Successful Opening Reception for 325th Historical Exhibit

On Thursday evening, November 9, eighty or more people gathered to look at the Exhibition of Historical Documents in celebration of First Parish’s 325th Anniversary and to hear Lexington Historian Sam Doran’s account bringing those early years to life. The exhibit, in Parish Hall, included a wide variety of items: the initial covenant of the congregation, the two earliest silver tankards in our historic communion service set, the Bible that Governor John Hancock gave First Parish in 1793 and the signature of our minister Jonas Clarke upon receiving it, genealogies of three current First Parish members Elaine Turano, John Oberteuffer, and Brenda Prusak, portraits of outstanding ministers, artistic renderings of our current buildings, the price range of pews in 1846, rosters of First Parish members who served in World War I and World War II, two of Nancy Earsy’s quilt collages about the Viet Nam war protests, and the rainbow flag.

Sam Doran, in addition to giving his evocation of seventeenth-century Lexington, answered questions about public confessions, the split between church and town, ministerial funds paid by the residents, other religious institutions in town, and other important developments in our history.

Thank you to Maureen Bovet and Lew Counts (prime movers), Elaine Turano, Anne Collins, Polly Erickson, Liz Adams, and the late Bill Smith, to whom the exhibit was dedicated, for the wonderful exhibit, which you can see from now through December 3; to Elisabeth Jas and her helpers (Judy Cole, Carolyn Fleiss, Marty Kvaal, and Sarah Matthews ) for the lovely refreshments and presentation; to Amy Jamison for tickets and flyers with the wonderful new steeple logo; to Bill Pittore for the sound system and for running the film of First Parish from the 1940’s and 50’s; to Anne Mason for helping with the film, for selling suncatchers and tickets, and for general cheerleading; to Jane Foley for myriad instances of facilitation; and to Bob Coughlin for help with set-up and clean-up.