Religion was a key factor in English settlement in New England. Connecticut, and South Windsor specifically is no different. Church was extremely important to most colonists and thus, important to our history. The First Congregational Church in South Windsor is the among the earliest churches founded in the US after the great migration of Puritans to the New World.
Established in the 1630’s, the town of Windsor extended across both sides of the CT River. The church was located on the west side and in the 17th century, farmers on the east side (now known as South Windsor) had to cross the river to attend worship. Traveling to and from the church was often difficult so in 1691, there was a petition in the Connecticut General Court for the east side of the river to have their own church and minister. The court approved and in 1694, the first meeting house was constructed on Main Street with the first minister, Timothy Edwards ordained in 1698. Edwards served as the pastor for over 60 years until his death in 1758. In total, the church has been served by 35 pastors.
In it’s 325 years of history, the church has moved into 4 different buildings all on Main Street. The first meeting house had no floor or seats and was replaced in 1714, then again in 1761. The current church (First Congregational Church of South Windsor) was built in 1845 when South Windsor became a separate town. The building is extremely similar to the First Church of Windsor and like many in that century, was built with a Greek Revival design and has a columned portico in the front of the building.
The church continues to run as a place of worship on 993 Main Street.
OurStory 