History: Origin of the Church
(Excerpted from "History of The Church of Our Saviour" by Herbert H. Fletcher, 1936). For the main edifice of The Church of Our Saviour, the parish of the same are indebted to two brothers, William Richards Lawrence and Amos Adams Lawrence, sons of Amos Lawrence. The two brothers founded a community before they founded a church. In 1850, these brothers bought a large tract of land in the northeastern section of Longwood, known as Cottage Farm. It was noted for natural beauty and had some historic interest. On this tract Amos A. Lawrence built a substantial home. Later his brother did likewise, and, as opportunity offered, they invited other families to build residences and join their neighborhood, which in time, as one commentator' has said, became much like a large family. Before the second decade had passed, these people began to feel the need of a house of worship.

The general sentiment favored the Protestant Episcopal form of worship. While St. Paul's Church had been built on an isolated spot somewhat to the East of Brookline Village, and in a locality not then populated, it was considered too distant for the Cottage Farm community. Roads were poor, and in winter were often blocked with snow. Nevertheless, some members of eight families attended that Church, but six Episcopal families either attended church in Boston or did not attend at all. In a letter to the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese in the spring of 1867, Amos A. Lawrence stated that women could not walk over the exposed field roads to St. Paul's Church, when such roads were wet and miry or filled with snow. When an appeal to Christ Church (Sears Chapel, built 1860) to change their form of worship to accomodate the Episcopalians in the Cottage Farm section failed, the brothers began the erection of the Church of Our Saviour edifice. In April 1867 Amos entered into correspondence with the bishop of the diocese, and after only ten days the Bishop and Standing Committee of the Diocese gave the desired consent. The building, under the direction of architect Alexander E. Estey, was completed on February 19, 1868, and the first service was held on March 22.

Description of the First Service
On the day of the first service in 1868, Amos A. Lawrence penned a letter to James Lawrence, a cousin (who was abroad), describing the occasion. Below are excerpts from the letter, which survives to this day in the church archives (see above for scans of the actual document).

First describing a great snow storm on the night before Mr. Lawrence wrote: "No man or beast could move about in safety. I ventured out in the afternoon on horseback, but found the crossroads completely blocked. The snow was higher than a horse; but the main road to Boston was passable and the air was agreeable. This morning the sun shone out bright. The birds sang as cheerily as before the storm.

"This is the first day of the opening of our new Church here...It is a pretty stone edifice, all finished except the stone steeple, near my house, on the other side of Beacon Street, and called The Church of Our Saviour. William and myself have built it and we propose that it shall be in 'Memory of Amos Lawrence.' This is to be written on a little tablet inside [tablet is present at the back of the church today]. A parish has been formed and we propose to make it a present to this parish. The inside is very handsome and I think the outside will be (Gothic) when it is finished. It will cost $45,000 to $50,000. Before long we hope to have a rectory beside it corresponding with it in material and architecture.

"The service to-day was beautiful and quite impressive. In spite of the drift there was a congregation of one hundred, forenoon and afternoon. The clergyman, the Reverend Elliott Tomkins, is a young man of twenty-eight who has been settled in Northampton and he has an excellent reputation. Certainly he is a capital reader and preacher, and he seems to be a truly pious man. The congregation join in the chants and hymns, led by half a dozen boys (not in white surplices) and all was well done and effective...

"I did not expect to build it until William suggested it a year ago; not to give it away, not to have it for a memorial of my father, until the other day when William proposed to do so. But I am glad that it has taken that course, and am entirely satisfied that it is right. Of course, it is Protestant Episcopal (not English but American) and we prefer that. This is not evidence that we dislike other forms of church organization and worship or that this is the only true church. For my own part I believe that there is only one church on earth and in Heaven; and that it comprises all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel; all those, whether living here on earth or in Heaven, are one body and can never be separated."