RUTLAND, Vt. – A historical marker commemorating the life and work of the first ordained black minister in the United States will be dedicated next month in Vermont.
Reverend Lemuel Haynes was pastor for Rutland's West Parish Congregational Church in West Rutland for 30 years from 1788 to 1818. Haynes had served in the Revolutionary War. He also served as a pastor in Massachusetts and Connecticut before coming to Vermont.
The West Rutland Historical Society says a public dedication ceremony for the historical marker is planned for Saturday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. at the Pleasant Street Cemetery in West Rutland.