The First Church of Christ, Congregational, also known as First Church 1652 is an historic church at 75 Main Street in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The populati ...

. Built in 1771, this

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

church was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1975 for its role in sheltering the ''Amistad'' Africans before their return to Africa.

Description and history

The First Church of Christ in Farmington was founded in 1652. Roger Newton, the first pastor, was the son-in-law of

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

founder

Thomas Hooker Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647) was a prominent English colonial leader and Congregational church, Congregational minister, who founded the Connecticut Colony after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was know ...

, and was succeeded by Hooker's son, Samuel. Among First Church's pastors was

Noah Porter Noah Thomas Porter III (December 14, 1811 – March 4, 1892)''Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University'', Yale University, 1891-2, New Haven, pp. 82-83. was an American Congregational minister, academic, philosopher, author, lexicographer ...

, who began America's first foreign missionary society in the parlor of his home. He was also the father of Sarah Porter, founder of

Miss Porter's School Miss Porter's School (MPS) is a private college preparatory school for girls founded in 1843 in Farmington, Connecticut. The school draws students from many of the 50 U.S. states, as well as from abroad. International students comprised 14% i ...

, and Noah Porter, Jr., president of Yale University. The present church, the third, originally known as the Meeting House, was built in 1771, designed by Judah Woodruff. The slender steeple on top of the bell tower can be seen for miles. The church is cited as an "excellent example of its architectural style and period". and The church began the first "Sabbath School" in the 1700s for the local Tunxis Indians, to teach them Christianity. It was a hub of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

, and became involved in the celebrated case of the African slaves who revolted on the Spanish vessel '' La Amistad''. When the Africans who had participated in the revolt were released in 1841, they came to Farmington, and stayed with Austin Williams before their return to Africa. and While staying in Farmington, they attended this church. The ''Amistad'' case was important for the

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

cause and significant in the history of

slavery in the United States The legal institution of human chattel slavery, comprising the enslavement primarily of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and African Americans, was prevalent in the United States of America from its founding in 1776 until 1865 ...

. The church was declared a

in 1975. It is included in the Farmington Historic District. First Church is affiliated with the

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran t ...

References

External links

First Church of Christ, Congregational, 1652 websiteFirst Church Historical NotesAmistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Church Of Christ, Congregational (Farmington, Connecticut) African-American history of Connecticut Farmington, Connecticut National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut United Church of Christ churches in Connecticut Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Churches on the Underground Railroad Churches in Hartford County, Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Connecticut

Description and history

See also

References

External links