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The United Church of Christ Conference Center in
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Edwards
House
This
building, consisting of a spacious multipurpose room, kitchen,
fireplace and full baths, was built in 1998 with youth groups
in mind. It has space for 40 to sleep on floor mats. Simple
meals may be cooked in the small kitchen, food may be delivered
by outside vendors, or your group may dine at Edwards House
according to the prices below. RatesEdwards House |
| Meeting Rooms Per person Minimum charge & deposit per room: |
Meals (provided for groups of 10 or more) Breakfast : $7.50 per person * We proudly serve fairly traded
coffee from Equal Exchange. This organically grown coffee
is produced by environmentally friendly farmers who
are paid fair wages. |
| Lodging 1 weekend night : $25.00 per person ($15.00 for UCC
groups) 2 weekend nights : $40.00 per person ($25.00 for UCC
groups) Weeknights: $25.00 per person per night There is an additional $8.00 charge per person for
groups that would like the Conference Center to provide
towels and linens. |
| 1620 House (Available
spring and fall only) Day use : $10.00 ($5.00 for UCC groups) Lodging one night : $15.00 ($10.00 for UCC groups) Lodging two nights : $25.00 ($15.00 for UCC groups) $100 minimum/deposit required for day use and one night; |
For reservation form, contact Judy Anderson at andersonj@macucc.org or at (508) 875-5233. Rates are subject to change without notice |
About Us
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the Commonwealth and is also the oldest, tracing its roots to the Pilgrims and Puritans. The Massachusetts Conference of the UCC consists of 410 congregations, 850 clergy and 90,000 lay people gathered to share ministry and mission. The Conference is headquartered at the Framingham Center, occupying the offices in the “red barn” on the site.About the Site
The
Conference Center is bound by Badger Road and Salem End Road,
so named when it was settled in 1693 by the families of five
accused “witches” from Salem who had been condemned to death.
The property belonged to Ebenezer Buckminster in 1709 and
then to John Clayes in 1774. Clayes died tragically on June
3, 1777, when he and his horse were struck and killed by a
lightning bolt as they rode through the gate in the back yard
of Edwards House. His death is shrouded in mystery as the
lightning bolt reportedly originated from a single cloud in
an otherwise clear sky. John Clayes’ son, Josiah, continued
to live here until his death in 1853, and soon the property
became the home to Luther Orlando Emerson, a musical composer.
More recently, it was the home of Charles F. Adams who founded
the First National Stores, owned the Boston Bruins, built
the Boston Garden, and established Suffolk Downs Racetrack
in 1937. After his death, his wife sold the vast property
to the Massachusetts Conference. Edwards House is named in
honor of Jonathan Edwards, a well noted
orthodox Congregational preacher and writer who died in 1758.
The 1620 House is affectionately named in memory of the courageous
Pilgrims who landed in 1620. Pilgrim Day Camp, a popular summer
program in operation for more than 40 years, is also housed
on the Conference Center property, as is a transitional home
for women operated by the South Middlesex Opportunity Council.
Location
The Conference Center is located minutes from the Mass. Turnpike (Rte. 90).
Driving Directions: From the Mass. Pike and Route 9 Eastbound: (1) Take Exit 12 to Route 9 east (toward Framingham); (2) turn right at the first set of lights onto Country Club Lane; (3) turn left onto Gates Road and bear left at the next stop sign; (4) at the following stop sign turn right and cross Salem End Road onto Badger Road. Turn right at the second driveway; the offices are in the "big red barn" and Edwards House is the large white house. From Route 9 Westbound: Pass by the Natick Mall on the right; go about three miles, passing over railroad tracks; continue past Temple Street, staying in the left lane; make a left turn onto Country Club Lane at the lights by the reservoir; follow the directions above from #3.