A Brief History
Although our present church was built in 1859, the original was organized in 1729 when the farming community of Middleton first became a town.
Our founders needed a church that was nearby. They were granted permission to form a new parish by the province of Massachusetts Bay, provided they could build a suitable meeting house and support the ministry and the school.
They built the church with box pews that were allotted to the families for a few. this meeting house was used for all town meetings, as well as for fellowship.
Preachers came and went over time and the church was improved upon. During the Revolutionary war, parishioners augmented the ministers salary by donating food,clothing ,wood,labor,etc. each according to their ability to give. There was no stove for heating until 1828.
Dissension over Evangelical preaching style forced the majority of the church members to withdraw in the 1830's. The Evangelicals built a new church down the road and the original structure was eventually demolished.
Late in the 1850's, when the congregation needed more space, they rebuilt at the site of their first meeting house.
In time, a Parsonage was built,pew fees were replaced by weekly offerings, and choir music became a very important part of the service.
A fire destroyed the church organ and part of the building in November 1874, but funds were raised to repair by spring.
The 1900's brought electricity, town water, and steam heat to the church. In an ambitious project, the building was raised for feet to add our fellowship hall and kitchen in 1933.
The old Evangelical Society was dissolved in 1950 and the church became united as the
Middleton Congregational Church .
Our last big building project took place in 1953 with the addition of our Sunday School wing.
Join us now, in this new millennium, as we plan ahead for the future of our church!