The town of Gardner, Mass, was incorporated in June of 1785 and four months later at the third town meeting, talks began to start building a meeting-house. In February of 1786, thirty-three members would form the First Congregational Church of Gardner. The first meeting-house would be raised on June 27, 1787. The first minister, who also happened to be the first physician of Gardner, was Dr. Jonathan Osgood. Dr. Osgood would remain a central part of the church and the town of Gardner until his death in 1822.

Starting around 1830, a divide started to form that would be common in many other areas of the country. More liberal minded members would begin to call themselves Unitarian while the more conservative called themselves Orthodox. The orthodox members, alongside the current minister Rev. Increase Summer Lincoln, would form the Evangelical Congregational Church. Both groups did agree to share many items needed for worship and equally divided what money was on hand at the time.

First Congregational Church would see increased membership over the next decade and in 1846, the church would reunite with the Evangelical Congregational Church. They kept the First Congregational Church name, the creed of the Evangelical Church, and worshipped in the Evangelical Church’s building. A parsonage was built in 1875 and a brand-new church was dedicated in 1879. In the 1880s the church started to take part in the Christian Endeavor movement and the Young Ladies’ Missionary Society began teaching English to the rising population of non-English speakers in Gardner.

Rev. Burton S. Gilman would serve as the pastor from 1897-1920 and was known as an eloquent and convincing speaker, loved amongst the community. After a series of short-lived pastorates, Rev. Baldwin W. Callahan would lead the church up through 1949. Under his pastorate, the Evening Guild, Men’s Club, and Married Couples’ Group would form, and the Woman’s Association would form out of two previously separate groups. In the 1950s, Rev. Daniel Leavitt would arrive and breathe new life into the church, including modernizing the Parish House and renovating many of its features.

The church would continue to engage in its works and mission and led by ministers such as Rev John Condor, Rev. Edgar Kemp, Jr., Rev. Frank McKenzie and more. The church would make the decision to close for good in 2023. At its final service on October 1st, they were led by transitional minister Rev. Stacey Kullgren. The history of the First Congregational Church is entwined with the history of Gardner and its impact will always be felt.