This year, the Trinitarian Congregational Church (TriCon) on Walden Street is celebrating its 200th anniversary. However, from the early days of Concord’s founding in 1635, there was only one meeting house, and that was First Church in the center of town. In 1778, Reverend Ezra Ripley assumed
the pastorate, a position he would
hold for 63 years. By 1825, First Parish, like many Congregational churches
in Massachusetts, had changed, adopting a Unitarian theology. But
not all parishioners were happy with
“Dr. Ripley’s church” or his unorthodox preaching. In March 1826, nine dissenters, joined by seven townspeople, left First Parish to form their own “religious conference.”
