First Congregational Church of Milton

Our History

Our church traces its roots back to the Puritans and Pilgrims who first settled in this colony in the 17th century.

Reverend Peter Thacher, our first permanent minister, served from 1680 to 1727. He was not only the pastor and teacher, but because of some medical training, he also served as the only doctor and veterinarian in town!

The sanctuary, called "the meetinghouse," was also the site of all of the town's business meetings. The democratic form of government employed by those early "Congregationalists" had a profound impact on the emerging political structure of the colony, and eventually on the Constitution of the United States.

In 1834, our forebears had an internal theological "disagreement" about the nature of Jesus Christ. When the dust finally settled, those of "Unitarian" leanings remained in the meetinghouse (which is now First Parish, UU), while our "Trinitarian" predecessors moved across the yard and built our present sanctuary, completing it in less than a year. For decades the churches lived side by side in silence. Now, the two churches have a very cooperative relationship, and even worshipped together during World War I in order to save fuel.

Throughout the past 327 years our church has been blessed with some very fine pastoral leaders and dedicated members. We have been a steady and influential presence in the town of Milton, offering hope, faith in God, inspiration, and challenge. It is our hope that those who follow will say the same about us.

Sketch of the original church

The original parsonage