The Old South Church was completed in 1875. The firm of Cummings and Sears designed the building. The congregation is one of the oldest in the city, dating back to 1669. One of the original members was John Alden, son of John and Priscilla Alden. In later years, the congregation included Ben Franklin, Sam Adams, William Dawes, and Phillis Wheatley (America’s first published black poet).