Welcome to
First Parish
First Parish is a Unitarian Universalist congregation on Main Street in Northfield, Massachusetts. We are people of many beliefs, and all are welcome. Come say hello!
Our Upcoming Service
Services are held from September to June.
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Sun · June 7
10 amFlower ServiceRev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer will lead us in the Flower Service. Bring some flowers to share if you can, and help us to say a fond farewell as Melissa moves on to her wonderful new position in Northampton. This will be Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer's last service as our affiliated minister, and our last regular church service until September. - After serviceCoffee HourConversation and refreshments in the Webster Room, downstairs.
Our shared values
Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values
A few traditions worth marking on the calendar
Throughout the year we host events that support the church and bring the wider community together. Everyone is invited — you don't have to be a member to join in.
Spring Tag Sale
Baked goods, donated goods, and the First Parish Craft Corner. Come say hello and find some treasures.
June 13th, 2026, 9am to 1pmMonster Dash 5K
A family-friendly, costume-friendly run, walk, or bike through Northfield. Have fun with your community and help support the church — all paces welcome.
Held in late OctoberWinter Market
Local craft vendors fill the Webster meeting Room while we serve up homemade soups and baked goods. A cozy way to shop small and warm up on a cold day.
Held in early DecemberA historic organ & piano
Our sanctuary is home to two remarkable instruments — a Hook organ that may be the oldest of its kind in the country, and a Steinway grand with a story of its own.
The Hook organ
Our organ may be “the oldest unaltered two-manual organ in the nation.” It was built in Boston by E. & G.G. Hook as their Opus 48 and completed in 1842 for the Third Congregational Society (Unitarian) of Springfield, Massachusetts.
After the fire that destroyed the previous First Parish building in 1870, the Springfield congregation — by then growing and preparing to install a much larger Hook organ — donated their by-then out-of-service Op. 48 to the Northfield rebuilding. The Northfield Unitarians set it in the gallery at the back of the new sanctuary; about thirty years later it was moved to its present location during a renovation.
The organ received restoration and maintenance in 1959 and again in 1997, the most recent work carried out by the Andover Organ Company of Methuen, Massachusetts.
Interested in playing the organ, performing, or helping to keep it tuned? We'd love to hear from you.
The Steinway piano
The robust grand piano in the sanctuary came to First Parish from Northfield's Alexander Hall in the early 1990s, when that space was folded into the renovated Northfield Elementary School. The school's new all-purpose room couldn't accommodate so large an instrument, so it found a new home here in the church.
Bearing serial number 52,769, the piano dates from the mid-1880s.
Interested in playing the piano for church services? We'd love to hear from you.
The food pantry
We're proud sponsors of the Northfield Regional Food Pantry, which every week helps neighbors put meals on the table. It runs on the generosity of volunteers and donors from across the region.
You'll find the pantry in the basement of the Dickinson Library. To learn about hours, donating, or volunteering, visit its website.
Northfield Regional Food Pantry
More than Sundays
Our building is a hub for the wider community and we're glad to share it. A couple of options are available for rent at modest rates.
The Webster Room
Our downstairs hall is available to rent for meetings, classes, and small gatherings — the same room where we share coffee each Sunday.
- Comfortable space for community groups
- Already home to AA and other gatherings
- Reach out for availability and rates
Carriage Sheds $30 / month
Our historic carriage sheds offer simple, low-cost covered storage — by the month.
- Boats, vehicles, trailers, or seasonal gear
- An affordable, friendly arrangement
- Rent supports the upkeep of our buildings
Kept going by generosity
First Parish runs almost entirely on the generosity of the people who care about it. A small endowment helps, but most of what keeps the doors open — heat and lights, the upkeep of a nearly 150-year-old meetinghouse, and the work we do in the community — comes from gifts of money and time, given freely. We keep to a modest budget, so every contribution goes a long way.
By Venmo
Send a donation to: @FirstParishofNorthfield-Unitarian
By check
Make a check payable to First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian and send it to:
P.O. Box 158
Northfield, MA 01360-0158
Pledges & regular giving
If you'd like to pledge for the year, set up regular giving, or make a larger gift, we're glad to help. Email us at fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com and we'll be happy to answer any questions.
Your time
So much here runs on willing hands — at events, and in caring for the building. If you'd like to pitch in, we would love to hear from you.
However you take part, thank you for helping keep this old meetinghouse alive.
Come by, or get in touch
Stop by during one of our services. For anything else, an email is the surest way to reach us.
Where we are
72 Main Street, on the corner of Parker Avenue
Northfield,
MA 01360
Sunday Service
10:00 a.m., from September to June
Coffee hour follows
in the Webster Room
Get in touch
By mail
P.O. Box 158
Northfield, MA 01360-0158