Browse the First Church in Swampscott records in Swampscott, Massachusetts

The land that today includes Swampscott and its environs, prior to European colonization, was inhabited by numerous indigenous people, including members of the Naumkeag, Pennacook, Pawtucket groups and Massachusett tribe. At the time of English colonization, in 1629, an estimated 50-100 indigenous individuals resided in the Swampscott area, though subsequent epidemics greatly decimated the local population throughout the remainder of the 17th century. Swampscott was originally a part of the large Saugus land grant and later the eastern part of Lynn’s Ward One. The first European colonizer in Swampscott was Francis Ingalls who built the first Massachusetts Bay Colony tannery along Humphrey’s Brook. During the 18th century, Swampscott was most well known as a fishing village. In the early 19th century, a number of resorts, catering to a wealthy clientele, were built and transformed the town into something of a resort town.

Jonas B. Clarke, recently ordained, arrived in Swampscott in the summer of 1845. He preached at the Reddington Street schoolhouse for one month that summer. In December of that year, Clarke returned to preach full time at the Reddington Street School. Not long after, land was given to Clarke for the purpose of building a church and a total of $3,000 was raised to build the church building. On July 11, 1846 a Parish was formed to manage the church and the church itself was formally organized on July 15, 1846 as the Second Church in Lynn. In 1852, Swampscott was set off from Lynn and officially incorporated as a town. At that time, the Second Church in Lynn became the First Church in Swampscott. A vestry was added to the church in 1859.

Jonas Clarke served as the minister of the First Church in Lynn until 1866. After his death in 1894, the town of Swampscott erected a monument in his honor and one of the town’s elementary schools, Clarke School, was also named in his honor.

In 1879, during the pastorate of George A. Jackson, a second vestry was built which connected the church building to the 1859 vestry. In 1887, the church was struck by lightning and partially damaged; the rebuilt building was rededicated in 1888. By 1920, the church and parish were incorporated under a single legal entity. The first church building was sold to the Roman Catholic Church and the Congregationalists moved to a newly built church building in 1926. The church moved again in 1955 with the construction of the Fellowship House. A new sanctuary for the church was constructed in 1967; the church community continues to worship in the 1967 sanctuary today.

Beginning in the 1970s, the church became heavily involved in mission work, including such work as the settlement of Vietnamese refugees and significant partnerships with Habit for Humanity.

The First Church in Swampscott is associated with the United Church of Christ and continues to serve the Swampscott community today.

[The image of the exterior of the First Church in Swampscott is made available by Matthew Hill through a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license; no edits were made to Hill's original work.]