First Parish Celebrates 325 Years

BREWSTER – For 325 years, congregants of First Parish Brewster have been gathering on the hill to worship. Today, members are putting together a year of programming to commemorate the milestone and look back on the history of the iconic meetinghouse. 

 To recognize the history, members of the church will be hosting an exhibit, “325 Years of Gathering on the Hill – First Parish's Buildings 1700-2025.” An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Friday, Dec. 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

 In 1700, a group of settlers covenanted themselves as an “ecclesiastical society,” gathering on the hill to worship. By Oct. 16 of that year, the first building was erected on the property. 

 Twenty-three years later, a second building was constructed, followed by a third — the present building — in 1834. 

 The exhibit will look back at the evolving campus using photographs, historical artifacts and paintings. 

 “Through the centuries, our physical spaces have continually changed to meet the needs of a congregation always looking toward the future,” reads an excerpt of the exhibit’s background information. “Buildings have been replaced, renovated, and reimagined — each reflecting the spirit of its time and the life of the congregation it served.”

 The special exhibit will be on display in the meetinghouse gallery. Light refreshments will be available during the opening ceremony. For those who cannot attend the opening reception, the exhibit will be on display for the duration of December. 

 The congregation will continue to host events commemorating the anniversary over the course of the next year. The final programming hasn’t been finalized, but a full schedule is being prepared.