West Newbury in Essex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Original site of the First Parish Meetinghouse.
Completed in 1711.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1711.
Location. 42° 48.484′ N, 70° 57.509′ W. Marker is in West Newbury, Massachusetts, in Essex County. It is on Main Street (Massachusetts Route 113) west of Chase Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Newbury MA 01985, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Massachusetts’ North Shore, in Greater Boston, and in the Merrimack Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Birthplace of Cornelius Conway Felton (approx. Ύ mile away); At this site in 1952 (approx. 1.1 miles away); Birthplace of Jacob Bayley (approx. 1.2 miles away); Near This Site (approx. 1½ miles away); First Site of the Second Parish Meetinghouse (approx. 1.7 miles away); Site of the Quaker Meetinghouse (approx. 1.9 miles away); Native American Raid (approx. 1.9 miles away); Camp Sylvester (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West Newbury.
Regarding Original site of the First Parish Meetinghouse.. The site of the First Parish Meetinghouse is located at 708-70 Main Street. The story behind this marker is about West Newburys origins as a separate town, begun with a Thirty Years Quarrel that involved unauthorized construction of two rivalrous meetinghouses—three if you count the one rebuilt after the hostile razing of the first by adherents to the second.
Also see . . . Historic Markers in West Newbury. (Submitted on September 6, 2020.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2020. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 31, 2020. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.

