Newton's Oldest Church: St. Mary's Episcopal

Newton’s oldest church, , is nestled in the village of Newton Lower Falls near the Wellesley border. When Route 95 was constructed, its course went straight through Newton Lower Falls, destroying many of the historic buildings located in the old mill village. St. Mary’s is a notable survivor of this period of destruction, and a jewel of the village.

The cornerstone of St. Mary’s was laid in 1813, but its foundation in the community reaches back even further in time. Newton Lower Falls was a sparsely populated area of the city for much of the eighteenth century. When the first paper mill opened along the Charles River in 1790, a little working village sprung up around the mill. Over the course of the next twenty years, the population grew and people living in the area wanted to build a church closer to their homes. For a period in the early 1800s, the neighborhood school house was used for services, and later, a hall was purchased for worship.

In 1813, Boston merchant and local landowner Samuel Brown purchased land in Lower Falls and donated it for the location of a church and burial ground. Church services began to be held in the new building the following spring. This is how the oldest church still standing in Newton came to be.

Many years later in 1838, an addition was put on the church to accommodate 100 additional people. The pews in the church are one of its most unique attributes—each was built to the specifications of the family who would occupy the seat; no two pews are alike.

The churchyard is another part of St. Mary’s charm. The first burial at the site was in 1813. According to one historian, “the land was rough and uncultivated…For years stray cattle grazed on the land at will.”

Today, you will not see any cattle grazing on the grounds of St. Mary’s, but you will find many members of a dedicated, tightly knit religious community. The church welcomes people with open arms, and over time has become the heart of the Newton Lower Falls community.

Religious education at St. Mary’s began in 1818, and that tradition continues today. In addition, the church encourages participation in service to the community and the world beyond, organizing service trips to Rosie’s Place in Boston and to Louisiana to aid victims of hurricane Katrina. The church is also proud of its music program; as stated on their website, “Music reaches as words cannot.”

A beautiful place filled with family, music, and joy, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church has a long history as a place for education, service, and worship in the Christian tradition. Newton will continue to benefit from its place in the community, and it will undoubtedly remain one of the most special places in the city for many years to come.