Our History
Next year, South Church will be celebrating its 300th anniversary!Back in 1710, a petition was presented to the selectmen of Salem requesting that Brooksby Village become a separate precinct. The dream of the 52 petitioners: to erect a meeting-house within reasonable traveling distance for its members. Perseverance was required to overcome the opposition from the "mother" church, and on June 6, 1711, our first meeting-house was dedicated in South Danvers, or what would later become Peabody Square. Finally, in 1713, an ordained minister was chosen to oversee the flock.
Our early church history and the town's history are closely intertwined. Church members were actively involved in skirmishes with the British in Lexington and later Danvers. Many of the ladies of South Church would gather to form the South Danvers Female Benevolent Society and later the Ladies Soldiers Aid Society. Later, in the 1800s, our church would show love for the elderly by spearheading the building of the Sutton Home for Aged Women and the Haven Home for Aged Men. Among our early parishioners was George Peabody, who would go on to become one of America's first great philanthropists.
Today our church sits just a stone's throw from the only remnant of Brooksby Village--Brooksby Farm--and across the street from the Northshore Mall. From this vantage we can see both our deep roots in Peabody and our evolving future. Yet, through it all, our fervent desire is to bring glory to our heavenly Father as we minister to the physical and spiritual needs of our community.
For a more complete history, read The History of South Congregational Church 1711-1900, written by Rev. Arthur Bowler in the 1960s.