Pilgrim United Church of Christ has a long and colorful history
-- with roots in the 1696 gathering of the old "Precinct" church at the Head of the River. In 1795-97, the congregation built a new meeting house at the corner of Purchase and William Streets so that those living nearby wouldn't have to walk so far. And in 1807, they decided to form a separate church, the Third Church, or North Congregational Church.
Also in 1807, another church, the North Christian Church, was organized at the corner of Middle and Sixth Streets.
In 1831, the South Congregational Church, also called Trinitarian Congregational Church, was formed for those in the south part of town. After the original church was destroyed by fire in 1890, a new granite building was built on the corner of Purchase and School Streets.
In 1929, the Trinitarian Congregational Church and North Christian Church merged to form the United Christian Congregational Church.
In 1923, a new church, Pilgrim Church, was gathered as a completely independent church to appeal to people of many religious origins.
In 1964, members of three churches voted to merge, bringing together North Congregational Church, Pilgrim Church, and United Christian Congregational Church, joining the newly formed United Church of Christ and taking a new name for themselves: the Pilgrim United Church of Christ.
