OUR HISTORY

1725 - 1825

The parish church of Kingston was organized on September 17, 1725, with Ward Clark as its first minister. His successor, Joseph Seccombe, guided the congregation through the Great Awakening, adding 177 members and helping to plant four daughter churches. Notable members included Josiah Bartlett — New Hampshire’s first governor and a signer of the< Declaration of Independence and Elihu Thayer, who served from 1776‑1812 and founded the New Hampshire Missionary Society. In 1813, a nearby Andover, Massachusetts society assisted the church in establishing a Sabbath School.


1825 - 1925

The current meetinghouse dates to 1825 and was redecorated in 1879. Temperance and Sunday‑School initiatives fostered cooperation among churches, leading to a federation with the Methodists in 1917. 


1925 - Present Day

The 1950s saw a sanctuary restoration, the addition of the Rent Memorial Room, and construction of a new parsonage. A carillon was installed in 1986 in memory of James B. Cornish, Alfred L. Moore, and Joseph Norris, chiming Westminster bells on the hour and offering melodic bell music for worship and special occasions. The pipe organ was restored and the sanctuary refurbished in the mid‑2000s. In 2012, a new addition — including the Rent Fellowship Hall — was completed, more than doubling the church’s classroom and fellowship space. In 2024, the steeple and weathervane were restored. 

OVER THE YEARS

  • FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF KINGSTON 1898

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  • FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF KINGSTON PRESENT DAY

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