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HISTORY OF FIRST
CHURCH IN ROXBURY
Examining the Entirety of Our History: An Introduction
There are two parts to the history of the First Church in Roxbury: the well known information that can readily be found online, and the true history that together - we are investigating. This is the part of our history that includes the enslavement of Black- and Indegenous-people by the white parishoners who worshiped here. This page will continue to be a work in progress as we examine our history.
The First Church in Roxbury is a Boston landmark that has been the home of the UU Urban Ministry since 1976. That was the year that the last congregation that called the church their home disbanded - largely because of "white flight". The UU Urban Ministry is a non-sectarian, non-profit social justice organization that has its offices at this historic building.
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We Speak Now: Race & Enslavement at the First Church in Roxbury
In early-2023, Aabid Allibhad, a PhD candidate in the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, completed a report that focused on the history of racism and enslavement at First Church in Roxbury. Aabid started this report at the request of the UU Urban Ministry at First Church and the Roxbury Historical Society, and also solicited feedback from other historians and residents before the report was published.
The report, titled, "Race & Slavery at the First Church in Roxbury (The Colonial Period 1631-1775)", tells the story of at least fifty-eight human beings—Black and Indigenous men, women, and children— who were enslaved by First Church’s white parishioners. Aabid's report is part of our commitment to an accurate look at our history in order to work for a more just future. And it is not a one-and-done project, but the beginning of our work.
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Much of the information in this section of our website is taken from Aabid's report. The research and narrative tells a fuller, truer story of the history of First Church Roxbury. We encourage you to look at it. Aabid's report is part of our commitment to an accurate look at our history to work for a more just future. And it is not a one-and-done project, but the beginning of our work.
Background on the Community of Roxbury
In colonial New England, the meetinghouse was the focal point of the community, where residents gathered to engage with each other and conduct the business of their civic life. In 1630 Roxbury consisted of Mission Hill, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, South End, and lots of Back Bay. The town of Roxbury was a resourceful town for colonists, with good farmland, materials for building, such as timber and stone; and the Stony Brook for waterpower.
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You can find out more about the history of Roxbury on the timeline below.
Early First Church in Roxbury
The meetinghouse in Roxbury has always had a church on its site, which is First Church in Roxbury. At the start of the Revolutionary War, the fourth meetinghouse on the site was a target for British fire, as it housed soldiers and was a signal station. By the end of the Revolutionary War, the area around the fourth meetinghouse was mostly destroyed. A new and improved meetinghouse was built in 1804 and is the present First Church in Roxbury, and labeled as the fifth meetinghouse.
Until about 1900, Roxbury was a community of English, Irish, and German immigrants and their descendants. In the early 20th century, Roxbury became more diverse with the establishment of a Jewish community in the Grove Hall area along Blue Hill Avenue. Following a massive migration from the South to northern cities in the 1940s and 1950s, Roxbury became the center of the African-American community in Boston.
The First Church in Roxbury is a Boston landmark that has been the home of the UU Urban Ministry since 1976. That was the year that the last congregation that called the church their home disbanded - largely because of "white flight". Today, UUUM works as a non-profit social justice organization to dismantle racism and white supremacy culture and push forward racial, social, and economic justice.
