First Universalist Church (Rochester, New York)

The First Universalist Church is an historic Universalist church building located at Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Construction began on 15 September 1907, with a dedication week in October 1908. The building houses one of two Unitarian Universalist congregations in Monroe County, the other being First Unitarian Church of Rochester.

First Universalist Church
First Universalist Church, August 2008
LocationSE corner of S. Clinton Ave. and Court St., Rochester, New York
Coordinates43°9′14″N 77°36′17″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1907 (1907)-1908
ArchitectBragdon, Claude Fayette
MPSInner Loop MRA:13
NRHP reference No.71000545[1]
Added to NRHPMay 27, 1971

Congregation, beliefs, and programs

The church conducts one weekly worship services on Sundays.

The church is diverse and inclusive, having, in the words of its web site, "have no shared creed. Our shared covenant (our seven Principles) supports “the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”  Though Unitarianism and Universalism were both liberal Christian traditions, some of us embrace diverse teachings from other faiths, hold humanist beliefs, or call ourselves atheists".

The church's mission statement is: "to nurture the spirit, and serve the community".

First Universalist ministers to their congregation, and the external community through a variety of active committees and teams such as:

  • The Board of Trustees
The indoor Black Lives Matter Banner at First Universalist Church of Rochester, hung in March 2019.

First Universalist is a Welcoming Congregation, and is recognized as such by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Hanging of the outdoor Black Lives Matter banner on 9/1/19.

First Universalist releases a small digital weekly email concerning church events. They also have monthly newsletter, titled "Our Outlook", that is published on their website as well as sent out physically. Archives of both these publications, along with archives of past sermons and annual reports, can be found on their website.

Architecture

It was designed by noted Rochester architect Claude Fayette Bragdon, and is in the Romanesque Revival style. It is of brick with stone and ceramic tile trim and features a central tower and lantern with pyramidal roofs.[2]:2–3 The Library of Congress notes describe the building architecture as "Unified in concept, harmonious in proportions and color, the major portion of the structure remains essentially unaltered."[2]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 27 May 1971.[1]

Little Free Library

First Universalist is home to a Little Free Library, which is regularly stocked with books, clothing, etc. for anyone to peruse or take. The roof suffered damage from an unknown source over the summer of 2019, and has since been shingled, rebuilt, and reinstalled as of September 2019.

Hope-Jones Organ

First Universalist Church of Rochester is home to a fully preserved Hope-Jones organ, which has been described as sounding "weighty and lush", with large-scaled 8′ stops.[3] Few Hope-Jones organs have survived to the present time.

View of the historic Hope-Jones organ in the First Universalist Church of Rochester from the sanctuary floor.
View of the historic Hope-Jones organ keys in the First Universalist Church of Rochester.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2015-11-01. Note: This includes Diana S. Waite (March 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: First Universalist Church" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-11-01. and Accompanying photographs
  3. Ortloff, Jonathan (Spring 2005). "A Robert Hope-Jones Organ in Rochester"(PDF). Resonance. Eastman School of Music: 15. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013.
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