Early History
The Town of Bedford was created in 1729 because the residents of this area found that the journey to church in Concord or Billerica was too long and arduous. Their petition requesting permission to form their own church included this lament, “In the extreme difficult seasons of heat and cold we were ready to say of the Sabbath, ‘Behold, what a weariness is it.'” Thus, the First Parish in Bedford was established. The original meetinghouse, badly damaged in the “great gale” of Sept. 1815, was replaced by the present building in 1817.
Young People's Religious Union
Order of service from the meeting of the South Middlesex Federation of Young People’s Religious Unions at the First Congregational Unitarian Church, Bedford, Mass., May 7, 1905.
OPEN HOUSE in Old Bedford, 1952
This drawing was on the cover of a brochure for a townwide old house tour on Saturday, October 4, 1952 from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. The event included an “Afternoon Tea with Old-Fashioned Cookies” served in the Church Parlor and was sponsored by First Parish Church.
Historical Objects
Pews
The pair of pews in the rear of the sanctuary are said to have been used in the first meetinghouse. One has 1728 carved on its back.
Steeple Clock & Bell Weights
The First Parish of Bedford is proud of its historic Steeple Clock.
Ministers of First Parish Bedford
The First Parish in Bedford has had over 30 senior ministers since 1730.