Everett Historical Commission to host dedication ceremonies at First Congregational Church and Immaculate Conception Church

The two historical sites will become part of the City’s self-guided walking tour

Special to The Advocate

The Everett Historical Commission will be hosting two dedication ceremonies on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. beginning at First Congregational Church (460 Broadway). Immediately following that dedication, the second dedication ceremony will take place at Immaculate Conception Church (487 Broadway).

The first dedication ceremony will recognize the historical significance of First Congregational Church, which was built in 1852 and is the oldest church in Everett. The building has served as a place of worship for the community since its inception, and many of Everett’s founding fathers and their families attended services there. The building is also the location where the residents of South Malden voted to separate from Malden to become the Town of Everett in 1870 and where residents voted again in 1892 to become the City of Everett. This location served as the City’s first City Hall until the first official building was constructed in 1893 at the same location where the current City Hall now stands.

The second dedication ceremony will recognize the historical significance of Immaculate Conception Church, which was originally named St. Mary’s Church when it was first built in 1877 as Everett’s first Catholic church. Designed by architect Patrick W. Ford, the cornerstone to this Gothic Revival structure was laid in 1896, and the church was completed in 1908 and has served Everett’s ever-changing community for more than a century.

These two historical buildings will become part of the Historical Commission’s self-guided walking tour. The tour seeks to highlight the importance of Everett’s history and provides the opportunity for participants to learn about historical sites through informational signs placed at each location throughout the city. The ongoing project will eventually have nearly 100 locations dedicated to a person, historic event or location of a building that is considered part of the more than 150 years of Everett’s history.

All are welcome to attend the ceremonies. Light refreshments will be provided in the church hall, which abuts the chapel and is downstairs from the main church of Immaculate Conception Church, immediately following the second dedication ceremony.

To learn more about the event or the walking tour, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 617-394-2225.