South pond chapel

Background information

South Pond Chapel was built in 1870 as a Union Evangelical church for residents of the village at South Pond in Plymouth; it offered them a place to worship close to their homes what at the time was a remote part of town. The Chapel is a mission of the First Baptist Church of Plymouth, since 1957 offering a place for people of all denominations to gather to sing their favorite old-time hymns and gospel songs together, and to hear special music.

A Little Bit of Heavenly Music in Plymouth
Most of the songs are from: Song List from the South Pond Chapel Hymnal “Melodies of Praise”

South Pond Chapel in Plymouth MASummer hymn sings at the South Pond Chapel are sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Plymouth. The Chapel is located on 211 Long Pond Road, off exit 5 in Plymouth. Each Sunday in July and August (Please check the schedule times below) different local ministers lead the service, which begins at 7:00 PM. A variety of accompanists will play during the season.

Restoration to the Chapel is in its final stages. A huge thank you to the Gubbins family for their amazing dedication and long hours of work to make the Chapel look and feel like it was back in 1870. Great job Gubbins Family!

The schedule for the 2022 season is the last Sunday in August at 7:00 PM.

“Sharing a Joyful Noise” (Excerpt from July, 2003):

South Pond Chapel in Plymouth, Massachusetts, looks like so many others that dot the New England landscape — locked doors, peeling white clapboards, overgrown grass (not anymore as of 2021 – thank you Gubbins Family!). But on summer Sunday nights the tiny church comes alive as people of all ages and faiths congregate for old-fashioned hymn sings that leave their throats parched but their spirits refreshed. The highlight of the season usually comes on the last Sunday in August, Old Home Day, when the Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes (Bates College, ’65) takes the pulpit (Peter is now with our Lord) , as he has every year since the hymn sings began in 1961. “It’s my absolutely indisputable hypothesis that singing the old hymns reminds us of our youth,” says Gomes, who supported himself as an organist while attending Bates College and Harvard Divinity School.

Directions to the South Pond Chapel

  • Route 3 to exit 5 (Long Pond Road exit)
  • Turn west towards Home Depot and the Grove at Plymouth. (the old Shops at 5)
  • Drive approximately 2 miles on Long Pond Road
  • South Pond Chapel will be on the right, at the intersection with Cemetery Hill Road

“Sharing a