First Congregational Church To Celebrate Paul Revere Day
The First Congregational Church of Falmouth will celebrate Paul Revere Day on Saturday, September 25, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the bell in the church steeple, which was made by the patriot himself.
The bell, which was purchased by the church from Paul Revere in 1796, is made out of solid bronze and weighs over 800 pounds. On it there is an inscription that reads: “The living to the church I call, and to the grave, I summon all.”
The original receipt from the purchase—dated November 30 of that year and signed by Paul Revere—will be on display at the event, in addition to other historical artifacts supplied by the Falmouth Historical Society’s Museums on the Green.
“For the first time, I think, perhaps ever in town, the public will have the chance to view an amazing document which is actually the receipt signed by Paul Revere acknowledging his receipt of the payment from the church for the sale of the bell,” said congregation member Greg Mills. “That document has been and is kept in storage at Museums on the Green in their vault, and they’ve allowed us to display it on that day. We’re one of only a small handful of churches that have a working Paul Revere bell in their steeple.”
The church was established in 1708, but Mr. Mills said that its roots go back as far as the 1680s, around the same time Falmouth was founded. At the time the bell was purchased, the church building was located on the Village Green, across from where the church stands today. It was in that steeple that the bell was placed, and it remained there until the church was rolled across Main Street and rebuilt in 1857.
“Our earliest buildings were called meetinghouses,” Mr. Mills said. “The church has its origins in being a place not only of worship but also of community gatherings. In the modern day, we want to reinvigorate our identity as the town’s community church and a place of gathering and fun events. We’d like to have people become better acquainted with us and what better way than to open our doors and host some events?”
Paul Revere Day is the first of six events the church has planned through the end of the calendar year, each with designated themes. Paul Revere Day is a historical-themed event through which the church aims to reconnect with both its own history and the history of the Town of Falmouth.
Working closely with their neighbors at the Museums on the Green, the church has a robust itinerary for Paul Revere Day: a discussion with Kenneth R. Peal, a Falmouth historian who specializes in historical bells; a speech from minister John Drury about what it is like to live next to such a bell and hear it at the top of every hour of every day; a reading of Katharine Lee Bates’ poem “The Falmouth Bell,” which she initially read aloud at the bell’s centennial celebration, and “appearances” from Ms. Bates and Mr. Revere themselves, thanks to Falmouth Theatre Guild and congregation members Elsa Partan and Robert Bowerman, who will be portraying the historic figures.
Mr. Mills said that the purpose of a historical event such as this one is to share stories from the history of the church that have long been forgotten by the general public. Falmouth’s connection to Ms. Bates is surely well known by most residents, but her connection to the church is just as strong and half as widely known.
“When our church moved across the street to its current location in 1857, the very first minister in that first year of the new building was William Bates, Katharine Lee Bates’ father,” Mr. Mills said. “He, unfortunately, had an illness that cut short his tenure as our minister to just a single year. In fact, the last service that he presided over—we think—was the baptism of Katharine, who was born just across the Green at the family home there at the head of Main Street.”
Paul Revere Day is just the beginning of a series of events planned by the First Congregational Church. Upcoming events include a chowder fest on October 10, a chili fest on November 21, and two of what Mr. Mills described as “creation care” events: a blessing of the animals on October 3, and a solar energy celebration on November 6 to celebrate “caring for God’s earth and our warming planet through to conversion to renewable energy sources.” All of these special events are in addition to the usual activities of the church, including the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Village Green in December.
“We’re really hoping that we’ll draw a nice crowd [on September 25],” Mr. Mills said. “Because whether you’re a lover of history or poetry or music, there are a lot of things to attract folks. We like to use our location beside the Village Green as an opportunity to serve the community and serve our original purposes not only as a place of worship but a place for the community to gather. We pride ourselves in having that role and want to continue to serve it.”