About The Oldest Church In America
Old Ship Church is America's oldest church in continuous use
A church is defined as a building for public worship services. Old Ship Church located in Hingham, Massachusetts is the oldest church in America in continuous use.
Old Ship Church is defined as the oldest church structure in the United States to have been used continuously for public worship by the Massachusetts Bay Colony-Tercentenary Commission. It is recognized as the oldest church in the United States in continuous operation by the U.S. National Park Services.
Originally built in 1681, Old Ship Church served as a Meeting House where civic issues of the day were discussed, and as a place of worship on Sundays. Debates over the Revolution, the form American Democracy would take, and local issues such as property taxes, have all taken place under its distinctive timber roof.
Old Ship is a Puritan church and is the only surviving 17th-century Puritan meetinghouse in America. The original frame and walls of the church stand were built in 1681, within the additions of side galleries in 1730 and 1755.
The building has a distinctive square shape with a hipped roof, which is said to resemble an inverted ship's hull (hence the name "Old Ship"). The seats were originally backless wooden benches; the first box pews were installed in 1755. The interior went through a renovation in the Victorian era in which drapes and wallpaper were added and the distinctive boxes replaced with more ornamental curved back pews.
Old Ship Church was restored to its original, understated 17th and 18th century characteristics in 1930, and remains true to that spirit today. For over 300 years, Old Ship has borne witness to every aspect of our growth as a nation.
English colonists settled in Bare Cove in 1632. Over the next several years about 40 Puritan families arrived from Hingham, England. They re-named Bare Cover to it's current name Hingham, which then became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In 1681, the sons and grandsons of the original settlers built the meeting house that still stands today. It is the only remaining meeting house of its kind. In 2014 the historic Old Ship Meeting House went under a major restoration.
The project included a new roof, structural repairs, refurbished windows, updated safety, security and mechanical systems, interior plaster repair and whitewashing, exterior carpentry and painting, and construction of a "privy," the first toilet facilities in its history.
During the 5-year project, the Meeting House revealed many exciting discoveries, like a square of wallpaper from the 1869 renovation, original sheathing inside and out, the original color of the east entry way, and more. The building has no steeple or church bell, which was common for Puritan meetinghouses.
The Old Ship Meeting House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 1966, recognizing its importance in American history and architecture. Open to the public for tours, offering insights into early American religious and architectural history.
The church has played a central role in the civic and religious life of Hingham for centuries. It reflects the simplicity and functionality favored by Puritan settlers in early colonial America.
The Old Ship Church stands as a testament to early American colonial architecture and religious practices, providing a tangible link to the Puritan heritage of New England. Its continued use and preservation make it a valuable historical resource.
Today, The Old Ship Church is proud to be a Unitarian Universalist community of about 250 members, worshiping in this historic location. It is designated as a "Welcoming Congregation" and a "Green Sanctuary," welcoming individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities to share in congregational life.