The Second Church of Christ in Amesbury, as Pilgrim Church was originally known, was founded in 1726. At that time, Merrimac did not exist, but was known as the West Parish of Amesbury. In the intervening years, the church and the town have been a part of history rich in New England traditions and heritage. The information presented herein is excerpted in time-line fashion from a book entitled "Memoirs of the Pilgrim Congregational Church on its 250th Birthday" as compiled by Tom and Liz Tucker in 1978. Some dates and events in history not directly related to the church have been added as a benchmark for the beliefs and attitudes prevalent at that point in time. The pictures to the right show the stone and plaque that mark the site of the first Meeting House in what is now the Church Street Cemetery.

History in the 1700's
History in the 1800's
History in the 1900's

In the early days the fathers of the town were also the leaders of the church and much of the business of the church was decided by them or at Town Meeting.

• 1714 - Proposal to build a new meeting house in the West Parish voted down at the Amesbury Town Meeting.
• 1721 - Voted at Town Meeting to build a church at Jamaco, as the West Parish was called.
• 1722 - Decided after much arbitration to build in the center of the old Parade Grounds near what is now Railroad Avenue and Church Street.
• 1724 - Church nearly completed. People began to build the pews. Pew cost: 10 shillings. Size of building: 20' x 20'. Fifteen families present at commencement ceremonies.
• July 6, 1725 - Mr. Paine Wingate voted in as first pastor. Salary: four score pounds, use of the parsonage and thirty cords of wood per year.
• June 15, 1726 - Reverend Wingate ordained. Captain Foote House on Church Street served as first parsonage, later he bought a house at what is now 5-7 Main Street. One-hundred and twenty seven church members.
• July 1726 - Two deacons chosen, Abraham Merrill and Thomas Colby. Deacons fund established for the purpose of helping the needy.
• During this period, all men over the age of 21 were taxed for the support of the church as well as paying an additional fee to defray the cost of bread and wine for the Sacrament
• March 7, 1728 - Brethren decided that there should be a contribution every Sacrament Day for the purposes of building church funds, defraying expenses, "or relieving our poor (that is to say those that are in Communion with us.)"
• May 1729 - A committee of six, plus the Deacons, was chosen to be a "Society of Reformation, to consider of the disorders and immoralities that may be among us and what suitable measures should be taken in purging of them." (What would be known today as the vice squad!)
• 1730 - Society purchased land from Captain John Foote for a burying place, a training ground and for parish use.
• 1747 - Levy charged for maintaining the Lord's table raised to three shillings
• 1754 - Outbreak of smallpox. Many people died.
• 1760 -Another outbreak of smallpox. Town/church fathers established a "pest house" to serve as a sort of quarantine facility. "Poor farms" also started around this time period to care for the indigent.
• 1776 - Congregation voted to build a singing pew in the meeting house. Beginning of first choir.
• 1777 - Two officers of General Washington's army visited the parish to beg the people for aid to the troops warring against the British. Congregation voted to send food and other supplies to the soldiers at Valley Forge. 
• March 31, 1778 - Parish voted to join with the Newburyport and Salisbury regiments and choose officers to command the militia. The parish had formally entered the War for Independence.
• 1780 - Sacrament levy raised to 10 dollars.
• 1785 - Church fathers decided to begin construction on a new meeting house.
• February 19, 1786 - Reverend Wingate died after having served sixty years, having administered the Lord's supper 468 times, performed 2100 baptisms and officiated at 377 weddings. A picture of his headstone at the Church Street Cemetery is shown at right.
• 1787 - New church completed at the south end of the burying grounds. Modeled after the Rocky Hill Meeting House in Amesbury, it was called the Yellow Meeting House. Of note, this church had a very high pulpit that extended from the wall and was shaped like a goblet. The pastor entered through a door below and climbed a steep winding stairway to access the pulpit. People had to sit with their necks tilted upward during the hour and a half sermon.
• No new pastor installed until 1790 when Reverend Francis Welch answered the call.
• December 15, 1793 - Reverend Welch died in the course of administering aid to his people during yet another outbreak of smallpox.
• 1795 - Reverend David Smith became pastor and married Reverend Welch's widow.