Old Parish Church and Weston

May 1, 2025

by Bob Brandt

At Weston’s first Town Meeting, in 1800, it was proposed that a Meeting House be constructed to house both the town’s religious organizations and important civic functions. Sixteen years later they got around to beginning construction and after another sixteen years (1832) the Weston-Landgrove Meeting House, the structure we know as Old Parish Church (“OPC”), was completed.

Over time two significant structural changes were made: in 1866 the balcony was enclosed as a second floor, occupied by the Methodist Episcopal Church, while the town offices were installed on the lower floor until, 1972 when the present Town Office was designed by Ray Austin and constructed, and the balcony was re-opened. In 1882 Seymour Fenn remodeled the belfry to become a clock tower.

Like most country churches, for many years Old Parish Church employed itinerant, or temporary ministers; The Story of Weston (Frost & Taylor, unpublished) lists 38 ministers during the 69 years 1865 to 1934. OPC Board Chair David “Pres” Sloterbeck, despite being admonished that Weston and its Methodist church were too small to support a full-time minister, brought Jon Bliss on board to be our pastor in 2002. After over 20 years, Jon – and we – are still here.

As a religious institution, nominally Methodist, OPC opens its doors to those of any religious affiliation – or none. And beyond our Sunday congregation and visitors, OPC serves the entire community when there is a call for a wedding, a baptism or a memorial.

Minister Bliss describes our mission as follows:

Old Parish Church affirms the dignity of every individual and aspires to work in our community and beyond to inspire hospitality and service. While we honor denominational connections, and value the centrality of our Christian tradition, we welcome into our circle all spiritual seekers, along with anyone looking for fellowship and purpose.

Lastly, Old Parish Church is dedicated to community service; OPC founded Just Neighbors and the Hearts and Voices Performance Series. Our members assume key volunteer roles with the Neighbors Pantry, Weston Clean-up Day, the Mountain Towns Housing Project and more. And our building is made available as a community center for Town Government Committee meetings, Historical Society lectures, concerts (including being the new home of Sundays on the Hill).

And now we are delighted to become the temporary home of the Wilder Memorial Library while their home base undergoes a wonderful transformation.

For more information on Old Parish Church, please click here.