Browse the First Church of Christ records in Granville, Massachusetts

The town of Granville, Massachusetts, was first settled by English colonists in 1736. The town was incorporated in 1754. The First Church of Christ in Granville was gathered in 1744. Moses Tuttle was ordained as the first minister of the Church of Christ in 1747. The first meeting house was constructed during Tuttle’s ministry and was made possible by a large financial contribution from Tuttle.

Numerous churches can trace their roots to the First Church of Christ in Granville. The West Granville Congregational Church, originally known as the Second or Middle Church of Granville, was gathered in 1781. The Tolland Congregational Church, originally known as the Third or West Church of Granville, was gathered in 1791. The Baptist Church in Granville was likewise formed in 1791. The Methodist Episcopal Church in Granville was formed in 1800.

Timothy Mather Cooley, a Granville native, was called to become the minister of the First Church of Christ in 1795, and he was ordained in 1796. During his ministry, in 1802, the second meeting house was constructed. Timothy Cooley served as minister of the church for more than 63 years and died in Granville on December 14, 1859.

In 1937, the First Church of Christ and the Baptist Church in Granville decided to share a building and merge to form the Granville Federated Church. The Granville Federated Church continues to serve the local community today.