our History

The Berlin area was originally known as PAGONCHAWNISCHAGE (the great white oak place), by the Mattabasset Indians. In 1659, Sergeant Richard Beckley purchased 300 acres from Chief Tarramuggus, built a home for his family and became the first settler in what was to become Berlin.

Other families slowly followed, and in 1686, Captain Richard Seymour led a group of fourteen families from Farmington to begin the first settlement on what is today, Christian Lane. For many years this area was known as the Great Swamp Settlement of Farmington.

Each Sunday, these settlers would trek across the rugged landscape of central Connecticut some 10+ miles to the Farmington Church located on the corner of Main and Church Street in Farmington.

Some 20 years later, the growing settlement petitioned the Connecticut General Assembly to be recognized as a separate parish. In March of 1712, the petition was honored. Nine months later, on December 10, 1712, Rev. William Burnham held the first meeting of the Second Church of Farmington in an unfinished sanctuary located on Christian Lane near Deming Road. Ten years later in 1722, the sanctuary had a sound roof, walls, wooden floors, pews and a pulpit. A parsonage was also built and the Great Swamp was re-named Kensington. By the end of 1774, this Church split into two congregations, one located on Worthington Ridge and the other on Percival Avenue where KCC stands today.