Sweden’s Congregational Church was built between 1817 and 1823 with the aid of parishioners including those of the Maxwell, Stevens, Webber, and Woodbury families. The first pastor was the Rev. Valentine Little, who served from 1825 to 1834.
The membership in the church declined over the years and in 1884, services were terminated. In 1927, the church was leased to the town for the storage of town property. In the early photos of the church, you can see a large door cut into the east wall and an even larger opening in the front. Those spaces were used to house the town tractor and a town truck.
In 1975, Bob Vile, a frequent visitor to Sweden, took title to the building and spent the next 18 years renovating it. The renovations were extensive as shown in the following photos. He reproduced all the early 19th century windows and doors and converted the front third of the building into living quarters. Vile spent his summers and other vacation time working on the building and lived here full time for almost two years before his death in 1996. The building continues as a beautiful private residence.
