When this congregation was formed in 1669, it was a dissenting group from the First Church in Boston and was known as the Third Church. Famous historical members of this church's congregation included Benjamin Franklin, William Dawes, James Otis and Phillis Wheatley. These members worshipped at the Old South Meetinghouse, which was the home of this congregation at the time. The church moved to its current Boylston Street home in 1875. It is now a congregation of the United Church of Christ. Services are held every Sunday at 11a.
With antique brick facade set among downtown skyscrapers, any passerby can pick this building out as a relic from an earlier time. Now a museum run by The Bostonian Society, the site has a long and distinguished history. The Boston Massacre, one of the catalysts for the American Revolution, took place just outside. The Declaration of Independence was first read to Boston here on July 18, 1776. The structure served as the new state's capital until 1797. Exhibits at the museum take visitors through the stories of the revolution and the people involved in them.
