First Parish of Sudbury

First Parish of Sudbury refers to both an historic meetinghouse and a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The meetinghouse was built in 1797 on the site of the first meetinghouse built on the west side on the Sudbury River.^[1] The meetinghouse was designed by Captain Thomson and built at a cost of $6,025.93. It was paid for by the Town of Sudbury to be the meetinghouse for both Town Meetings and parish worship.

First Parish Meetinghouse

The original meetinghouse on the site, built in 1722,^[1] was the first building in the Sudbury Center Historic District. The current meetinghouse is prominent at the center of the district.

On April 19, 1775, the town's Minutemen mustered at First Parish, known at the time as the West Side meetinghouse. The company, led by Captain John Nixon, fought at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.^[2]

The meetinghouse continued to be used for both Town meetings and worship until the Town built it Town House in 1846, ^[2] 10 years after the separation of Church and State in Sudbury. The separation was accomplished by the transfer of the Ministerial from the town to the Parish at Two Meeting in 1836. ^[3]

History of the Congregation[]

The First Parish congregation was first gathered in 1640^[2] and the first minister was Edmund Rice. The first meetinghouse was built at the site of the Old North Cemetery in what is now Wayland, Massachusetts. Due to the hardship of crossing the inhabitants of the west side of Sudbury River petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to build a second meetinghouse in 1708. Although it was initially denied, a second meetinghouse was built on the west side of the river in 1722. Israel Loring served as the minister from 1705 to 1772. The Town of Sudbury split into Sudbury and East Sudbury in 1780. The latter became Wayland.

The congregation split again in 1837 due to the divisions between members influenced by Transcendentalism and the Unitarian movement and the more Orthodox members.^[2]

Recent Years[]

The congregation called the Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty as its settled minister in 2013. In line with other member congregations of the UUA, the congregation adheres to the Unitarian Universalist faith and affirms the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism.

References[]

^ ^a ^b Langmuir, D. Bruce; Swanson, Lee. "A Brief History of The First Parish of Sudbury" (PDF). First Parish of Sudbury. First Parish of Sudbury. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hudson, Alfred Sereno (1889). The History of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1638-1889. Boston: R. H. BLODGETT. p. 374.
^ Dakin, Levi; Garry, Charles. "Report of the Ministerial Fund Corporation". The Sudbury Archives. Town of Sudbury. Retrieved 13 April 2021.

External links[]

First Parish of Sudbury, Unitarian Universalis

v t List of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist churches
Australia	Unitarian Church of South Australia
Canada	First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto
Ireland	Unitarian Church in Ireland
Romania	Unitarian Church of Transylvania Unitarian church, Dârjiu
United Kingdom	Bank Street Unitarian Chapel Billingshurst Unitarian Chapel Brighton Unitarian Church Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford Brookfield Unitarian Church Chowbent Chapel Cross Street Chapel Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow Essex Street Chapel Fulwood Old Chapel Gellionnen Chapel General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches Hastings Unitarian Church Horsham Unitarian Church King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield Meadrow Unitarian Chapel Mill Hill Chapel Newington Green Unitarian Church Norcliffe Chapel Nottage General Baptist & Unitarian Church Octagon Chapel, Norwich Richmond and Putney Unitarian Church Rivington Unitarian Chapel Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel Shrewsbury Unitarian Church Taunton Unitarian Chapel Todmorden Unitarian Church Toxteth Unitarian Chapel Underbank Chapel Ullet Road Unitarian Church Unitarian Meeting House, Ipswich Upper Chapel York Unitarian Chapel
United States	Alaska Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship California First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles First Unitarian Church of Oakland First Unitarian Church of San Jose First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation Pacific Unitarian Church Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside Connecticut Unitarian Church in Westport Unitarian Universalist Church Universalist Church of West Hartford District of Columbia All Souls Church, Unitarian Universalist National Memorial Church Georgia First Universalist Church Hawaii First Unitarian Church of Honolulu Illinois Beverly Unitarian Church Channing-Murray Foundation First Unitarian Church of Chicago Third Unitarian Church Unity Temple Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet Indiana Temple Israel Iowa First Unitarian Church First Universalist Church of Cedar Rapids Universalist Church Maine Dexter Universalist Church First Universalist Church Pittsfield Universalist Church Stockton Springs Community Church Universalist-Unitarian Church Maryland Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church First Unitarian Church Massachusetts All Souls Church Arlington Street Church Bernardston Congregational Unitarian Church Brattle Street Church First Parish in Cambridge First Church in Boston First Church in Roxbury First Church in Salem First Church of Christ, Unitarian First Parish Church (Duxbury, Massachusetts) First Parish Church (Taunton, Massachusetts) First Parish Church (Waltham, Massachusetts) First Parish Church in Plymouth First Parish Church of Dorchester First Parish Church, Arlington Massachusetts First Parish in Malden First Parish of Sudbury First Parish Unitarian Church First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Scituate First Religious Society Church and Parish Hall First Unitarian Church (Peabody, Massachusetts) First Unitarian Church (Somerville, Massachusetts) First Unitarian Church (Stoneham, Massachusetts) First Unitarian Society in Newton First Universalist Church (Provincetown, Massachusetts) First Universalist Church (Salem, Massachusetts) First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts) Follen Church Society-Unitarian Universalist Housatonic Congregational Church King's Chapel North Parish Church Old Ship Church Second Unitarian Church Theodore Parker Unitarian Universalist Church Unitarian Church of Barnstable Unitarian Memorial Church Unitarian Society Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and the Osgood House United First Parish Church Universalist Society Meetinghouse Wollaston Unitarian Church Michigan Barn Church First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit Unitarian Universalist Church Minnesota First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis Nebraska First Unitarian Church of Omaha New Hampshire First Universalist Church Peterborough Unitarian Church South Parish Unitarian Church New Jersey Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit Old Stone Church New York Chapin Memorial Church Christ Church First Unitarian Church of Rochester First Unitarian Church of Rochester (building) First Universalist Church First Universalist Church of Portageville First Unitarian Congregational Society First Unitarian Universalist Church of Niagara Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York Pullman Memorial Universalist Church Second Unitarian Church Unitarian Church of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo North Carolina Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Long View Center The Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte Ohio All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church Apostolic Bethlehem Temple Church First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Church of Marietta First Universalist Church of Lyons, Ohio First Universalist Church of Olmsted Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent Ohio Universalist Church of Westfield Center Oklahoma All Souls Unitarian Church Oregon First Congregational Church of Oregon City Philadelphia First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia First Universalist Church of Sharpsville Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster Rhode Island Bell Street Chapel First Unitarian Church of Providence First Universalist Church South Carolina Liberty Universalist Church and Feasterville Academy Historic District Unitarian Church in Charleston Tennessee Church of the River Vermont Cavendish Universalist Church Unitarian Church Virginia Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington Washington University Unitarian Church Wisconsin Bradford Community Church First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Society of Madison First Universalist Church United Unitarian and Universalist Church Unity Chapel

Coordinates: 42°22′59″N 71°24′45″W / 42.38306°N 71.41242°W / 42.38306; -71.41242