Central Congregational Church

Central Congregational Church

Located at 115 Commonwealth Avenue, the history of this church began on March 12, 1874, with a "meeting of Christians favorable to the formation of a Congregational Church in this place." The place happened to be in the old Stanley and Robinson burial ground. After getting the consent of the relatives directly concerned, between 40 and 50 bodies were relocated to Mount Hope Cemetery to provide the space for the church.

Work on the building began on May 5, 1874. Donors gave very generously, with H.N. Daggett, J.F. Sturdy, and Willard Robinson being the largest contributors. The cornerstone was laid on June 16, 1874, and the building was dedicated on May 5, 1875 - exactly one year after the initial work began.

The church is Gothic in style, with a spire that stands 100 feet high. The original church bell was donated by J.F. Sturdy. A new bell replaced it in 1908. The clock that stood near the top of the tower was manufactured in 1874. The clock chimed on the hour for decades, until a lightning strike in the early 1950s put it out of commission. In May 2006 a church committee had the clock mechanism removed and repaired and sent the clock faces away to be restored.

The restoration was completed, in April 2007, with the installation of the clock faces, new roof tiles being secured to the steeple, and most importantly - a new lightning rod was installed.