On Saturday morning, Dec. 2, good weather held on an otherwise rainy weekend as close to 100 people gathered to break ground on a new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Wilton.

The property at 241 Danbury Rd. directly across from Wilton’s Town Hall sat vacant for a years until in 2018, church officials notified the town they intended to purchase the property (as well as an adjoining parcel on Cricket Ln.) with plans to build a meetinghouse there.

After a long COVID-related delay, plans were first submitted in 2022 to Wilton’s land use boards, including the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Architectural Review Board/Village District Design Advisory Committee. The church received town approval in January 2023.

Church officials estimate construction will take approximately 18 months. When completed, the long-awaited project will be a new home for 250 members of the church from Wilton, Weston, Ridgefield and Redding. The building will include a chapel, classrooms, cultural hall/gymnasium, and offices for local congregation.   

It will also be much more convenient for those local church members, who currently meet in a Church building in Newtown.

Several local and state community leaders were on hand at the groundbreaking, including First Selectman Toni Boucher at her first official event.

Boucher noted how nice a view it will be to have the church, once it’s built, right across the street from her new office. “I’m here to stand with you in our community,” she added.

One notable comment came from 16-year-old church member, Adeline Francia, who said that having the meetinghouse in Wilton will do more than shorten the travel time to church, although she’s also looking forward to that.

Francia said it will help her share more about herself with friends. “I know that now people will learn about a big part of me,” she said.

The Wilton congregation is called a ward, and is one of seven congregations covering 17 towns in southern Fairfield County that make up the Fairfield Connecticut Stake, a unit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church). The Fairfield Stake includes approximately 1,900 families and 3,100 individuals.

  • First Selectman Toni Boucher speaks at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Todd Herget, LDS Church Fairfield County Stake President speaks at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023.
  • Town and local officials at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. (R-L): State Rep. Keith Denning (42-Wilton), Frm. Wilton YMCA Executive Director Bob McDowell, First Selectman Toni Boucher, Selectwoman Kim Healy, Becky Hudspeth, Selectman Ross Tartell, Karen Tartell and LDS Church Ward member Jack McFadden. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Wilton resident, 16-year-old Adeline Francia, speaks at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton
  • The Wilton Ward youth choir at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton
  • at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Wilton Ward member Jack McFadden at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Attendees at the Church of Latter-day Saints groundbreaking on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton

2 replies on “Church of Latter-Day Saints Breaks Ground on Wilton Meeting House”

  1. Thank you to all the community members that came to the ground breaking celebration of our new Latter-day Saint Chapel in Wilton.

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