First Congregational Church

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The third and present meetinghouse was built in 1838. The bell from the second house was sold to the society which had been formed in North Madison. However, the clock was moved from the second to the current structure. A new church bell was purchased and played a definite part in the life of the area residents. Connected to the clock it rings on the hour and is rung manually by the Sexton each Sunday prior to worship. The gilded dome has always been a landmark for boaters on Long Island Sound. Named the meetinghouse, it was the structure where local town meetings were held until a formal town hall was built. Early in the 1800's the women of our church were realizing needs beyond their boundaries and through the years various groups formed thus the beginning our outreach program. Our fifth pastor, The Rev. Samuel Fiske was granted a leave to serve in the Civil War in which he was killed. In the first one hundred and eighty-six years the church was led by a total of only six pastors. In the 1950's Congregational-Christian churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Churches came together to form the United Church of Christ. The membership of First Congregational Church of Madison voted to join this new denomination. In 1964 a structure was built which we rededicated in honor of The Rev. Franklin A. Bower who then was and now is our late Pastor Emeritus. It holds the offices for church staff, classrooms for church school and meeting rooms. Today the pastors and the entire church staff work with lay leaders to carry out the mission and ministry of our church.