The Incredibly Diverse Churches Found In One Tiny Town In Massachusetts Will Surprise You
Leverett, Massachusetts is a small town that borders Amherst. With a population of fewer than 2,000, it is a beautiful place with progressive values and is noted for the rich diversity of faith and religions found here. This wonderful, welcoming community is a fascinating place to visit, just to see the beautiful churches and places of worship. Each tells a unique story of their history and establishment in Leverett.
While cities of a similar size may have a handful of different denominations, finding so many gathered here is a nod to the community’s acceptance, inclusivity, and diversity. Regardless of your personal faith or spiritual beliefs, Leverett is special. It offers a unique opportunity to see and learn about different cultures.
The town of Leverett was first settled in 1750 as a part of Sunderland and was officially incorporated in 1774. The desire for religious freedom started early in this town, and a group of residents formed their own Baptist Church in the house of Major Richard Montague.
It was smooth sailing for this group; they got into trouble for refusing to pay the required taxes for upkeep, and several members of the congregation (most of which were Revolutionary War heroes) were hauled off to jail. Although they were released the next day, the constable took hogs and cows as payment for the taxes owed. The North Leverett Baptist Church was built in 1832 and it is the oldest of the existing churches in town.
70 North Leverett Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
It was smooth sailing for this group; they got into trouble for refusing to pay the required taxes for upkeep, and several members of the congregation (most of which were Revolutionary War heroes) were hauled off to jail. Although they were released the next day, the constable took hogs and cows as payment for the taxes owed. The North Leverett Baptist Church was built in 1832 and it is the oldest of the existing churches in town.
70 North Leverett Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
Ann Tweedy Photography
Mt. Toby Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends was built in 1964 on land donated by Ethel Dubois to accommodate a regional Quaker group. The Quakers had formed in 1936 and help monthly meetings in various places in the area. Meeting members come join together at Mt. Toby Friends Meeting House from as many as 25 towns in Franklin and Hampshire counties, and a few come here from far beyond. There is a burial plot to the side that offers green burials.
The Meeting eventually bought the rest of the land from Ms. Dubois, which she had transformed into a nature center. This nature center moved to Amherst and became The Hitchcock Center for the Environment.
194 Long Plain Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
The Meeting eventually bought the rest of the land from Ms. Dubois, which she had transformed into a nature center. This nature center moved to Amherst and became The Hitchcock Center for the Environment.
194 Long Plain Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
Ann Tweedy Photography
A Quaker man from the Meetinghouse was instrumental in gaining approval for the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Japanese Buddhist Order to build a monastery and pagoda on a hilltop on Cave Hill Road. John Foster, a town board member, met with citizens petitioning against the construction of the Peace Pagoda, and was able to convince them to drop the petition and support the monks. In 1984, the 32-acre property was purchased and construction began with volunteer help guided by the nuns and monks.
Nichidatsu Fuji, the founder of this order, was deeply affected by the bombing of Hiroshima, and led teachings grounded in the Nichiren tradition of Buddhism, which dates back to the 13th century. Called Fujii Guruji by Gandhi, with whom he lived in the mid-1930's, Fujii devoted the last four decades of his life to world peace by building pagodas and taking political action in the form of well-publicized walks, some thousands of miles long. He died the year the Pagoda was finished.
Nichidatsu Fuji, the founder of this order, was deeply affected by the bombing of Hiroshima, and led teachings grounded in the Nichiren tradition of Buddhism, which dates back to the 13th century. Called Fujii Guruji by Gandhi, with whom he lived in the mid-1930's, Fujii devoted the last four decades of his life to world peace by building pagodas and taking political action in the form of well-publicized walks, some thousands of miles long. He died the year the Pagoda was finished.
This structure, known as the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Peace Pagoda, is considered the first of its kind in North America and has been designated a “Living Treasure,” an honorable title in Japan that recognizes important artistic and spiritual places. The order takes part in annual walks for peace, traveling many thousands of miles on foot to support peace.
100 Cave Hill Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
100 Cave Hill Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
Ann Tweedy Photography
Next door to the Japanese monastery and Peace Pagoda there is also a Cambodian Buddhist monastery and peace meditation center, named Wat Kiryvongsa Bopharam. In addition to the main building, where monthly ten-day-long Vipassana meditation retreats take place, there are two enclosed structures housing large statues of a seated Buddha and a reclining Buddha.
Ann Tweedy Photography
This Cambodian order was led by Maha Ghosananda, who is credited with rebuilding Buddhism in Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Ghosananda was also highly involved in the international Cambodian community after the religion came under attack by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. He was one of only a handful of Buddhists to survive the reckless purges, and he moved to western Massachusetts in the late 1980s at the invitation of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist order.
100 Cave Hill Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
100 Cave Hill Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
Ann Tweedy Photography
First Congregational Church of Leverett was built in 1838 on the site of the original Town Meeting House. The structure was built using Greek and Gothic Revival style architecture. The church features original Cabotville bells made by Nathan Ames, founder of the Ames Manufacturing Company. This company was a famous supplier of cannons, swords, church bells, and bronze statuary. The bell at First Congregational Church of Leverett rings out twice a day.
4 Montague Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
4 Montague Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
Moores Corner Church was founded in 1896 by protégés of the evangelical leader Dwight L. Moody from nearby Northfield. His students held bible studies in Leverett and their own church was ultimately constructed.
Moody was a pacifist and refused to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. He preached to the soldiers on the battlefield and traveled the around the country and across the world. Dwight L. Moody because quite famous, and he even attracted Abraham Lincoln to attended one of his sermons. He also founded Northfield/Mt. Hermon School.
230 N Leverett Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
Moody was a pacifist and refused to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. He preached to the soldiers on the battlefield and traveled the around the country and across the world. Dwight L. Moody because quite famous, and he even attracted Abraham Lincoln to attended one of his sermons. He also founded Northfield/Mt. Hermon School.
230 N Leverett Rd, Leverett, MA 01054
This Sikh Ashram no longer exists in Leverett; however, we felt that its inclusion here is a respectful nod to the large Sikh population that still lives in the Leverett area. The Ashram, founded by followers of Yogi Bhajan, was a 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization). Yogi Bhajan was a Kundalini Yoga master, and he came to America in the 1960’s and 1970’s amidst the cultural turmoil. Yogi Bhajan’s teachings were unique, in that they combined elements of traditional Sikh teachings with Kundalini concepts in a novel way.
Though the Ashram no longer stands, a nearby trail at Mt. Toby passes by a magnificent waterfall, still identified by some as Guru’s Waterfall. Many members of the vibrant Sikh community in Leverett still offer Yoga lessons at their home on Montague Road.
If you are interested in checking out Guru’s Waterfall, it is only a short hike – less than a mile long – on a flat trail. The trail will take you across some railroad tracks and along a small brook to the waterfall. The trailhead can be found in Mt. Toby State Forest; drive roughly five miles north of Leverett on Route 63 and turn left at the sign for “Guru Ramdas Ashram”
Though the Ashram no longer stands, a nearby trail at Mt. Toby passes by a magnificent waterfall, still identified by some as Guru’s Waterfall. Many members of the vibrant Sikh community in Leverett still offer Yoga lessons at their home on Montague Road.
If you are interested in checking out Guru’s Waterfall, it is only a short hike – less than a mile long – on a flat trail. The trail will take you across some railroad tracks and along a small brook to the waterfall. The trailhead can be found in Mt. Toby State Forest; drive roughly five miles north of Leverett on Route 63 and turn left at the sign for “Guru Ramdas Ashram”
Leverett is a unique place, filled with far more cultural and religious diversity that one might expected to find in such a tiny town. Each place of worship has an interesting history of how it came to be and how its existence helped to shape this inclusive community.
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