Church History to See in New England:  Royalton, Vermont
by Becky Cardon Smith
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Though most will not want to make Royalton a planned stop, you will likely pass through this area on your way to the Tunbridge Village Store. Knowing about some of things that transpired here will help make this area more meaningful to you.

Chartered in 1769, the Township of Royalton lies just west of the Township of Sharon. Lucy’s father, Solomon Mack, purchased a 100-acre farm in this area. (He lived on the portion of land in the Township of Sharon, but his property bordered both townships.) Joseph Sr. and Lucy lived in the Royalton area on two separate occasions. After selling their home in Tunbridge, the family lived here for a few months before moving to Sharon. During their second stay in Royalton, from about 1809 to 1811, Lucy gave birth to two sons: Ephraim and William. In 1816, Lucy bade a tearful farewell to her mother, Lydia Gates Mack, as Lucy and the children departed for their new home in Palmyra. Lydia died in Royalton about two years later. Stephen Smith, brother of Joseph Smith Sr., is buried in the small local cemetery.

Significant Events

After selling their farm in Tunbridge to pay off the debts from a failed business venture, Joseph Sr. and Lucy moved to Royalton for a few months before continuing on to Sharon. During a later stay in this area, Lucy gave birth to Ephraim on March 13, 1810 and William exactly a year later on March 13, 1811. Sadly, Ephraim only lived for 11 days before passing away on March 24, 1810.

Around the time of William’s birth in 1811, Joseph Sr. had a remarkable dream which would be the first of several he would experience in the next few years. Of this dream, Lucy recorded, “One night my husband retired to his bed in a very thoughtful state of mind, contemplating the situation of the Christian religion, of the confusion and discord that were extant. He soon fell into a sleep, and before waking had the following vision …” (HJS p. 46-47). In this dream, Joseph Sr. found himself traveling through a silent, dismal, and barren field, which represented the world without any religion. He was told about a log box which contained food that when eaten would make him wise. His attempts to eat some of the food were prevented by beasts. Joseph awoke trembling but happy and even more convinced than ever that the professors of religion did not understand the kingdom of God. (Joseph Sr. would soon have a second such dream after moving from Royalton to Lebanon.)

In 1816, Lucy last saw her mother at the home of Willard Pierce, a tavern keeper in Royalton. Lydia wept as she told her daughter that she would probably never see her face again. Lydia encouraged her daughter to “continue faithful in the service of God to the end of your days, that I may have the pleasure of embracing you in another and fairer world above” (HJS p. 62.). After Lucy had departed for Palmyra, Lydia lived with her son, Daniel Mack, for two years until she passed away.

Sites to See

Credit for the location of many of the sites in Royalton and surrounding areas goes to local historian, G. Lester Corwin II. We express appreciation for his willingness to help us locate the sites and for sharing his extensive knowledge of the area.

• Site of Pierce Tavern – A privately owned home (not the original) now stands at the site where Lucy probably said a final goodbye to her mother. The tavern site is located on the corner at the intersection of Route 14 and Route 110 (on your left as you turn onto Route 110 to see the Tunbridge Village Store).

• North Royalton Cemetery – The grave of the Prophet’s uncle, Stephen Smith, is located in this small cemetery. The cemetery is on your left about 3 miles north of the Route 14/110 junction (or .2 miles south of the Fox Stand Inn on Route 14). A rock wall divides the graveyard. Stephen’s round-shaped headstone is in the south section midway between the dividing rock wall and the southern boundary. The black slate stone is in the third row from the front (the writing is on the backside). 

• Fox Stand Inn – The inn is of historical interest because General Lafayette stopped here after the American Revolution while returning from Montreal. This local restaurant and B&B is located on Route 14.

• Royalton was also the birthplace of Albert Carrington. He was born on January 8, 1813 and graduated from Dartmouth College. He also served as an apostle from 1870 to 1885. Though he left the Church for a time, Albert Carrington was later rebaptized and served on a committee that helped draft a constitution for the state of Utah.  

Next week: Randolph, Vermont

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