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Our History

"A free people joined by covenant into a church in the fellowship of the gospel to walk in all His ways."

 

                                     - William Bradford

Our roots are in The Congregational Society that was organized by a small group of Pilgrims from Plymouth Colony in 1646. The Congregational and Universalist Societies reunited in 1939 to form The Federated Church.

 

1646 - The first meetinghouse-fort was built in Nauset, now Eastham.  

1718 - The first meetinghouse was built on the present site.

1829 - The present building replaced the earlier one.

1838 - A group left to form the Universalist Society.

1889 - The sanctuary was moved to the second floor, and a vestry built beneath, as it is now.

1939 - The Congregational and Universalist Societies reunite, becoming The Federated Church of Orleans.

1968 - An addition of classrooms, offices and meeting rooms was built.

1972 - The Universalist Society sold its meetinghouse on Main Street to the Orleans Historical Society.

1996 - The 350th year was celebrated.

2018 - The 300th anniversary of moving to our current site was celebrated.

Photograph of the church from the top of the Orleans Cemetery (1908).

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