Our History...

Our congregation had the first church building in the town of Faribault. It was built on Third Street NW between First and Second Avenues in 1856. It was originally called "The First Congregational Church of Faribault."

• The first pastor was Rev. Lauren Armsby.
  The church bell was brought by ox cart from Hastings in 1857. It weighed 1,000 pounds and was transported from Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
• Our present building was constructed in 1866, of limestone from a quarry-site east of Faribault. The 114-foot bell tower is constructed of wood. The bell was moved to this tower in 1874.
• A stained glass window entitled, "Resurrection Morning" adorns the sanctuary behind the altar. The window was constructed at Tiffany Studios, New York, and was installed in 1907. The primary figures in this scene are the three women who first encountered the risen Christ.
• In 1910, the Mary Leavens Chapel was added to the south end of the church and was first used as a Sunday School classroom. The chapel was given the name of Mary Leavens in memory of a beloved long-time Sunday School teacher.
• In 1957, the Congregational Church voted to become part of the United Church of Christ as a part of the historic merger between the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
• Our building was placed on the National Registry of Historic places in 1977. We celebrated our 150th anniversary in 2006.