Name/Title
First Church in TerritoryEntry/Object ID
2023.2.1Description
Side view of white building with twelve side, multi-paned windows (six per story) with the top row showing rounded top framing and the bottom row completely rectangular. The angling, pitched roof of the building in a light green color. The front facade of the building showing a porch jutting out of the front face itself. From this going upwards is a taller part of the structure (steeple) with a square, white structure with a triform window on the side. The window showing a higher central window with a rounded top and two rectangular side windows. Atop the square part of the tower is a low, latticed fence with tall, white arches in an octagonal shape. Through the fence is a small form (resembling a bell). The octagonal area showing a roof with another, smaller, enclosed octagonal structure on top with ovular, decorated windows on each face and a domed roof. At the center of the roof is a metal vertical structure with a horizontal arrow pointing towards the vanishing point at the center of the painting. Above the central building (the church) are clusters of puffy clouds in varying shades of dark grays. Only around the top of the steeple do the wisping clouds become lighter in shade and a small, speckled patch of light blue sky is showing. Behind the building is another cream-colored building that reaches up to almost halfway of the central church but it appears to sit lower as the profile of a hill is delineating with the foundational dark green, resolute, horizontal line of the main church contrasted with the light, faded green of the foreground arching downwards to the left. This smaller building is facing us with its slanting right green roof carrying off to the right. Flanking the central church on both sides are trees. On the left are five with mostly light, faded green foliage with the center trees showing some mixed yellow and orange leaves on top. On the right hand side are two the tree nearest showing dark, and bright orange foliage and the background tree with bright yellow leaves. Accordingly small groups of bright yellow and orange specks decorating the foreground with fallen leaves. Behind the central church is the top of another tree revealing two rising clusters of dark, bright orange leaves.
In the foreground is a silvery-white, sloping, latticed fence on the right hand side, each section arching upwards and meeting at white, square poles with later-like decorations atop. Mimicking this fencing making perspective lines towards the central building are perfect rows of thin, learning, vertical, stone slabs (headstones). In the second row from the right is one slab lying groundwards instead of standing up and another stacking of thicker slabs on a squarish base. In the central row is a dark gray squarish column narrowing to a point on an ornamented square, multi-layered basin. In the row to the left of the central row is a rectangular, dark brown structure with a gray top slanting downwards facing the fence (sarcophagus style). On the second row in from the left is another rising column in lighter gray with a squared neck and a pointed top. The light, faded green of the ground extends back and beyond the church into the distance to meet something very dark gray.Type of Painting
EaselArtwork Details
Medium
OilSubject
Old First ChurchSubject Place
City
BenningtonCounty
Bennington CountyState/Province
VermontCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North AmericaContext
In celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial, the First Vermont Bank commissioned artist Bruce Mitchell to create a series of paintings illustrating "Vermont Firsts." The paintings and the associated catalog were presented at galleries and museums across the state from 1976 to 1978. 16 of the 44 works remained with the bank through mergers and sales, ultimately coming to the Vermont Historical Society as a gift of successor owner TDBank.
This particular painting was gifted by the First Vermont Bank to Senator Leahy and he displayed it prominently in his Washington office until his retirement in 2022. The Senator donated the work to Vermont Historical Society.
The title of this painting is a bit misleading. The first Congregational congregation in the territory that is now Vermont was established in Bennington in 1762 with a meeting house erected in 1766. The current church, as depicted in this painting, was built in 1805 and is one of the oldest continually operating church structures in the state.Acquisition
Accession
2023.2Source or Donor
Leahy, Patrick Joseph (b. 1940)Acquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Mitchell, Bruce Kirk (1933-2018)Role
PainterDate made
1975 - 1976Relationships
Related Publications
Publication
Vermont Firsts Collection