Our History

The first Methodist class of Hamden Plains was founded December 17, 1813, with seven members led by Sybil Tuttle. The first building was on land donated by Ruth Benham at the corner of what is now Church St and Circular Ave. The next site was at Church Street and Dixwell Avenue in a building and on land purchased in 1835 for $68 from Issac Benham. It had formerly been the home of Whitneyville Congregational Church. This building was destroyed in a fire in 1918. The present building was dedicated in 1920, renovated and enlarged at a cost of $95,000. The original “class” of seven members presently numbers 180 members. Regular visits from a circuit rider have been replaced by a paid staff of three, a Lay Leader and two Lay Servants, and 24 elected positions. The membership has survived three major wars, a national depression and the advent of electricity, automobile, telephone, radio, air travel, television, and most recently, the computer. All affected not only church life in general, but also its budgets. Through the years, the church has been active in the community, nationally and globally. The American Red Cross, VNA, Hamden Food and Fuel Banks, Columbus House, Defense Organization, town recreation, Vacation Bible Schools, after- school programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, Special Needs Scouts, Boy and Girl Scouts, Y’s Men’s Club, Children in Crisis, After Prom Committee, Parish Program of Yale Divinity School, Nurse Parish Program, Heiffer Project, and Mulungwishi Seminary are some of the projects HPUMC has supported. Through God's love and grace, Hamden Plains United Methodist Church recently celebrated its 200th anniversary and now looks forward to what God has in store for its future.

This long shed, the 19th century equivalent of a present-day parking garage, provided shelter for horses and carriages during services at Hamden Plains UMC.

A large house of at least seven rooms, this is the second parsonage of Hamden Plains. It was purchased on November 11, 1867, from Merritt Payne for $3,500. It was about opposite of where the Hamden Memorial Funeral Home is now located.

In 1892 The Ladies Aid Society raised money to purchase land and have a church hall built. Until the hall was built, there was no place for social life within the church. The hall provided space for church suppers, plays and other entertainments.