In the early days of Eliot, which was part then of Kittery, we were known as the “Middle Parish” of Kittery. After the “Upper Parish” was set off as Berwick in 1713, we became known as the “Upper Parish’ of Kittery, a name that remained until 1810 when Eliot was incorporated as a separate town. The first Church in what is now Eliot began in 1700 and became known as “The Church in the Woods.” A simple wooden structure, it stood near the river 17 rods southwest of the intersection of Main Street and Greenwood Street.
The first Church building in Eliot was built in 1717 on what is now Old Road near the Old Parish Cemetery. This Church stood until it was demolished in 1837. The Rev. John Rogers was the first Congregational minister here. He started preaching in 1719 and remained until his death on October 16, 1773. Both he and his wife, Susannah Whipple Rogers are buried in the Old Parish Cemetery.
The second church building was built on State Road in 1833 diagonally across from the present Parsonage; it burned to the ground one Sunday Afternoon in April 1880. All that remained was half of the church bell.
The third building, our present Church, was dedicated on March 9, 1881. Originally built with the bell tower on the roof, it was renovated in 1906 and the present day bell tower was constructed. An addition the back of the church was added in the mid 1950's
Our Parish Hall building was built behind the church in the 1970’s to provide a much needed function hall, a new kitchen, a new church office, and several classrooms.