Plymouth Congregational Church

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  1881 - Fargo was an enterprising town of some 3,000 people and the future seemed bright with promise so a group of energetic men of New England parentage reared in the Congregational fellowship organized into First Church on November the 2nd.

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1882 -1883 - Rev. O. C. Clark, who was the pastor of the First Church, decided it was worthwhile to start a new church in north Fargo. He left First Church in the spring of 1882 and a parcel of land was purchased on the corner of Ninth Street and Ninth Avenue North. A small chapel was then erected and a sunrise prayer meeting was held on January 1st in the newly designated Plymouth Chapel.

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1884-1885 - During the winter, the Rev. William Ewing moved the chapel to Broadway between Eighth and Ninth Avenue.  Plymouth Church was formally organized on April 28, 1885,  with a charter membership of twenty. The name Plymouth remained due to the ties the founding members had with the Pilgrims and Puritans that came from Massachusetts.

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1890 - On July 7th, a terrific wind storm almost completely destroyed the Plymouth Chapel.

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1908 - Under the leadership of Rev. George Bascom, a new chapel was erected and dedicated on December 7th which served as the home of Plymouth Church until the fall of 1924.

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1919 -During the pastorate of Rev. Eugene C. Ford, a new site was purchased, where Plymouth Congregational now stands. 

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1923-1927 - In January of 1923, Rev. Edwin P. Baker appointed a building committee and proceeded in developing this site. By September of 1924, the work was sufficiently advanced in order to permit worship services in the basement.  In the summer of 1925, Rev. Harold G. Jones came to Plymouth and a new building drive was launched which allowed the project to continue in the summer of 1926 which was completed and thus dedicated by Dr. Carl Patton on January 9, 1927. 

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1927-1928 - In October of 1927, the beautiful windows in the chancel were dedicated in the memory of Dr. E. H. Stickney, and the following year, under the direction of Rev. V. Conard, the memorial windows on the south wall of the sanctuary were thus dedicated. Membership at this time was 301, and a second service was added on for Sunday morning worship. 

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1931 - Stressing Congregational freedom and continuing reformation, the Congregational and Christian Churches united to form the Congregational Christian Churches

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1934 - The German Reformed and the Evangelical Synod, stressing liberty of conscious and authority of the Scriptures, as well as their common German heritage, united to form the Evangelical and Reformed Churches

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1957 - Cleveland, Ohio, the Evangelical and Reformed Church, 23 years old, passionate in its impulse to unity, committed to "liberty of conscience inherent in the Gospel," and the Congregational Christian Churches, 26 years old, a fellowship of biblical people under a mutual covenant for responsible freedom in Christ, joined together as the United Church of Christ.

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Many projects have been undertaken since then. Our present lovely home has been built at the cost of heroic sacrifice and generous giving. We know turn our attention to developing a richer spiritual and cultural life for all who come under the influence of Plymouth Congregational Church, and to developing an ever more vital ministry as we stand upn the threshold of the future.