ATHENS, Vt. – Join the first-ever Nature Fest on the 1817 Athens Brick Meetinghouse lawn, on Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., hosted by the meetinghouse committee in conjunction with the Athens Historic Preservation Society.
The event will feature The Caterpillar Lab from Dublin, N.H. This group of naturalists offers an amazing opportunity to observe many live native caterpillars and learn about their extraordinary life cycles, habits, and metamorphoses. You’ll also find our event cohosts, The Nature Museum, of Grafton, and Athens’ own Bull Creek Common Lands. This will be a great day for kids and adults alike to learn something new about our lands and the many creatures with which we share it.
The Athens Brick Meetinghouse is historically significant to the Windham County region of Vermont, and particularly the 12 surrounding towns which comprised the Old Athens Circuit: Grafton, Rockingham, Townshend, Londonderry, Weston, Chester, Acton, Springfield, Landgrove, Windham, Putney, and Mount Holly. Circuit preachers from Athens traveled out to these towns to perform religious services. Quarterly camp meetings with the Methodist congregants from these towns often lasted two days at the Athens Meetinghouse, which was known as the “Mother Church.” This national historic landmark, located at 2 Meetinghouse Road, just off Route 35, will be open to visitors during this free event. Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Athens Historic Preservation Society to support the preservation of the meetinghouse.
For more information, contact Sherry Maher at 802-869-2141, or follow Athens Meetinghouse on Facebook.