John Trumbull, son of Gov Jonathan Trumbull and his wife Faith Trumbull, went to London to study art under Benjamin West, during the Revolutionary War*, against the better judgement of his father. When the spy, Major John Andres, was arrested, the British reciprocated by arresting Trumbull and he was imprisoned for eight months. It was at this time that he studied architecture under Sir Christopher Wren and the Adams Brothers**.
In 1804 he returned to Connecticut with his beautiful English wife and found Lebanon in need of an architect for their new meeting house. The building he designed has majestically graced the Lebanon Town Green since its construction from 1804-1807. It is called The First Congregational Church of Lebanon and is located on Rt 207 across from the Lebanon Town Hall at the southern end of the green.
The graceful white steeple climbs high above the treetops and can be seen for miles around. Red bricks covering that stately edifice were made of soil from the town green and its lofty timbers made from local trees. White Roman-Doric engaged columns give a rich classical elegance to the façade. Inside the pulpit towers above the congregation and with the Palladian *** window in back of it, it is designed to inspire exhilaration while hearing the Word of God.
When the meeting house was destroyed by hurricane in 1938 there was enough evidence available from the debris to restore it accurately. A descendant of John Trumbull generously contributed to the restorations.
Tours can be arranged by appointment and after 10am Sunday Worship Service. To arrange a tour contact the church office 860/642-6179 M-F 9:30am to 2:30pm. A picture of the Meeting House can be seen in my Town Green story.
*John became famous for his Revolutionary War pictures that still hang in the nation's capitol.....**famous architects from that time.....***Thomas Jefferson brought that style to this country from Europe