John Chapman was baptized in 1775. The church where he was baptized is long gone and this stone marker is near the place where the church once stood. It reads:Site of First Meetinghouse
Built 1741-53
Town meetings were held in it for one third of a century. Nearby was the first school house built 1740. During the revolution no money was raised for schools.
According to one of the locals, the church was also located here.
The Unitarian Church along with the sign in the front. It reads:
Highlights in our history
When Leominster became a town, June 23, 1740 the Puritan settlers resolved to raise a church and "maintain a Godly minister". The first church, a plain, rough-boarded building was completed in the winter of 1742 and stood near Pine Grove Cemetery. In the spring of 1743 the town voted to settle John Rogers as the first minister. He preached here for 14 years. Although his learned, humanistic teachings were not always acceptable in those times.
In 1775, the town built a larger church on the common across the street. It was a well-furnished building that served as a meeting house and a house of worship for 49 years. The Rev. Mr. Francis Gardner, who baptized John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) in 1775, preached here until 1814.
In 1823, the town constructed an even larger church with a tall steeple and 130 pews. It stood on this site until it was destroyed by fire in 1903. Its Revere Bell was saved and now is in the belfry of our present church. Constructed on Monoosnock Granite this building was dedicated in 1904.
The first church has been unitarian in denomination since 1825, unitarian-universalist since 1961 and we still subscribe to the enlightened principles set forth by the Rev. Mr. Rogers.
