First Parish Church is a historic church located within the Church Green Historic District in

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in and the county seat of Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River, which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, to the south. As of the 2020 United States ...

. It is the fourth meetinghouse since 1647 to be located on what was the original town common. The current church building was built in 1830, constructed of field stone in the Gothic Revival style. The church steeple is capped with four pinnacles and contains the 1804 bell from the third meetinghouse. In 1869 the sanctuary was enlarged and a chapel was also added. In 1965 another addition was made to the east.

Parish history

The First Parish was established in 1637 by a group of Puritans from

Devonshire, England Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, led by

Elizabeth Pole Elizabeth Poole or Pole (25 August 1588 – 21 May 1654) was an English settler in Plymouth Colony who founded the town of Taunton, Massachusetts. She was the first woman known to have founded a town in the Americas. Biography Poole was a ...

, by way of

Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood comprising more than in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorchester, Dorset, E ...

. In 1640, they renamed the new settlement after Taunton, England. The First Parish was the first church to be established in what would become

Bristol County, Massachusetts Bristol County is a county in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 579,200. The shire town is Taunton. Some governmental functions are performed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, othe ...

, and only the fifth church to be established within

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...

. The first two meetinghouses built on Church Green also served as the location for civic and political business until 1746. The third church was built in 1794, and was designed by architect

Charles Bulfinch Charles Bulfinch (August 8, 1763 – April 15, 1844) was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first American-born professional architect to practice.Baltzell, Edward Digby. ''Puritan Boston & Quaker Philadelphia''. Tra ...

. The parish is now a

Unitarian-Universalist Unitarian Universalism (abbreviated UUism or UU) is a Religious liberalism, liberal religious tradition characterized by its commitment to theological diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. Unitarian Universalists do not adhere to a single ...

congregation.parish history
/ref> TauntonFirstParishChurch

The church has a Tiffany stained glass window. TauntonFirstParishTiffanyWindow

References

External links

Parish website
{{Commons category, First Parish Church (Taunton, Massachusetts) Churches in Taunton, Massachusetts Stone churches in Massachusetts Unitarian Universalist churches in Massachusetts Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Taunton, Massachusetts

Parish history

See also

References

External links