On December 20, 1834, 23 men of Southport, CT gathered together and unanimously voted to raise funds to build a house of worship in their town. Three days later, a Society was formed of 34 men and women, whose focus was to see this dream to fruition. In 1842, the Society purchased our current lot and built a wooden meeting house, for a combined cost of $4,290.25. On March 7, 1843, the Southport Congregational Church was officially organized and dedicated.
By 1871, the congregation had outgrown its original building, and, rather than remodel, it decided to build a new one. 
By 1876 the congregation was worshiping in its new (and our current) church building. The church family continued to grow, and in 1955 the congregation decided to raise the funds to build a new church school wing, chapel, and library. In September 1956, ground was broken. In only 16 months, the new church school wing, chapel and library was completed and dedicated. In 1998, the Church raised funds to repair the roof and the heating system. In 2004, the Congregation voted to raise funds for significant remodeling to meet the Church’s current needs. The remodeling effort will add, among other things, 4 new classrooms, a youth room, staff offices, and include renovation of the Church’s thrift shop, the Carousel. See Capital Campaign for more details.
Since the Church’s dedication in 1843, 12 Senior Pastors have blessed the Congregation with their spiritual leadership. They are: Rev. S.J.M. Merwin (1844-59); Rev. C.E. Lindsley (1859-69); Rev. G.E. Hill (1870-76); Rev. W.H. Holman (1877-1915); Rev. R.H. Wilson (1917-20); Rev. J.L. Shively (1921-35); Rev. J.H. Twichell (1935-43); Rev. G.E. Russell (1943-52); Rev. E.B. Chaney (1953-63); Rev. E.W.W. Lewis (1963-69); Rev. L.S. Ensign (1969-1994); and Rev. P.D. Whitmore (1994- ).
Church timeline
1834 - First Congregational Society formed
1835 - Present site purchased
1842 - Wooden meeting house erected
1843 - Southport Congregational Church officially organized and dedicated
1844 - Rev. Samuel John Mills Merwin installed as 1st Pastor
1850 - Clock installed; Organ installed
1857 - Church membership: 104 members
1859 - Rev. Samuel John Mills Merwin resigns
1860 - Rev. Charles E. Lindsley installed as 2nd Pastor and land for the Parsonage was purchased
1861 - New Parsonage occupied
1864 - New organ installed
1866 - Church repaired
1869 - Rev. Charles Lindsley resigned
1870 - Rev. George Hill installed as 3rd Pastor
1871 - Congregational vote to repair and remodel Church
1871 - Congregational vote to build a new Church
1873 - Congregational vote to build new Church of wood
1874 - Building contract signed for stone Church
1876 - Completion and dedication of new stone Church
1876 - Church bell presented by Mrs. Jonathan Sturgis
1876 - Rev. George Hill resigned
1877 - Rev. William Henry Holman installed as 4th Pastor
1881 - Gas lighting installed
1898 - Tower Clock given to the Church
1899 - Church and Parsonage repaired
1901 - Church membership: 191 members
1903 - Church incorporated under the laws of Connecticut
1903 - Church redecorated
1907 - Church organ given by Mary C. Wakeman
1915 - Rev. W.H. Holman resigns after 38 years of service. Parsonage deeded to him.
Perry Parsonage, a gift of Maria Perry, adopted as residence for future pastors
1917 - Rev. Raymond H. Wilson installed as 5th Pastor
1920 - Rev. R.H. Wilson resigns
1921 - Rev. John Lehman Shively installed as 6th Pastor
1926 - Church membership: 191 members
1926 - Perry Parsonage sold; Third or Bulkley Parsonage, a gift of Benjamin
Bulkley, adopted as residence for future pastors (our current Parsonage)
1935 - Rev. J.L. Shively resigns
1935 - Rev. Joseph Hooker Twichell installed as 7th Pastor
1939 - Church interior redecorated (choir and organ moved to gallery)
1943 - Rev. J.H. Twichell resigns
1943 - Church celebrates its 100th anniversary
1943 - Rev. Galen E. Russell installed as 8th Pastor
1943 - Church membership: 397 members
1946 - Plan for Free Pews went into effect
1948 - Merger with Evangelical Reformed Church approved
1950 - Church membership: 397 members
1950 - Parking lot across from Church donated by Virginia Perry
1952 - Rev. G.E. Russell resigns
1952 - Rev. Elwyn Chaney installed as 9th Pastor
1955 - Project to expand Church School initiated
1956 - Ground breaking for Church School Wing, Chapel and Library
1958 - Completion and dedication of Church School Wing, Chapel and Library
1963 - Rev. Elwyn Chaney resigns
1963 - Rev. Edward W.W. Lewis installed as 10th Pastor
1963 - Parsonage renovated
1969 - Rev. E.W.W. Lewis resigns
1969 - Rev. Loring S. Ensign installed as 11th Pastor
1970 - Organ rebuilt
1976 - 100th anniversary of Church Sanctuary
1984 - Creation of the Carousel, the Church’s Thrift Shop
1993 - Renovation of the Church library
1994 - Rev. L.S. Ensign resigns
1994 - Rev. Paul D. Whitmore installed as 12th Pastor
1998 - Repair and re-slating of Church roof
2003 - Sharon Alberson hired as Associate in Ministry and Rev. Laura Whitmore as the Minister of Christian Education and Youth (Rev. Whitmore is the first ordained woman to serve the Church)
2004 - Church membership reaches over 500 members
2004 - Congregational vote to undertake significant remodeling of Church structure and the building of a new addition to the building.
2006 - Rev. Sharon Blackburn hired as the Pastoral Associate Minister and Amy deLannoy hired as the Pastoral Assistant for the Senior Minister