The steeple of First Parish of Sudbury is a very familiar sight for anyone who passes through the Town Center. The sound of the bell is also well known to those who spend any time there or live within a few miles. Much less familiar is the inside of the steeple, for it is mostly out of sight and is a bit more adventurous to enter and climb than many are willing or able. The history and stories behind what is seen inside take still more effort to dig out and only small fragments are to be found “on-line.” I will take you on a tour up the old steeple and tell the tales I have managed to piece together. As with most stories, other versions are quite likely to exist, since many of them have been passed on by word of mouth and guesswork. Some of the story is not in the form of words but rather in what is seen directly. When I go up into the steeple I am acutely aware of the skills and dedication of many individuals for many generations. I am equally aware of how anonymous most of them are. At the start of our tour, a few have signed their names and added cartoons and graffiti on the old plaster walls with dates going back to the Civil War, but much of what we will see was put there and maintained by those whose names we may never know. In the future, that will undoubtedly include some of us.
 
Looking at the front of the Church from the lawn, we see 3 doors on the first level, 3 windows on the second and an arched window on the gable below the clock faces. The main structure of this Meetinghouse was constructed in 1797 with the foyer and steeple added in 1842. This is the second Meetinghouse on this site. Foundation remnants from the first 1742 Meetinghouse lie below the Parish Hall floor. The outer two of the three windows are what we see in the foyer when we leave the Sanctuary at the end of our Sunday Service. The middle window is inside the space that protrudes into the foyer with the narrow door to the left. The bell rope hangs from the ceiling just in front. We will enter the steeple through that door and climb up.