First Congregational Church of Litchfield
| First Congregational Church of Litchfield | |
|---|---|
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| 41°44′52″N 73°11′18″W / 41.7479°N 73.1883°WCoordinates: 41°44′52″N 73°11′18″W / 41.7479°N 73.1883°W | |
| Location | Litchfield, Connecticut |
| Country | US |
| Denomination | United Church of Christ |
| Previous denomination | Congregational |
| Website | fcclitchfield |
| History | |
| Founded | 1721 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Contributing property in Litchfield Historic District, a National Historic Landmark |
The First Congregational Church of Litchfield is a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Litchfield, Connecticut, USA, occupying a historic building on the Litchfield green.
The church was founded in 1721, when the town was first settled. The original wooden meetinghouse was completed in 1723 and replaced on the same site in 1761. The early meetinghouse served not only for public worship but also as a venue for town meetings and other community gatherings. Also, gunpowder and shot were stockpiled there for the defense of the community, and the meetinghouse was the recruiting site for a Continental Army that was formed in Litchfield early in the Revolutionary War. The adjacent church parsonage was built in 1787.
The prominent American preacher Lyman Beecher served the First Congregational Church as its minister from 1810 to 1826. Beecher's fame as a preacher attracted people to the church. Six sermons on intemperance that he delivered in the church in 1814 were widely republished and are considered to have been influential in advancing the cause of temperance. While in Litchfield he also gained widespread attention for his preaching against Unitarianism, which he regarded as heresy. Beecher's eloquence in his opposition to Unitarianism led to his being invited to leave Litchfield in 1826 to serve a church in Boston, where his fame as a preacher grew.
The current building, constructed in 1829 in the Greek Revival style, is the congregation's third meetinghouse. In 1969, the New York Times called it "one of the best examples of early 19th-century church architecture" and in 2005 the same newspaper called it "a New England icon" and "one of Connecticut's familiar landmarks." It is described by the National Park Service as the "anchor" of the Litchfield Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark. It is also called "the best known symbol of Litchfield" and is reputed to be the most photographed church building in New England.
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