Falmouth's First Congregational Church on the town green - 2014
Falmouth town green with "First Congregational Church of Falmouth, Massachusetts of the United Church of Christ was originally gathered on October 28, 1708. Previous to that, the congregation worshiping in Falmouth had been considered a “branch church” of the Puritan church in nearby Barnstable, which was originally gathered in 1616 in Southwark, England.
Even before Falmouth was incorporated as a town in 1686, Jonathan Dunham, a layman, served as the minister to our community’s residents. Dunham later moved to Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, where he was ordained and served the Puritan church there until his death.
Falmouth’s first meeting house was built in 1700 or earlier near the Old Burying ground off today’s Mill Road in Falmouth. A second larger meeting house, near that site, was completed in 1717. Continued growth of the town led to that meeting house being moved and rebuilt by 1756 on that portion of the original Meeting House Lot which was then laid out and called the Village Green. That meeting house was replaced in 1796 with a fourth building in the style of a church, erected on the same site. In its steeple a bell made by Paul Revere was placed. That bell continues to ring out over Falmouth. Its inscription reads: 'The living to the church I call, and to the grave I summon all.'" firstcongfalmouth.org/Church History.htm
Falmouth's First Congregational Church on the town green - 2014
Falmouth town green with "First Congregational Church of Falmouth, Massachusetts of the United Church of Christ was originally gathered on October 28, 1708. Previous to that, the congregation worshiping in Falmouth had been considered a “branch church” of the Puritan church in nearby Barnstable, which was originally gathered in 1616 in Southwark, England.
Even before Falmouth was incorporated as a town in 1686, Jonathan Dunham, a layman, served as the minister to our community’s residents. Dunham later moved to Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, where he was ordained and served the Puritan church there until his death.
Falmouth’s first meeting house was built in 1700 or earlier near the Old Burying ground off today’s Mill Road in Falmouth. A second larger meeting house, near that site, was completed in 1717. Continued growth of the town led to that meeting house being moved and rebuilt by 1756 on that portion of the original Meeting House Lot which was then laid out and called the Village Green. That meeting house was replaced in 1796 with a fourth building in the style of a church, erected on the same site. In its steeple a bell made by Paul Revere was placed. That bell continues to ring out over Falmouth. Its inscription reads: 'The living to the church I call, and to the grave I summon all.'" firstcongfalmouth.org/Church History.htm