Roxbury in Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Meetinghouse at First Church in Roxbury
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 13, 2024
1. Meetinghouse at First Church in Roxbury Marker
1804: The current Meetinghouse the 5th on this site is constructed, making the First Church in Roxbury the oldest surviving wood-frame church in Boston.
1976: The UU Urban Ministry, a social justice focused non-profit organization, moves its offices to John Eliot Square and becomes the steward of the Meetinghouse (the church).
2020-2023: The UU Urban Ministry has a campaign to restore the exterior and interior of the Meetinghouse, transforming it into a performance and gathering place for the arts and humanities and civic life that Roxbury needs and deserves.
Today: We are committed to telling the true history of the First Church in Roxbury, and how enslavement played a part in its history. We invite you to
Erected by UU Urban Ministry.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1804.
Location. 42° 19.806′ N, 71° 5.435′ W. Marker is in Boston, Massachusetts, in Suffolk County. It is in Roxbury. It is at the intersection of Roxbury Street and John Eliot Square, on the left when traveling
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Massachusetts’ Historic Boston. 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 walking distance of this marker: John Eliot Square (within shouting distance of this marker); The First People of Roxbury (within shouting distance of this marker); Roxbury Begins Here! (within shouting distance of this marker); A Revolutionary View of Boston, 1776 (within shouting distance of this marker); Roxbury "Puddingstone" (within shouting distance of this marker); Orchards and Gardens: Agricultural Innovation (within shouting distance of this marker); Jeep (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Gen. Henry Knox Trail (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, March 17, 2026
2. First Church Roxbury
Full view of First Church Roxbury from Dudley Street
Also see . . . UU Urban Ministry. (Submitted on October 6, 2024, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, March 17, 2026
3. First Church Roxbury
Full view of First Church Roxbury from
Roxbury Street (Dorchester Heights tower in background)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 267 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 19, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. 2, 3. submitted on March 17, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
