects (Congregationalist Restoration Order, Calvinistic Order, Methodist, Unitarian, Baptist) joined together to build this meeting house. The Fifty-two pews were auctioned, and the number of pews purchased by each sect determined the number of Sundays that sect would have the pulpit each year. In 1838, the dominate Congregationalists withdrew from the union and built the church at the west end of the Common.

Worship continued in Union Hall until 1854. The building then sat empty until 1872 when the village took over the building,. It was restored and remodeled. Now with a stage instead of pulpit and pews, the building was a regular venue for dramatic productions, dances, concerts, and meetings. This use continues to the present.

Surrounding the Newfane Common are two country inns noted for their hospitality and fine dining, a general store and country store supplying essentials to the community and its many visitors, and private dwellings (some of which began their lives on Newfane Hill).

During the summer, the Newfane Business Association sponsors free concerts on Wednesday evenings on the Common. Residents, neighbors, friends, and visitors gather for music, often a picnic supper, and always a pleasant time. On the first Sunday evening in December, the NBA “lights the Common” for the winter holidays, serves a soup supper in the Congregational Church, and celebrates the coming holidays with a concert by the church sponsored Newfane Bell Choir.

Other school and community groups hold occasional sales, craft shows, and events on the Newfane Common, but the premier event during the year is the Newfane Heritage Festival. Come anytime and enjoy the common public space of this beautiful New England common. Come on Columbus Weekend and experience the hospitality of a New England craft fair.

More information about the Common and the Village can be found in Historic Newfane Village by Robert L. Crowell (available at Moore Free Library, the Windham County Historical Society, and Olde and New England Books). Available at the library and historical society is Newfane’s First Century, the centennial proceedings published in 1877.