The Pine Street Church was formed in 1827 in Boston by the then five Orthodox Congregational Churches, those being Old South Church, Park St. Church, Essex St. Church, Green St. Church, and the Hanover St. Church, who voted to build two new meeting houses with the goal of expanding religious influence in the city. One meeting house was located in the North End and the other in the South End at the corner of Pine Street and Washington Street, which would later become the Pine Street Church. $30,000 was raised to fund the construction; unfortunately the funds raised were insufficient to cover the costs of both buildings. After the funds were split between the churches, both meeting houses were forced to take on over $20,000 of debt to complete construction. When the Pine Street Church was formed in September of 1827, just months after the building was completed, the forty two members of the church took on the debt that came with the construction of the building at the recommendation of the founding churches. The Pine Street Church had difficulties retaining members and pastors alike due, in part, to the difficulties the church faced managing their debt. After a failed attempt to renovate and lease a portion of the meeting house in 1851, the debt had climbed to over $30,000. With few options left, in April of 1857, the five founding churches that had initiated its construction and the Committee of the Pine Street Church met to discuss the sale of the church’s property. The church building was sold just months later in July of 1857. With the sale of the building, the Pine Street Church and Society was able to eliminate their debt and secure the funds necessary to purchase land for a new church building at the intersection of Berkeley Street and Warren Avenue in the South End of Boston. By 1861, the new church was completed and had changed its name to the Berkeley Street Church. In 1888, the Berkeley Street Church changed their name to Berkeley Temple. Free from their debt troubles, the church was able to eliminate the pew taxes that they had formerly relied on to pay expenses. The much larger church building was able to accommodate a growing number of members, as well as its Sunday school. They were able to increase their influence and membership by sending out circulars, as well as canvassing efforts in surrounding neighborhoods. They also promoted other church activities such as the Young Men’s Institute and various classes on arithmetic, grammar, typewriting, and more, which were offered to men and women alike. In 1904, the name of the church was changed to Berkeley Temple Congregational Church. At the suggestion of the ecclesiastical council, the Berkeley Temple Congregational Church merged with the Union Congregational Church in 1907, which later merged with the Old South Church in 1948.