A Brief History of the Church

What is known today as Cheshire was originally part of the town of Wallingford. Our church was organized by families who, growing tired of traveling over the hill to Wallingford to worship every Sunday, asked to be separated into a parish called New Cheshire. In 1724, their request was granted by the Congregational Church.

The first membership was 11 men and 15 women. They worshipped in a log cabin located on South Main Street on the south side of what is now Lanyon Drive. Our first century was dominated by the combined 90-year pastorate of Samuel Hall and his son-in-law, John Foote.

The second building, on the Green, was built in 1737. It was taken down in 1826-27 and used in the construction of the present meeting house. Several additions have been made over the years, and the Sanctuary was restored in 1968. Congregationalism was the state religion of Connecticut until 1817, and the church served as the town meeting site for many years. Cheshire's town hall was in the church basement until 1867.

These things changed in the 19th century. The church became independent of the state, and Congregational ministers no longer saw themselves as settled in one place for life.

Until the end of World War II, both Cheshire and First Church maintained their rural character. Then, with new growth and mobility, changes came. In the 1940s, we became a training church for students at Yale Divinity School. In the 1950s, Congregational-Christian churches and the Evangelical and Reformed churches came together to form the United Church of Christ. The membership of the First Congregational Church voted to join this new denomination.

Since 1958, the church has been served by two full-time ministers. Today the ministers, the commissioned minister of Christian education, the music director, and a support staff work with lay leaders to carry out the mission and ministry of the church.

In the 1970s, we moved from identical Sunday services to the present schedule. A major concern during the 1980s was, and continues to be, making the church accessible to people with handicaps. Our concerns for the 2000s are an expanded mission program, especially local missions, and a growing church family.

In July 1999 at its General Synod XXII, the Rev. John H. Thomas, former associate minister here, was elected president of the United Church of Christ, our denomination. Our 275th anniversary was celebrated during 1999.