First Church in Roxbury

The First Church in Roxbury, also known as the First Church of Roxbury is the current headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist ("UU") Urban Ministry. The church has been in use since 1632 when early English settlers built the first meetinghouse. Since then, the meetinghouse has been rebuilt four times, and its appearance today reflects how the meetinghouse looked in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries.HistoryThe First Meeting House (1632-1674)The First Church of Roxbury was the sixth church to be gathered by the early English settlers. In 1631, settlers living in Roxbury, who belonged to the Church of Dorchester, were finally self-sufficient enough to create their own church - the First Church of Roxbury. The "official" beginning of the church is recognized as when the first meeting house was constructed the next year. The first meetinghouse served as a central part of the community from 1632-1674. The first pastor, Reverend Thomas Weld, was ordained in July 1632 (and it is presumed that that is also when the Church's covenant, a document stated the congregation was officially recognized by the church, was signed). There is no definitive record of what the first meeting house looked like, but based on the construction of the time, it was likely a simple, small building with a thatched roof. The first meeting house served as a central location for the budding community in Roxbury, as the church was a central part of the early settlers lives (many of whom were fleeing to America for freedom from religious persecution). In August, 1645, the congregation decided to create the "Free Schoole in Roxburie" (now Roxbury Latin School). Samuel Danforth, the second pastor of the church, was ordained September 24, 1650.