You may not know this, but there used to be more than two churches that stood on High Street. The third church was demolished in 1985 much to the discontent of the Summersworth Historical Society, but it was a battle that they would sadly lose.
That church was the United Baptist Church and what a beautiful church it was. While not as ornate as the interior of the Catholic churches in Somersworth, the exterior was quite beautiful and the 20-foot-high stained glass windows must have been quite a sight.
The church was built in 1837. At that time, there were around 48 practicing Baptists in the village of Great Falls but those 48 men and women were hell-bent on building their own place of worship. They, like the protestant churches before them, were granted a parcel of land from the Great Falls Manufacturing Company and for the sum of $5,000 the church was erected. At the time of building, the church had steps that reached up to where the windows are in the picture and one writer of the time would refer to them as “an ascent to Zion.”
Over the coming years, the church would see many improvements including a new organ in 1928, a lowering of the steps and in 1874 a parsonage would be constructed next door. In case you are wondering where this now mysterious but beautiful church was located, it is today the parking lot for the current VFW. The VFW’s current home once housed the First Parish Church and so the two churches stood almost side by side for 150 years. The once parsonage is now apartments and sits next to the original plot.
There have been several splits within the Baptist church over the years and one of those resulted in the Free Baptist Church which sits on Cemetery Road which was built in 1975.
That brings me nicely to the subject of the Greek Orthodox Church that once sat on Green Street, but is now located on Tates Brook Road. The Church of the Assumption is the second oldest Greek Orthodox Church in New Hampshire. When the Greek immigrant population exploded in Somersworth between 1905 and 1910 with an estimated 900 more choosing to call Somerworth home, it was apparent they too would require somewhere to worship. That church would originally be located on Washington Street, but would be destroyed by fire in 1920. It was at this time that the Greek population would come together and purchase the Church on Green Street, which at the time was owned by the Free Will Baptists of the city and had been since 1842.
In 1939 another fire would strike and this time it would destroy the altar of the church and it was apparently only through the heroic efforts of the pastor and altar boy that the holy sacraments would be rescued from the intense fire. By 1960, the church’s congregation had grown to some 300 in numbers, but like many things the numbers would begin to dwindle over the following years and the Green Street church would eventually be replaced by the beautiful chapel that sits on Tates Brook Road today. Just as the United Baptist Church’s parsonage has become apartments so would the Green Street Church.
Of course, these are just brief glimpses at these churches’ pasts but it is worth remembering the part they played in the lives of so many who made their home in Somersworth. Next week is Saint Patrick’s Day and while this year’s celebrations will be more subdued than in past years, I thought it was the perfect time to take a look at the rich history of Holy Trinity Church.
Mark the date for this Eggstravaganza
If you have kids under the age of 12, you want to save the date of April 3, 2021 because the Easter Bunny will be in Somersworth. You’ll be able to drive by and see him outside the Middle School between 10 a.m. and noon. He doesn’t come empty-handed though and will be giving each car a kit that will allow your family to enjoy an easter egg hunt in the safety of your own home. This event is being presented by the Somersworth Recreation Department and registration is required. You can find everything you need including registration details at www.somersworth.com/parks-recreation/pages/special-events
Spring forward
Don’t forget the clocks go forward this coming Sunday. So while we lose an hour of sleep here in Somersworth, we gain an hour of daylight and not sure about you but I will take it. Talking of spring, the Somersworth Downtown Association is getting ready with some great events to get you out and about this spring and to check out all that our unique stores have to offer downtown. As I get more details, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Get your cookies
Just a reminder that we are in full-on Girl Scout Cookie season and the wonderful ladies of our Somersworth troop 904 will be out at Walmart as well as Aroma Joes for the next few weekends. If I was you though, I wouldn’t wait as quantities are limited and they are going fast. P.S. My favorites are Thin Mints, just in case you were wondering …
That’s all I have this week. I am, just as I suspect you are, looking forward to warmer weather so until next week please keep wearing your masks, shopping local and above all be kind to one another.
This column first appeared in Fosters Daily Democrat on March 10th, 2021.