Ruth Lane’s Memories

From a phone call in March, 2020 by Christina Gibbons

Ruth recalls the main reason for moving was to have more parking “so we could invite others into the community to participate.”  She does not recall why the new building should be called the West Village Meeting House.  

Ruth confirmed that the Church got the land from Prentiss Smith.  At the bottom of the driveway, there was the “Bigelow house” which came with the purchase. She remembers helping to get it ready for demolition.  The Blake house stands there now.

Bigelow House

The architect  from Boston “fell in love with the land.” 

When Mary Dunham looked at the plans, she asked out loud if the building, being in Vermont, shouldn’t have overhangs, but the architect stuck to his own vision.  A local company, Loney, constructed the building.  Ruth thought there were some “shortcuts” in the construction.

There was quite a bit of dissension about the move, starting with the minister, Fred Miller.  He resigned when the move took place.  Ruth can’t quite remember what leadership emerged after that.  She knows her daughter Jen was christened in 1972 by a part time minister, Rev. Robert Raible.  Ruth and Eugene Lane were married in the downtown church in 1956 and joined the church a year later.

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