The New Old South Church by Susan T. Campbell, Church Historian

About two years ago I started entreating everyone to be careful about using the right name for our church. "Old South Church in Boston" is our legal name stated on 1940 incorporation papers, registered with the state. Looking back, I recall that I was somewhat irritated at the time by hearing the Duck Tour buses go by all summer long in front of the church pointing us out to multitudes of tourists as the "New Old South Church." I had wished back then that they would get the correct historical information. (By the way, the 1940 incorporation of the church is a very interesting tale, but that story is for another time.)

As it turns out, the Duck Tours are as right as not about our name, the "New Old South Church!" Last month I was asked by the Trustees of OSC to prepare a proposal for Masssachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Project Funds to assist us in taking care of the outside shell of this building. The first question I had to answer was, "What is the name you are listed under in your local historical preservation district?" I proudly thought, I know what our legal name is. I can get this right! But I stopped there and said, not, that's not really what they are asking, and there began my month-long research project to gather all the material necessary to apply for these Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservations Project Fund monies.

In preservation documentation, we are designated, in fact, as the "New Old South Church." The reason for this can be traced way back to Mary Norton, whom you know gave land to the congregation of people who split from the first church in Boston to build their own house of worship. In November, when we worshipped at "The Old South Meeting House," which stands on that land. But originally, the building there was simply known as "South Church" or third church in Boston.

As another church springing from our congregation was built farther south in the town, we became known as the "Old South Church," rather that that church being called the "Farther South Church." And when our congregation moved west to the corner of Dartmouth and Boylston Streets, rather than call us the "West Old South Church," we became known as the "New Old South Church" in peoples' minds. And the church downtown became the "The Old South Meeting House," distinguishing it for the future as an historic preservation landmark as opposed to an active house of worship.

The struggle involved to save the Meeting House building because of its historic importance is considered by many to be the beginning of the preservation movement in this country. Were it not for Mary Norton's will, this struggle might have taken a very different direction. Preservationist-minded citizens might praise Mary Norton for her contribution to the cause of historic preservation, and certainly we who live in Boston benefit from the scale and character of the city due to the fact that a great deal of its old aesthetic and historical character have been preserved. But for the efforts of the preservationist-minded people, we might live in Everywhere City, USA.

In conclusion, let me finish by telling you what else I found out in doing this research. This building at 645 Boylston Street is a national landmark. We are in the Back Bay Historical District formed in 1966. We are on the National Register of Historic Places as an individual lis-ting as of 1970. Also in 1970, we were nominated & then designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 1973, we were designated in the National Register District.

So I stand corrected (or at least, readjusted) by the Duck boats no less, about our name and now, we can all be better informed about our status as a National Historic Landmark: the "New Old South Church." +