Presbyterian Church

This church, built in 1843 in the Carpenter Gothic style, is actually the Presbyterians’ fourth place of worship in Southampton. It is the English Puritans, who arrived at Conscience Point in 1640, who built the first. They had declared in their original document their intention to go to “the place where God shall direct us to begin our intended plantation.” Among their first priorities upon their arrival is the erection of a “meeting house” with space for church services. It is soon outgrown, as is the second church, completed in 1653, after the relocation of the entire settlement from Old Town to what is now Main Street. In this church, the drum previously used to call people to worship is retired and the belfry gets a bell. A third church goes up in 1707 on the corner of Main Street and Meeting House Lane to meet the community’s growing needs. A story often repeated links this church to the Revolutionary War. It seems that some stealthy Patriots dismantled two small cannons held by the town for defense and hid parts in the belfry to keep them from falling into the hands of the British. When the belfry is demolished in 1843, a part is indeed found in the rubble. When the 1707 church is no longer considered adequate, this handsome church is erected on this corner, where it has dominated the site since 1843. Its familiar tall tower can be seen from almost anywhere in the village. Inside the church, today’s parishioners find an atmosphere of quiet serenity, forgoing opulence, as did its founders. It promises to serve Southampton’s Presbyterians, who can claim to be the oldest continuous congregation in the country, for many years to come.