Southbridge
Massachusetts
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Elm Street Congregational Church
In 1795 a small group of people met in the Tavern House of Colonel Benjamin Freeman, now the site of the Southbridge Fire Station. They met to discuss the possibility of creating their own separate parish or precinct, and of building a parish meeting house. There was no town of Southbridge in 1795, and what is now Southbridge consisted of parts of Charlton, Sturbridge, and Dudley. In order to attend a Congregational worship service, people had to travel many miles to a church in one of the other towns. This group formed a committee consisting of Oliver Plimpton, Daniel Morse, Joshua Harding, Luther Ammidown, Asa Walker, Eleazer Putney, and James Dyer. Their charge was to come up with a petition to create a separate parish so that residents might have their own social, political, and religious privileges.
This committee chose a site for their meetinghouse, locating it where the Central Baptist Church now stands, and began the framing of this structure in 1797. On February 26, 1801 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved the petition giving existence to a parish to be known as the "Second Religious Society in the town of Charlton", as the land on which the building stood was still a part of Charlton. This new district was called the Poll Parish, and was also known as Honest Town.
The use of the meetinghouse was shared equally by several denominations, the principal ones being the Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, and Universalists. Since none of these groups had their own settled minister, each denomination had a minister of their own choosing preach at different times.
On September 16, 1801 the Congregational members of the Poll Parish convened a meeting at the Freeman Tavern. This council was composed of pastors and delegates from the churches of Woodstock, Dudley, and Sturbridge. At this meeting, the council voted to create a new church, which would be called the Second Congregational Church of Charlton. The original membership of the church consisted of 21 people, eight men, and thirteen women, and they continued to hold their worship services at the meetinghouse until 1816.
At this point in time, the Congregational Church having become the largest denomination sharing the meetinghouse, wished to install a permanent minister. There had been at least 74 preachers representing the various denominations during the first 15 years of the Poll Parish. The other denominations, although not having a formal church organization of their own, objected to this idea. The Congregationalists decided to sell their interest in the meetinghouse, and withdraw from the group. They now had to find a permanent minister, and a location for their worship. During the same year, Southbridge was officially incorporated as a town.
On December 18, 1816, the Reverend Jason Park was called to become the first pastor of the Second Congregational Church of Charlton. Major Calvin Ammidown deeded to the church one and one-quarter acres of land, which include the site of the present church, and property across Park Street where Catholic Charities is now located. A house was erected on this site and was called the Ministerial House. The first floor was the minister's home, and the second floor was used as a temporary place of worship.
In 1821 the first church was built on the site of the present Elm Street Congregational Church, and was named the Congregational Church of Southbridge. The members of the church finally had their own minister, and a house of worship, and during the years to come, the church would become an important part of the Southbridge community.
This committee chose a site for their meetinghouse, locating it where the Central Baptist Church now stands, and began the framing of this structure in 1797. On February 26, 1801 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved the petition giving existence to a parish to be known as the "Second Religious Society in the town of Charlton", as the land on which the building stood was still a part of Charlton. This new district was called the Poll Parish, and was also known as Honest Town.
The use of the meetinghouse was shared equally by several denominations, the principal ones being the Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, and Universalists. Since none of these groups had their own settled minister, each denomination had a minister of their own choosing preach at different times.
On September 16, 1801 the Congregational members of the Poll Parish convened a meeting at the Freeman Tavern. This council was composed of pastors and delegates from the churches of Woodstock, Dudley, and Sturbridge. At this meeting, the council voted to create a new church, which would be called the Second Congregational Church of Charlton. The original membership of the church consisted of 21 people, eight men, and thirteen women, and they continued to hold their worship services at the meetinghouse until 1816.
At this point in time, the Congregational Church having become the largest denomination sharing the meetinghouse, wished to install a permanent minister. There had been at least 74 preachers representing the various denominations during the first 15 years of the Poll Parish. The other denominations, although not having a formal church organization of their own, objected to this idea. The Congregationalists decided to sell their interest in the meetinghouse, and withdraw from the group. They now had to find a permanent minister, and a location for their worship. During the same year, Southbridge was officially incorporated as a town.
On December 18, 1816, the Reverend Jason Park was called to become the first pastor of the Second Congregational Church of Charlton. Major Calvin Ammidown deeded to the church one and one-quarter acres of land, which include the site of the present church, and property across Park Street where Catholic Charities is now located. A house was erected on this site and was called the Ministerial House. The first floor was the minister's home, and the second floor was used as a temporary place of worship.
In 1821 the first church was built on the site of the present Elm Street Congregational Church, and was named the Congregational Church of Southbridge. The members of the church finally had their own minister, and a house of worship, and during the years to come, the church would become an important part of the Southbridge community.