What Is First Church in Salem?
This 1836 church, designed by Solomon Willard, is the latest incarnation of America’s first Puritan church and first to be governed by a congregational polity!
What Makes It Historical?
Within three years of settling Salem, the early colonists had gotten over a big hurdles of survival and were ready to build a church. After all, that’s why the Puritans came here to begin with! Thirty Puritan colonists, including founder, Roger Conant, and governor, John Endecott, formed this church on August 6, 1629, importing Reverends Samuel Skelton and Francis Higginson to be pastor and teacher, respectively.
Even though these reverends were English, this church was congregational, or self-governing. That meant no hierarchy of clergy or foreign authorities telling them how to worship! And nowhere was that clearer than when Roger Williams became third minister in 1634, supporting both religious freedom and financial compensation for Native folks whose land was taken. For this, he was exiled from Massachusetts in October of 1635 and went on to found Rhode Island!
57 years later, this church had split in two: the First Church in Salem and the Church of Salem Village, and while the hysteria of the witch trials started in Salem Village (now Danvers), many of the First Church’s members were involved in the trials, including Giles Corey and Rebecca Nurse who both died as accused witches! The reverend at the time was Nicholas Noyes, who actively riled up the congregation with witch fear and never expressed remorse for doing so!
One more relevant reverend here was William Bentley, who turned the church Unitarian! He kept detailed records of life around Salem during that time, and as a speaker of 16 languages, served as the official Arabic translator for Thomas Jefferson! The church would split in four by 1800 then reunify by 1956, completing a journey from a witch-fearing Puritan institution to a progressive, welcoming one!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at the First Church in Salem!
- Donate to the First Church in Salem!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
316 Essex Street
Salem MA 01970
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Services are held on Sundays at 10:30 AM!
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