First Congregational Church - Amherst, MA - Continental Reformed and Congregational Church Sites on Waymarking.com

The congregation of the First Congregational Church was established by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1739. A monument on Main Street in front of the church has the early history of the church. It is inscribed:

First Congregational Church in Amherst

In 1739, the Puritan-dominated Massachusetts Bay Colony
authorized establishment of a First Church for the East
District of Hadley. In 1759 the district became known as
Amherst. The Church's first two meetinghouses were built in
1743 and 1768 on the hill where the Amherst College Octagon
now stands, and served for both worship and civic meetings.
Toward the end of the Revolutionary War, some Patriot
parishioners left the Loyalists in the congregation to form the
Second Congregational Church in East Amherst. In 1821,
Amherst College was founded with support from First Church
members. A third meetinghouse constructed in 1829 now
serves as College Hall at Amherst College. Emily Dickinson's
brother, Austin, chaired the building committee for the
present structure, built here in 1868, across the street from
his home, The Evergreens.

On the of the 250th Anniversary of Amherst, 2009

In 1867 a building lot was purchased at the corner of Main and Churchill Streets in Amherst for a new congregational church building. The cornerstone was laid on September 21, 1867 for the First Congregational Church. The new church was built from a type of local gray granite known as Monson granite. It was designed by architects Bernhard Dirks, George Hathorne, and Chauncy W. Lessey in the Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1868.

The sprawling building is 150' long. It is built in the form of a cross with the transept on the west side and cross gabled roofs. A belfry tower is located on the north side, in the center of the church. The tower has an entrance on the ground level with louvered windows on the second and third levels. It is topped with a tall pyramidal roof. A wing is attached to the east side of the apse.

Reformed or Congregational Denomination: Congregational - United Church of Christ Associated Website: [Web Link] Status: Active House of Worship Address: 165 Main Street Amherst, MA 01102 Date of Construction or Event Occurrence: 01/01/1868 Architect: Bernhard Dirks; George Hathorne; Chauncy W. Lessey

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