Dighton Community Church Plans Four 250th Anniversary Events

The Second Congregational Church of Dighton (a/k/a The Church of the Lower Four Corners, 1769; The Pedobaptist Congregational Society of Dighton, 1798; The Dighton Unitarian Church, mid 1800's and today, The Dighton Community Church - 1970's,) is celebrating a notable birthday this year -- 250 years old. First church services were in February of 1770. It was the first Dighton church that was not a meeting house and was never town-funded.

Celebration planning is in the works – there will be four events between now and July 4th, 2020:

First, a talk about the American Revolution - Stories you know and Stories you have not heard -- on Sunday, March 22d at 1:30, by an excellent local historian and re-enactor, Cathy Potter from Rehoboth. Surprises are included in her talk.

Second, on Sunday, April 26th, starting at 1:00 Medal of Honor and Civil War Brass Band -- For the whole afternoon, a combined event with the Town when they accept the gift of the Civil War Medal of Honor from the family of the young soldier who earned the medal for capturing a battle flag and who is buried in the church cemetery, and the church itself then presents the Providence Brigade Band, a Civil War Brass Band, in concert after the Medal presentation ceremony. Attendees are encouraged to bring their chairs or blankets and picnic lunches -- an old-fashioned lawn party (weather permitting. of course.)

Third, on Sunday afternoon, May 17th, is the Militia Drill Day when actual colonial military drilling will take place by the Rehoboth Minutemen of the 13th Massachusetts Regiment. Attending folks will be able to learn about the battlefield setup and features of those times, including weaponry, medicine (battlefield), cooking, attire, children's games -- much, much more.

And fourth on the Fourth, on Saturday evening, July fourth, the ninth annual re-reading of the Declaration of Independence from the pulpit of the church, where it was read by Reverend Ezra Stiles when the document was only 9 days old and bore only 2 of the 56 final signatures. (Dighton was home to two signers of the Declaration.) There will be a new reader this year, as orator Patrick W. Menges has retired.

All these events are free of charge. Light refreshments provided. Period costumes welcomed.