Old South Church Boston (first) holds its first service.

[5/16] Originally the Third Church in Boston and also known as the Cedar Meeting House, it is located on the former site of John Winthrop’s garden at today’s 310 Washington Street. The congregation was formed by dissidents from the First Church. Thomas Thatcher is the first minister. Samuel Willard joins him as minister in March 1678. The building is destroyed by the Great Fire of 1711. It is rebuilt (second) in 1712,* and begins to be called the Old South Church or Old South Meeting House in 1719 when another church is built nearby. A new church building (third) opens in 1730.* The only Congregational Church to remain Trinitarian during the Unitarian movement, the church moves to its current location (fourth) in the Back Bay in 1875,* and becomes Unitarian in 1899.