The land on which this Episcopal Church stands was originally part of Ramapogue Street, as Elm Street was called in those days. In 1731, Josiah Day built a house here for his new wife, Elizabeth Bliss. While living here, the Days had two sons, Gideon and Aaron, both of whom were under 7 when Elizabeth died in 1739 at the age of 35. The lot was sold, within a year of this tragedy, to Caleb Bliss and remained in the Bliss family for several decades. In time the lot became the property of Wells Southworth, the owner of the Southworth Paper Company, and by 1904 the Southworth family owned much of the land in this area.
The Episcopal religion in town can look to a variety of dates for the time of its founding. Charles Ely, a wealthy businessman who dealt in dry goods, was a devout Episcopalian and began hosting worship services in his home, now called the Ely-Worthy Mansion, as early as the 1870’s.
For much of the preceding century the Episcopal Church, which had been associated with those who remained faithful to the British Crown during the Revolutionary War, had been in decline. After the Civil War many long-time Episcopalians began to celebrate their faith openly once again. Mr. Ely built a chapel on land he owned on the corner of Main and Church Streets. The name, Church of the Good Shepherd, was chosen and a Gothic style building with stained glass windows was constructed. George Southworth, John Stebbins and Nathan Adams contributed sums toward the building fund. Other parishioners donated an organ and a bell.
During the Panic of 1873, Mr. Ely’s fortunes took a turn for the worse and the little chapel was sold to a congregation in Wareham, Massachusetts. It was shipped down the Connecticut River and remains in Wareham today.
Church services were not organized again until the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts established a mission here in 1916. Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield planted a new mission on the West Side of the river and held services in the schoolhouse on West Street. By 1921, the members had raised enough money, through fairs and suppers, to buy the land on the corner of Elm and Southworth Streets where they erected a portable chapel. In 1924, the ground was excavated and the new church was dedicated in 1929. The church was enlarged with an addition in 1962 that provided space for a Sunday school, church offices and other activities.