History

            Barrington Congregational Church, United Church of Christ - affectionately known as “The White Church” – has been a landmark on this site for almost two centuries.  However, the congregation dates back even further.  In the 1660’s, John Miles, a fugitive from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, gathered a congregation of Baptists and Congregationalists north of One Hundred Acre Cove (just north of the present church).  The congregation was later scattered by King Philip’s War but came together again about 1678 and built a meeting house on Tyler Point.  Following the death of John Miles, the congregation split under its new leader, and the Baptist contingent moved (together with their meeting house!) to North Swansea, and the Congregationalists remained.  In 1711 the first Congregational Meeting House was built on what is now Jenny’s Lane in Barrington.  In 1717 the township of Barrington was recognized by the Colonial government, as “the parish of the Barrington Congregational Church”, and in 1737 the Meeting House was moved to its present site. 

In 1797 the church was incorporated as the United Congregational Society of Barrington, Rhode Island, and was thereafter no longer supported by the Town.  Some years later, because of the “ruinous condition” of the meeting house, plans were made to build a new one to be financed by a lottery and the sale of pews.  The building was finally erected in 1806 on the site of the old one.  It is said that some of the beams and boards from the original meeting house, dating back to the 1711-1717 period, were incorporated into the new building.  The new building consisted of a large two-story sanctuary, with balconies along the south and north walls and a high pulpit from which the pastor preached, over which was a sounding board.  The church had a short tower over the front entrance.

In 1850-53, without changing the outside appearance of the building, the high pulpit and balconies were eliminated and the sanctuary was raised to make space for a vestry below.  A few years later a steeple was added to the short tower and in 1868 the ladies sewing circle raised sufficient funds to put a bell in the steeple.  In 1888 an addition was added at the east (river) end of the building to make room for a pipe organ.  Prior to 1890, when the first bridge was built, church members from New Meadow Neck crossed the river in boats, landing at a wharf attached to the church property.

The 1938 hurricane blew down the steeple and flooded the vestry to a depth of several feet (a plaque on the stairs marks the flood level).  Due to generous contributions from the entire community, the spire was rebuilt within a year.  In 1944 the house south of the church was purchased to provide more room for the Sunday school.  Ten years later, the congregation voted to raze the house and a new education building, dedicated in January 1956, was built on the site.

In 1951 the heavy wooden pulpit, Bible stand and chairs were replaced by the colonial chancel with pulpit, lectern and altar that we have today.  The organ console was moved from the east end to a place near the northeast corner of the north wall.  Two big projects were undertaken in 1961-62 - a new organ was installed in the choir loft, and the east wall of the chancel was moved back through the space where the pipes and bellows of the old organ had been. 

1987 saw the installation of an elevette in the rear of the sanctuary for those unable to climb the stairs and in 1991 the church crossed the gender barrier when a woman was called as associate pastor, and again eighteen months later when a woman interim minister was called.  1996-1997 saw the renovation of the choir loft and installation of a new Rodgers combination electronic organ with 17 ranks of pipes.  In 2001 a new handicap ramp, terrace and landscaping was installed behind the education building and in 2003 new landscaping was planted in the front of the education building.

Recent work to the buildings has included installation of a new fire alarm system in both buildings and installation of handicapped doors in Fellowship Hall in 2005, and the refinishing of the sanctuary ceiling in 2006.