First Parish Unitarian UniversalistOur History
First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Canton is a consolidation of two of the oldest churches in Canton.
First Parish Unitarian was offically gathered as a separate religious community in 1717. The church sanctuary presently in use was completed in 1825 and a Paul Revere bell hung in the steeple. The Parish Hall was added in 1878 and the chapel and classrooms in 1955.
The First Universalist Church began with a series of meetings in 1806 leading to the establishment of the Norfolk Universalist Society several years later. In 1847 a church building was erected which continued in use for 127 years.
In 1964 the two congregations began a ten-year period of shared ministry and programs, culminating in their formal union on July 1, 1974.