It was in 1740 that the residents of this area petitioned the governor asking to become a separate town or precinct, since it was too far for them to travel to the nearest church at Canton Corner. The support of and attendance at public worship on Sundays was required according to colonial laws. Permission was granted and on July 2, 1740, this area, originally part of Dorchester, was set aside as the First Parish in the Second Precinct of Stoughton and called Stoughtonham. During 1742 the local inhabitants built the first church which was known as the First Congregational Parish. This church was situated on the site of the present Unitarian Church in Sharon. The Reverend Philip Curtis ministered for fifty-five years. Following his death, the parish called Reverend Jonathan Whitaker as pastor in 1799. His strong religious beliefs leaned toward the anti-Calvinistic theology which was recognized by the Unitarian name. Unfortunately, he was not liked and was dismissed in 1815.
Because of such religious differences among the parishioners during Reverend Whitaker’s tenure and the subsequent years, in 1821, eleven persons whose orthodox or Trinitarian views impelled them to separate from the First Parish. It was on June 16, 1821, when they formed the Christian Society in Sharon. A new meetinghouse was constructed in 1822. Tragically, fire destroyed that building in 1838. With perseverance, the parishioners soon constructed a new building in 1839. This church remains today on the same site as the original built in 1822. It has one of the two Revere bells in Sharon, made by the Revere Copper Company. The other bell is in the Unitarian Church.
Although no official notice was given, 1877 church records began referring to itself as Orthodox Congregational Church of Sharon. The name changed again on January 14, 1915, when the church reorganized by incorporating under the name of “The First Congregational Church of Sharon.” During the 1960’s, many of the Congregational Churches throughout the United States joined with other smaller denominations to become the United Church of Christ. Thus, today we are known as “First Congregational Church of Sharon, UCC.” For many years we have called ourselves “The Family Church." Our doors are open to those of all faiths, including those with no stated faith at all. The year 2006 marks the 185th anniversary of the First Congregational Church of Sharon, and 266 years since the founding of the First Parish in the Second Precinct of Stoughton.
Shirley Schofield
Parish Historian
