To those who have gone before us

To those who journey with us now

And to those who will follow us

As believers, servants, and children of God,

We dedicate this history book.

Our Origins

The First Congregational Church of Westminster traces its origins back to the 1600s Indian Wars. Following the death of Massasoit, tensions escalated with other Indian Chiefs, notably King Philip of the Narragansett tribe, leading to conflict in 1675.

The General Court of Massachusetts promised soldiers land grants post-war, which required the eradication and expulsion of the Narragansetts, achieved in 1676 with King Philip’s demise.

After persistent petitions, the General Court began granting Narragansett claims in 1733, awarding seven grants in present-day Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Narragansett #2 (later Westminster) received grants for around 120 King Philip War soldiers or their descendants to settle a six-mile square, with the condition of a meetinghouse construction within five years for town and religious purposes.

By 1739, the meetinghouse was standing, though incomplete but habitable. In 1742, Elisha Marsh became the first settled Pastor, earning 45 English Pounds annually, equivalent to $8945 today. Today, the church continues its journey, mirroring the perseverance of ancestors who navigated untamed wilderness with steadfast faith, paving roads that once were mere wilderness paths.



Elisha Marsh’s appointment in 1742 marked the church’s early milestones, with 609 churches in the Southern New England Conference currently spreading the gospel.

Rev. A Judson Rich

Some reflections of the past were included in the June 16th morning worship. I will start with a man who in three short years left a lasting

impression.

He was Rev. A. JUDSON RICH who became our Pastor in 1867 and was our 8th settled Pastor. He was only with us for a short time and his leaving in 1870 was partially influenced by his “change of views in the direction of greater liberality”.  In other words, he became a Unitarian minister to several churches.

While here in Westminster, he preached a sermon at the 125th anniversary celebration of our church. It was later published as an “Historical Discourse Delivered on Occasion of The One Hundred and Twenty Fifth Anniversary of the Congregational Church and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Sunday School in Westminster, Mass September 9, 1868, by A. Judson Rich the Pastor”.

The sermon itself is 70 pages long. Granted they are small pages, but they are single spaced. In our 8.5 x11 world it is about 35 pages! I wonder how long it took to preach that day!

Seriously, he was loved by the congregation. His discourse is a goldmine of information about our earlier church (the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries) and about the theological changes of the times in which he was living.

We have two copies of his discourse in the History Room if you are interested. Please let me know if you are also interested in hearing more about some of our beloved Pastors of the Past.

The History Room has been recently gifted with a good-as-new Epson printer and scanner by a church member and a dear friend. This will enable the History Staff to put selected files online for easy access, while still protecting the original materials A "Thank You" to our friend.

Rev. John Lees

Rev. John Lees was called to be our Pastor in 1895 at age fifty-nine and resigned in 1906 at age seventy to retirement. His longevity (11 years) Rev. Lees spoke to his acceptance in the church and the church’s high regard for both him and his wife, Hannah. Hannah was known to share the ministerial tasks equally with her husband. 

One of Rev. Lee's talents was woodcarving, and our church cherishes two pieces that he carved during his tenure with us. The first is the children’s altar which we have been using during this summer in the Sanctuary. What a joy to see it there on the altar on Sunday morning! The second is a shelf which is in the hall between the Church Parlor and the Sanctuary. A third carving is in the old parsonage on Leominster which I have yet to see, but I understand it is an amazing piece of art.

A map of Westminster in 1995/96 shows the Congregational parsonage on Main Street two houses up the street from the Dunkin Donuts driveway. I do not know if we owned that building or were renting it. In 1904 a new parsonage was built on Leominster St. and Rev Lees lived in it for the next two years.

About 1990 we acquired the Lees signature quilt which had been made by church members about 1900. Signature quilts were a popular way of raising money for a cause in that era. Susan Noble, the grand-niece of the owner of the quilt, donated it to us. Rev. and Mrs. Lees were friendly with the    Harrington family who lived in the Noble house on Pleasant St. and they visited them in Westminster during their retirement from the ministry.

When our present church was dedicated in 1942 there was reportedly a pew that had been carved by Rev. Lees which was installed in the Sanctuary. I have no further information on where it might be and welcome any input you might have on it.