Milford is a city made up of many faiths. Many different religions, with origins dating back centuries and spanning much of the globe, have taken root within the city’s boundaries. These buildings, while centered on worship, can often go unnoticed, especially with those that are not churches.

     St. Mary’s is by far the largest Catholic Church in Milford and is part of the greater Precious Blood Parish with St. Agnes. The Church is well known in Milford for St. Mary’s School (SMS) which sits behind it and is a parochial school. It is made out of brick and has several offshoot buildings near it.

     The First Church was founded on August 22, 1639, according to the church’s website, and was created by the famed Reverend Peter Prudden, one of the first Milford settlers. It is a Protestant Church, more specifically Congregationalist, as it was founded after England joined the Reformation and after those same English colonized the area. 

     The Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont is Milford’s most famous synagogue. It sits on Edgefield Avenue, and on the US National Register of Historic Places. Next to the 1926 building is a social hall, which was repaired after a 2012 electrical fault sparked a fire in the synagogue, which terribly damaged it.

     On Research Drive, off of the main Woodmont Road is a Hindu temple. This temple is known as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, and was opened in October of 2018, becoming one of the newest editions to the pantheon of Milford’s houses of worship. It is both a spiritual and cultural center, as stated previously by the Milford Mirror.

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Ronan Smith

The First Church: A Congregationalist Church on the Wepawaug. Taken on March 15, 2022.