NORTHFIELD — Trinitarian Congregational Church will kick off its 200th anniversary celebration on March 9 with a presentation on the church’s history by local historian Joel Fowler.

Fowler plans to discuss the founding of the church, some of the different buildings and properties the church has owned in Northfield and some of the ministers that have preached at the church over the years. He hopes to get through as much history as he can, but with 200 years of stories, he will have to stick to the highlights.

“It’s their 200th anniversary, and not only is it 200 years but their parent church is celebrating 350 years,” Fowler said. “It’s a lot of history.”

Fowler said Trinitarian churches have a deep-rooted history in New England as they were first formed due to a schism in the church when the unitarian theology developed.

“There may have been only one church in the town and when this new theology formed in the 1800s the congregation split,” Fowler said.

According to “All About Northfield” which was written by Arthur Percy Fitt in 1910, the Trinitarian Congregational Church was established on Nov. 16, 1825 by 30 parishioners displeased with the beliefs promoted by the Unitarian Church. The group built its first meetinghouse on Main Street in 1829, and when they outgrew it in 1899, a new church was built and named the Trinitarian Congregational Church of Northfield.

During the 1820s, 97 new churches were established in Massachusetts, largely due to the development of Unitarianism. In 1825, the year the Trinitarian Church of Northfield was established, 10 churches formed, eight of which where Unitarian churches, including the Unitarian Church of Greenfield.

Fowler said the church grew in popularity largely due to its connections to Dwight L. Moody, who revolutionized evangelism in America and founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers.

“It’s a particularly important church because of its ties to the Moody era,” Fowler said.

The history talk is the kickoff event for a year’s worth of celebrations. Over the course of 2025, nine events have been scheduled, including cello concerts, a bicentennial barbecue, and a commemorative worship service.

The program will take place at the church at 147 Main St. in Northfield at 3 pm. The presentation is expected to last about an hour, and will be followed by a reception.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com