The History of First Parish Church
As you would expect, a church that has been in continuous service for more than 360 years has many stories to tell. This account of the history of First Parish is divided, somewhat arbitrarily, into three sections.
Early Origins of First Parish
First Parish, Scituate is over 350 years old. A group
of Nonconformists started meeting in London in 1616, led by Rev.
Henry Jacob. He was succeeded by Rev. John Lothrop, a former rector
in the Church of England, in 1624. Discovered worshipping clandestinely
in 1632, 42 members of the congregation were arrested and jailed.
After two years in jail, Rev. Lothrop was released from jail with
the proviso that he leave England forever. With a majority of
the members of his congregation, he sailed for New England and
arrived in Scituate in September, 1634. They joined a small congregation
that had been worshipping under the leadership of a layman, Giles
Sexton. A small log cabin on Meeting House Lane served as the
first church. The site is marked today by a monument that lists
the early members of the parish, "The Men of Kent," and by gravestones from the 17th
century.
Growth, Schisms, and Daughter Churches
Over a span of some 60 years and the succession of six ministers, First Parish was the scene of considerable theological dissension. The principal focii were, first, baptism and. later, the Unitarian/Trinitarion schism. These disagreements led to the separation, at three times, of a major portion of First Parish's members to form new churches.
Dissension over baptism soon divided the parish and in
1639 Rev. Lothrop led an exodus of a majority of the congregation
to Barnstable on Cape Cod. His
successor, Charles Chauncy, another Anglican minister, was described
as a spirited, impatient man. His staunch support for baptism
by immersion provoked another defection which led to the founding
of a church in South Scituate, now known as Norwell.
Rev. Chauncy served until 1654, when he became the second president
of Harvard University; he
held this post until his death in 1672.
The first president of
America's first university, Henry Dunster, succeeded Rev. Chauncy
as the third pastor of First Parish, Scituate. Rev. Dunster was
succeeded by Nicholas Baker, who in turn, was followed by Jeremiah
Cushing of Hingham, the first pastor of the parish who was born
in America. Rev. Baker was the first of many ministers in the
parish who were trained at Harvard University (including our present
minister, Richard Stower).
Conflicts between orthodox and liberal factions became
intense in the late 18th century, culminating in the
third removal of one-half of the congregation. This time the departing
members of the congregation stayed close at hand, removing themselves
around the corner to establish the First Trinitarian Church of
Scituate in 1825. As one wag has put it, "the Trinitarians
kept the faith, while the Unitarians kept the furniture."
A notable visitor to First Parish, Scituate in the
19th century was Henry David Thoreau who courted Ellen
Sewall, the daughter of the church's 12th minister,
Edmund Sewall. She eventually rejected his marriage proposal;
he later retreated to the woods of Concord.
The Buildings that have Been Home to First Parish
Scituate's first meeting house was located on a rise
slightly inland from the harbor on Meeting House Lane. Two successive
larger meeting houses were located on the same site. A fourth
meeting house was built farther to the west (on the western edge
of what is now Lawson Park).
The fifth meeting house was built in 1774 on the
site of the present church. It was a large, two-story building
with galleries on three sides. It's high, graceful steeple was
a landmark for sailors at sea and the church became known as the
Old Sloop because of the spire's resemblance to the white sails
of a sloop. On July 4, 1879, children playing with firecrackers
on the front steps set fire to the church and it burned to the
ground. The only items saved were the heavy mahogany pulpit, the
settee, and the communion table that are used in the church today.
Chunks for the metal from the Paul Revere bell that melted in
the fire were made into miniature bells which were sold to raise
funds for the present edifice. While the present church was being
built, services were held in the Cudworth House (rebuilt in 1797),
located across from the church.
The present edifice was dedicated in 1881. (The church
stands in the shadow of another famous Scituate landmark, the
Lawson Tower. This Norman-like tower houses a water tower that
served the Town of Scituate. Thomas Lawson, the copper magnate,
had the present structure built to hide the unsightly water tower
and installed a carillon that is still played on the occasion
of historic celebrations.)
Historic Artifacts in the Church
Furniture
The present mahogany pulpit, settee, and communion
table were the only items saved from the fire that destroyed the
church which existed on the site of the present building from
1774 to 1879. When the present church was built the parishioners
desired new furniture; they placed two oak chairs, presently in
the rear of the auditorium, on either side of a small, oak pulpit.
When the interior of the church was redecorated in 1924, someone
remembered that the mahogany furniture was stored in the basement
of a parishioner, and they were refinished and restored to their
present places in the church.
Stained Glass
The tall, pointed window to the left of the pulpit
is a stained glass. It was donated by the Waterman family in memory
of Andrew and Lucille Waterman. It depicts a three-masted sailing
vessel of the type that was built in the shipyards of the nearby
North River during the 19th century (one of these yards
launched the ship Columbia after which the Columbia River
in the Northwest is named). The window celebrates the extensive
involvement of parishioners with seafaring and carries the verse,
"They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in
great waters: these see the works of the Lord and his wonders
in the deep."
Musical instruments
The organ was a gift of Cornelia and George Allen
in 1907 in memory of George's wife, Deborah. Originally pumped
by hand, it was electrified in 1928.
A bass viol, which was the first instrument used
in the church, stands in a case in the rear of the church. It
was made in 1823 by the Asa and Shadrach Merritt who lived in
Scituate. A companion instrument was made for the Trinitarian Church.
after it separated from Frist Parish in 1825. The latter is presently
in the possession of the Scituate Historical Society.
Paintings
An oil painting of the Old Sloop Church hangs in
the Sloop Room. It was done by Mary Ann Cole circa. 1840. Pictures
of the churches that had their origins in First Parish, Scituate
hang in the vestibule. There were created by Clara Clement, a
parishioner.
Other artifacts
There is a large wooden ship's steering wheel mounted in the entrance foyer. It came from a merchant sailing vessel that plied the waters of the great lakes. It was given to the Church by Barbara Geyer to enhance the nautical tradition of " Old Sloop," and mounted by Gilman Wilder.
The breakfront
in the Sloop Room contains several artifacts from the history
of the church.