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'Not Without Some Heartbreak,' Pittsfield's First Church Is Selling Its Historic Building

The oldest church congregation in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is selling its building.

The First Congregational Church, also known as First Church of Christ, is selling its 22,176-square-foot stone building. The asking price is $499,000.

The sale reflects a decline in the population in the city, fewer church goers, and the cost of maintaining the building.

First Church has a storied history. Back when establishing a town in Massachusetts required a church, First Church filled that role in 1761, when Pittsfield first became a town. The current building dates back to 1853.

Before turning on the lights, church moderator Jennifer Kerwood ushered me into the sanctuary.

"It’s kind of majestic in the dark. It’s really [a] very peaceful place," Kerwood said.

The huge room, with tall ceilings and pews made of chestnut, can seat at least 700 people. The stained glass windows seem to glow from above.

"Designed by Tiffany, one of his earliest works," Kerwood said of the windows. "And this one up here is also a Tiffany, and these three are by early women stained-glass artists who studied under Tiffany."

Kerwood said the decision to sell the building wasn’t made lightly. It came last November after years of discussion — and a realization that the church will be out of money about two and a half years from now, in part because of the building. The organ pipes alone require the heat be kept at a certain temperature. 

"We spend about $60,000 a year just on heating and insuring the building," Kerwood said. "And that could go to feeding a lot of people, or a lot of other mission work that is necessary here in the Berkshires."

The First Congregational Church building in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, built in 1853, is for sale.
Credit Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPR
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NEPR
The First Congregational Church building in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, built in 1853, is for sale.

Nearly 60 years ago, the First Congregational Church had about 1,500 members. Forty years ago, it had nearly 400.

Today, there are 138 members, with far fewer worshipping every Sunday.

The decline mirrors what's going on across the country. According to Gallup, church membership has dropped “sharply” nationally in the past two decades, mostly because more Americans don’t see themselves as being part of a specific religious group. In Pittsfield, another factor is the shrinking population.

Kerwood, who was baptized and married in First Church, and whose children were baptized there, said that although the building is for sale, the church is not.

"The church is our community of faith, and that is strong," Kerwood said. "So it’s not easy. It’s not without some heartbreak. But we all know it’s the right thing to do."

Kerwood said that years ago, when the church could afford to hire a sexton, he would lead the children every Sunday morning to the tower to ring the bell to call people to worship. Kerwood demonstrated by pulling the rope, ringing the bell herself.

It’s not clear yet where First Church congregants will worship in the future. Some members are meeting with people from the South Congregational Church and others to talk about the possibility of joining together.

"God’s not done with us," Kerwood said. "We don’t know exactly what the next chapter going to look like, but we’ll figure it out."

First Church is not the only church selling its building in Berkshire County. St Luke's Old Stone Church in Lanesborough is on the market, along with the former Immanuel Community Church building in Pittsfield.

Nancy Eve Cohen is a senior reporter focusing on Berkshire County. Earlier in her career she was NPR’s Midwest editor in Washington, D.C., managing editor of the Northeast Environmental Hub and recorded sound for TV networks on global assignments, including the war in Sarajevo and an interview with Fidel Castro.
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