The Meetinghouse community hub in Ridgebury will soon be unveil coffee shop and market
What's brewing at the Meetinghouse in Ridgebury?
The short answer is A LOT. Construction is underway to create a coffee shop and market in Ridgebury's magnificent historical building with the brilliant red doors. Here, Carolyn Neugarten interviews the powerhouse, local creative, Pastor, and Director of the Meetinghouse, Deborah Rundlett.
What are the plans for the new coffee shop and market at the Meetinghouse?
We have gone through an extended journey with plenty of zoning to allow us to have a coffee shop and two hundred square feet of market space. If you live in Ridgebury, you have to get in the car to go anywhere. There should be a place to pick up your eggs, to pick up your milk; if you’re thirteen years old and you just want a place to hang out with your friends, the coffee shop can be that place. For mothers who want to gather after yoga, there is a third place. The first place would be your home, the second place would be your work, but the third place would be the place where everyone knows your name, like the Meetinghouse.
And more... community
In addition, there will be either an extension of the farm or a nature school at the lower level of the barn. We are in conversation about that. There will be something related to the arts on the second floor. So we are exploring a variety of collaborative partnerships in which together we will gather around the arts, community, sustainability, and around wisdom.
What is the timeline for the construction of the coffee shop and market? How has the pandemic impacted these plans?
Well, we are two years behind schedule because of the pandemic! Everything has taken so much longer. There are delays on every front. Construction won’t finish until the end of this year or early next year. We are hoping that everything will be open at the beginning of January 2022, but there’s no way to tell for sure.
What is the history behind the Meetinghouse?
The Meetinghouse has stood at these corners since 1760, and is the oldest building site in Ridgefield, at the intersection of George Washington Highway and Ridgebury Road. The Meetinghouse was the place where the early community gathered to make all their essential decisions, including entering into the Revolutionary War, sending someone into the Continental Congress, or participating in the Underground Railroad. All of these significant decisions were made there. But it was also the space where every aspect of the community’s life happened. Over time, it became a church, and those roots were forgotten.
How has the mission of the Meetinghouse progressed, from a place that was just a church to somewhere with additional needs to serve the community?
We actually entered into a community discernment process and asked the important question: how can this 5.6-acre campus best serve the Ridgebury neighborhood, Ridgefield, and the extended area? There were pretty key things that came out of it, but first and foremost we emphasized that the DNA of the Meetinghouse was spiritual. You can’t be a leader in the twenty-first century without bringing your whole person. We can be smart as a whip, emotionally intelligent, and physically fit, but we have to bring our whole person.
So I’ve been in conversation with fifty leaders here in the community and asked: What is wisdom? How does wisdom impact their decision-making? There’s no question that there is a place at the Meetinghouse and in this community of leaders to nurture wisdom.
What is the planning process for the Meetinghouse’s events?
There are four key areas in which we engage: through the arts (visual, performing, written and musical expression for all ages), through community, through common land, and through wisdom.
The Arts
We have had exhibits featuring fine artists whose work has appeared in the Smithsonian museum. One of our most popular shows was the sixth through the twelfth-grade show of Ridgefield school artists. It grew... every week more works of art appeared. As kids saw their classmates exhibiting their work, they wanted to put their work in as well.
Community is important as well. We provide a great space to gather, exchange ideas, to nurture relationships, and sometimes just hang out with one another. Recently, a cross-section of leaders, including our First Selectman, our state senator, our state representatives, as well as business leaders gathered to discuss what community is like in the twenty-first century. As we merge out of the pandemic, how are we going to be intentional about who we are as a community?
Common Land. What does it mean when we say we are sustainable to the environment? How are we going to care for these wetlands? It serves as a training ground for people of all ages to understand their social responsibility to care not only for people but the planet. When we say farm, what are the farming practices? How will we extend the pollinator pathway? What about vegetables and hydroponics? That is still in emergence but it’s happening.
Wisdom. How do we nurture and honor wisdom? One of the questions I asked the fifty leaders is where do they feel wisdom in their bodies? For some, it was in their gut, they knew their truth in their gut. For others, it was in their heart. Wisdom comes from all places.
How can readers get involved with the Meetinghouse and its events?
Many, many ways. If someone has a dream of wanting to create pathways through the wetlands, we would love for them to come and do that. If someone wants to extend the pollinator pathway, fabulous! If someone wants to curate a museum around a community issue or concern, come! We would love that! If you know of artists who are their own songwriters and need a place that honors their voice, get them to us!
What are some special events coming up?
Pamme Jones [executive director of Ridgefield Theater Barn] is coming to sing on Sunday, August 14th at 4 PM. We can’t wait for her! Then, on September 9, there is going to be a Friday Food Truck (Weenie Lynn’s) for people to come and enjoy! Look as you drive by because we will announce different events!
Thank you, Deborah and the Meetinghouse for bringing good things to Ridgefield! We can't wait to gather in our home away from home, where everybody knows our names!
Learn more about the Meetinghouse here.