Built in 1865, the Unitarian Church of Montpelier was designed by Thomas Silloway, a Unitarian minister and architect known for designing over 400 church buildings. Originally built in the Italianate and Renaissance Revival styles, its appearance was modified in 1921 to reflect the Colonial Revival period. The church hosts concerts, nature-based lectures, progressive sex education programs, and a winter warming shelter. The church also has an active Climate Action Team, which works on sustainability and resilience projects within the church and the broader community.

In July 2023, the region experienced record rainfall, resulting in catastrophic flooding. The Unitarian Church of Montpelier lost the majority of equipment located in the basement, including electrical panels, elevator controls, and refrigerators for the community lunch program. Outside funding allowed the church to address urgent repairs and re-open three months after the floods. However, the inability to use the elevator made it difficult for the church to return to hosting services and public events. Given the age of the controls, the entire unit needed to be replaced.

An Intervention Fund grant of $50,000 awarded in 2023 helped fund the replacement of the elevator with a new, ADA-accessible lift. The church also moved the control panel to a flood-safe location. After the floods, nearly all of the elevators in Montpelier were out of commission. When the church replaced the elevator, it was a significant turning point for the entire city to be able to host accessible events again. Following the flood, the congregation established a Climate Resilience Study Group to plan for the future of the building and developed a flood preparedness plan for future events.

Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur