Revolutionary War patriot Nathaniel Niles, author of the popular ode "The American Hero" celebrating the Battle of Bunker Hill, was an original settler of Fairlee, founder of West Fairlee, and first minister of this church. He came to Fairlee soon after the Revolution from Norwich, Connecticut, where he had been active in politics, manufacturing, and religion. During a public career spanning three decades in Vermont, Niles served on the state Supreme Court, as Speaker of the state House of Representatives, as a trustee of Dartmouth College, and as one of Vermont's first two Congressmen. A staunch Jeffersonian Democrat, he led his party in Vermont and also published frequent articles on religious topics.