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First Parish in Brookline

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First Parish in Brookline
First Parish in 2010
Map
42°19′38″N 71°07′50″W / 42.327140°N 71.130670°W / 42.327140; -71.130670
DenominationUnitarian Universalist
Previous denominationChristian
Websitehttps://firstparishinbrookline.org/
History
FoundedOctober 26, 1717[1]

First Parish in Brookline is a Unitarian Universalist church in Brookline, Massachusetts. It is a Welcoming Congregation and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association.[2][3][4] The church has existed for over 300 years, in several different meeting houses in the town of Brookline.[1] The church is also notable for its stained glass windows.[5][6]

History

The church began functioning as both a meetinghouse for the town of Brookline as well as a Puritan church,[7] ordained by the General Court in 1631; the church and the town functioned as one.[8] The church was gathered in the original meetinghouse on October 26, 1717, though it was built in 1714,[9][10] in the first of four buildings as The Church of Christ.[5][11] James Allen was called to be the first minister of the church and was ordained on November 5, 1718. He served until his death on February 18, 1747.[12] Cotton Brown succeeded Allen. Following a fire in the first meeting house, the second meeting house was built in 1805 by Peter Banner, and was dedicated on June 11, 1806 in a speech by Reverend John Pierce.[1][13][14][15][16]

In 1833, the Constitution of Massachusetts was amended, and it effectively cut all ties between the church and the local government, which included funding.[8][17] This led to the founding of the First Parish in Brookline as opposed to the Church of Christ, as it had previously been known.[1] The third meeting house was constructed and dedicated in 1848 by Edward C. Cabot near the end of John Pierce's ministry, who is the longest serving minister in the history of the church.[12] During this time, there was discussion regarding the church's denomination. In 1828, a Baptist church was organized in Brookline as well as Harvard Church in 1844, now the United Parish in Brookline, and St. Paul's Church, an Episcopal congregation, in 1849.[18] However, it was ultimately decided that the church was Unitarian, though no official change was initially made.[1] This later led to the church accepting the Unitarian Universalist faith after the Unitarian Universalist Association's formation in 1961.

The fourth meeting house in 1906, 13 years after its construction.

The fourth and current meeting house was first proposed in 1886 by then minister Howard N. Brown. The church acquired the meeting house of the town of Brookline in 1890. The construction of the fourth meeting house was completed in 1893, and the dedication happened on April 19 of the same year.[1][5]

In 1943, the church made all pews free instead of having members of the church rent them as they had before.[19]

Interior

Many of the sections of the church are named after important individuals or families in the church's history. These include the Dana Room, Lyon Chapel, the Peterson Room, and Pierce Hall, which was purchased by First Parish in 1890 after it was used as a public school.[20][21][22]

The John and Hannah Goddard memorial window in the church's sanctuary.

Stained glass windows

The church's interior contains 21 individual stained glass windows, designed mainly by Louis C. Tiffany, Sarah Whitman, and Charles Connick.[23][24] Tiffany's were built around 1895, while the others were built during different time periods.[25] The windows are notable as they are largely American-made as opposed to imported, as many stained glass windows of the time were.[6] Many of the windows were commissioned by members of the church to memorialize members of their families, such as the Lowell family window, or figures from Christianity.[26] The Goddard memorial window depicts John Goddard and his wife, Hannah, was designed by George H. Hallowell and built by Otto Heinigke, and dedicated in 1912. It was featured in an art exhibit in 1998.[27] In 2010, multiple windows underwent repair after many years of aging and deterioration.[28]

Notable events

On October 27, 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt in the church.[29][30][31]

In 2011, the film That's My Boy (originally titled I Hate You, Dad) was partially filmed in the church.[32]

List of ministers

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Lyon, William Henry (1898). The First Parish in Brookline: An Historical Sketch. Riverdale Press. OCLC 6190508. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  2. ^ "We Are a Welcoming Congregation – First Parish in Brookline". Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  3. ^ "First Parish in Brookline, Brookline, MA | UUA.org". www.uua.org. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  4. ^ "First Parish in Brookline - Digital Commonwealth". www.digitalcommonwealth.org. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  5. ^ a b c "First Parish Church of Brookline // 1893". Buildings of New England. 2020-12-18. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  6. ^ a b "First Parish's Historical Stained Glass Treasures". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  7. ^ a b "1916 Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  8. ^ a b "Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society for 1963-1966" (PDF). brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Brookline, Massachusetts: The Brookline Historical Society. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  9. ^ "1929 Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  10. ^ "1949 Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  11. ^ "History of First Parish in Brookline – First Parish in Brookline". Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "First Parish Ministers – First Parish in Brookline". Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  13. ^ "1918 Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  14. ^ Pierce, John (1806). A valedictory sermon, on leaving the old meeting house in Brookline, 8 June, 1806 : and a dedicatory sermon, on entering the new house of worship, 11 June, 1806. Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Hilliard. ISBN 9789354444340. OCLC 7746640.
  15. ^ "First Parish Church Records of Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, for 100 Years" (PDF). Brookline Historical Society. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  16. ^ Keith, Elmer D.; Warren, William L. "Peter Banner, Architect, Moves from New Haven to Boston" (PDF). Old-Time New England. Vol. 57.
  17. ^ "Massachusetts Constitution". malegislature.gov. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  18. ^ "History". St. Paul's Brookline. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  19. ^ Denny, Francis P.; Dana, Gorham; Ware, Henry; Little, Bertram K. (1947). The First Parish in Brookline An Historical Sketch Part Two. Framingham, Massachusetts: Lakeview Press. OCLC 36451180.
  20. ^ "Building Usage & Rentals – First Parish in Brookline". Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  21. ^ "1907 Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society: Pierce Hall". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  22. ^ Little, Nina Flectcher. A Brief History of Pierce Hall, 382 Walnut Street.
  23. ^ Hutchins, Francis G. "Stained Glass Pragmatism: Sarah Wyman Whitman's Lowell Window at First Parish, Brookline, Massachusetts" (PDF). firstparishinbrookline.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  24. ^ "First Parish Church in Brookline is a gallery of stained glass". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  25. ^ Hutchins, Francis G. (6 March 2016). "Stained Glass Talk" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Why We Have Stained Glass – First Parish in Brookline". Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  27. ^ Glueck, Grace (1998-12-25). "ART REVIEW; Visions In Glass: America's Angels". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  28. ^ "First Parish Looks to Restore Aging Stained Glass Windows". Brookline, MA Patch. 2010-06-22. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  29. ^ "Brookline Historical Society: People". brooklinehistoricalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  30. ^ "TR Center - Roosevelt, Alice Hathaway Lee". www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  31. ^ "Learn About Theodore Roosevelt's Marriage - About Theodore Roosevelt". abouttheodoreroosevelt.com. 2021-05-25. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  32. ^ "Massachusetts church goes Hollywood | UU World Magazine". www.uuworld.org. 2011-07-25. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  33. ^ Lyon, William Henry (1900). James Allen, First Minister of the Church of Christ in Brookline 1718-1747: A Sermon Preached in the First Parish Meeting House, October 27, 1901. Parish.
  34. ^ a b Richards, Edith. The First Parish in Brookline (Church of Christ) : printed in the inventory of the church archives of Massachusetts, Unitarian. OCLC 37045997.
  35. ^ Lyon, William Henry (1902). Joseph Jackson, Fourth Minister of the Church of Christ in Brookline 1760-1796: A Sermon Preached in the First Parish Meeting House, October 26, 1902. Parish.
  36. ^ Lyon, William Henry (1897). John Pierce, D.D.: Sixth Minister of the Church of Christ in Brookline : a Sermon Delivered March 14, 1897 (the Day Preceding the One Hundredth Anniversary of His Ordination), in the First Parish Church, Brookline. Geo. H. Ellis, printer.
  37. ^ Lyon, William Henry (1904). Frederic Newman Knapp: Sixth Minister of the First Parish in Brookline 1847-1855 : a Sermon Preached in the First Parish Meeting House November 22, 1903. Parish.
  38. ^ "Ministers & Staff – First Parish in Brookline". firstparishinbrookline.org. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-25.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Served as an Interim Minister.
  2. ^ Served as an Assistant Minister.
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