First Parish Church stands on Central Avenue in a prominent position that reflects its historical centrality to the community. The 1829 Federal-style building is handsome without being showy — a rectangular meetinghouse form with a clean white facade and a steeple that reads as a landmark from several directions. The architecture is restrained in the way that New England Congregational churches often are, the emphasis on form and proportion rather than ornament.
The congregation's nearly four centuries of continuous existence give the building a historical resonance that goes beyond its architecture. This is one of those places where the current structure is really a stand-in for something much older and more layered — the ground has been a place of worship since the early years of English settlement in New Hampshire, and the community that gathers here has lived through every chapter of American history since. You can visit the exterior freely; check locally about interior access, which varies by season and schedule.