First Church of Hartford
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First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground
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First Church of Christ
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| Location | 60 Gold St., Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Coordinates | 41°45′52″N 72°40′26″W / 41.76444°N 72.67389°WCoordinates: 41°45′52″N 72°40′26″W / 41.76444°N 72.67389°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1807 |
| Architect | Wadsworth,Daniel |
| NRHP reference # | 72001324 |
| Added to NRHP | December 05, 1972 |
The First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground (also known as Center Church: First Church of Christ in Hartford or First Church in Hartford) is a historic church and cemetery at 60 Gold Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the oldest church congregation in Hartford, founded in 1636 by Thomas Hooker. The present building, the congregation's fourth, was built in 1807, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The adjacent cemetery, formally set apart in 1640, was the city's sole cemetery until 1803.
The First Church of Christ is located in downtown Hartford, at the corner of Main and Gold Streets. It is a prominent local example of Classical Revival architecture, probably designed by Daniel Wadsworth based on the church of Saint Martin in the Fields in London. The brick building is fronted by a monumental two-story temple portico with modified Ionic columns, and is surmounted by a three-stage tower that repeats the columns at smaller scale on each major level. There are three entrances on the main facade, each topped by a half-round fanlight window. The Ancient Burying Ground extends west and north of the church.
The Hartford congregation was founded as a Reformed congregation in 1636 with Thomas Hooker serving as the first pastor. The members of the congregation had previously migrated from England to Massachusetts and spent four years there before leaving Massachusetts after a dispute with the Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The old burial ground adjacent to the building in Hartford dates to around 1640. The current church meeting house dates to 1807 and is the fourth meeting house to serve as a place of worship for the congregation. The church meeting house and cemetery were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The congregation is currently affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC).
Gateway to the Ancient Burying Ground
Center Church House
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