1854
Plymouth Congregational Church
Lawrence was established in September of 1854; the next month saw the beginnings of the first church in the city, Plymouth Congregational Church. The story starts with the coming of Pastor Samuel Y. Lum, sent to Kansas by the American Home Missionary Society. On Oct. 15, a number of persons met with him in the Pioneer Boarding House, the main hotel that looked like a “hay tent” because of its construction. The group formed a religious society and decided to meet again. Three days later a gathering of perhaps 10 approved articles of faith and a covenant for the new church.
The manual of Mount Vernon Church in Boston was a major source. For a name they selected Plymouth since “their circumstances and their purpose corresponded with those of the Plymouth Pilgrims” over two centuries earlier in Massachusetts. The first service followed on Oct. 22, when “three trunks were piled on each other for a pulpit, and the congregation seated themselves on the beds and boxes and baggage of the boarders.” There had been missions to the Indians before this time but Plymouth was the first church in Kansas Territory.
That was the beginning of Plymouth. Later when the “hay tent” burned, the congregation met wherever and whenever they could in a period of disorder. In time, Plymouth constructed its own building in the vicinity of 6th and Louisiana, which in 1870 was replaced by the current brick sanctuary on Vermont Street. Following Pastor Lum was Richard Cordley, who led the church for 38 years. Cordley was a strong abolitionist, and important over the years in other ways in Lawrence and in Kansas. Like Lawrence in 2004, Plymouth celebrated its sesquicentennial with many activities. Plymouth Congregational Church recalled its beginnings in 1854, once more expressed appreciation for its pioneers and looked to its future.
Step Sponsored By: Plymouth Congregational Church