From the historic marker, “On November 29, 1841, the cornerstone was laid for Darien Methodist Church on Vernon Square. This church, set afire twice by Federal troops in 1863, did not burn and became the rallying site for the rebuilding of Darien. Destroyed in 1881 by a hurricane, it was replaced in 1883 by the present sanctuary. The Women’s Society, begun in 1878, raised funds for rebuilding.”