First Parish DVD

First Parish was established in 1667, when John Hale was ordained to be the first minister of the newly created Church of Christ at Bass River in Salem. When the town of Beverly was incorporated in 1668, the church became known as the First Parish and Church in Beverly. In 1682, the second meeting house was built on the spot where the present house stands. In 1770, a larger building was constructed to make room for the growing population. This building is still used today. In 1810, the first Sunday School in New England was organized by two young woman of the Parish. In 1822, for the first time, First Parish was designated as a Unitarian Church. President William Howard Taft attended services regularly at First Parish when he summered in Beverly, in the early 1900s. In 1960, a motion was made and favorably voted upon to endorse the Unitarian-Universalist Federal Union in the United States. In 1973-74 the Parish House was sold and the Church building was renovated. The basement area was excavated and a meeting hall, named Hale Hall, a kitchen, and four Sunday School rooms were built under the church itself.

The film covers two fundamental aspects of our history - the building and its people. We included discussions about the church's origins, important players and events, details of the building's architectural heritage and the inner workings of the old Church building. As members of First Parish Church, we also shared a bit about who we are and what we hope to become as our congregation looks to its future.

The cost of the DVD is US $20.00 plus Mass Sales tax (Mass residents only) and 3.00 shipping/handling. All proceeds benefit the First Parish Church Capital Campaign, raising funds for much needed Church building renovations. You may either order online by clicking the button below, or send a check for $23.00 to the address below.

First Parish Church DVD
C/O First Parish Church, Unitarian Universalist
225 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915

Send inquiries to: office@firstparishbeverly.org