Old oil painting of First Church, Charlestown - Charleston, Boston Mass.

Old oil painting of First Church, Charlestown. This painting itself seems to have disappeared; but on a small round box in the possession of the Society of the Preservation of New England Antiquities, there is a slightly domed three-inch cover that is decorated with an excellent copy of this same picture. The Charlestown Church was founded in 1632, when roughly one-quarter of the members of the church in Boston withdrew and started a separate parish under Thomas James as Pastor. In 1634, the Rev. Zechariah Symmes arrived and was soon elected teacher. Mr. John Greene was elected ruling elder, and served for 50 years. No other ruling elder was ever elected, but from 1639 on till the time of the Revolution, the Charlestown Church always managed to support both a pastor and a teacher. As Budington says (p. 52), "Out of their deep poverty, and when they were but a little band, they cheerfully supported two thoroughly educated men, that they might enjoy the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. No people probably ever made greater sacrifices than did our fathers for the support of religious institutions."
Courtesy of Boston Public Library