Historic Site of The First Unitarian Church of Rochester
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Now the site of the Downtown Presbyterian Church, this used to be where the First Unitarian Church of Rochester would meet. In 1848 the First Unitarian Church of Rochester was the venue for a follow-up convention to the Seneca Falls convention. The church has been associated with many different reform movements, as well as reformers. This includes Mary and Susan B. Anthony, advocates for women's rights and close friends with Frederick Douglass. After his death they held a memorial service here at which Susan B. Anthony and her father spoke.
The church was organized in 1829, but spent its first few years without a building or a minister. The location of the church has changed twice. The first time was when the church merged with the Universalist Church of Rochester (also shown on the map) and the Universalist's location became the joined congregation's place of worship. Later in 1959 the location was changed again so the old location could become incorporated into the under-construction Midtown Plaza.
This entry is part of a public history project developed by the RIT Museum Studies program in celebration of the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’s birth (February 1818).
Images
Plaque that marks the location now.
Map of Rochester from 1870 showing the First Unitarian Church at location 25
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Now the site of the Downtown Presbyterian Church, this used to be where the First Unitarian Church of Rochester would meet. In 1848 the First Unitarian Church of Rochester was the venue for a follow-up convention to the Seneca Falls convention. The church has been associated with many different reform movements, as well as reformers. This includes Mary and Susan B. Anthony, advocates for women's rights and close friends with Frederick Douglass. After his death they held a memorial service here at which Susan B. Anthony and her father spoke.
The church was organized in 1829, but spent its first few years without a building or a minister. The location of the church has changed twice. The first time was when the church merged with the Universalist Church of Rochester (also shown on the map) and the Universalist's location became the joined congregation's place of worship. Later in 1959 the location was changed again so the old location could become incorporated into the under-construction Midtown Plaza.
This entry is part of a public history project developed by the RIT Museum Studies program in celebration of the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’s birth (February 1818).
Sources
Hallowell, Sarah L., and Mary H. Hallowell. Report of The Woman's Rights Convention Rochester, 1848. vol. 4, 1948, Report of The Woman's Rights Convention Rochester, Autumn 1848, rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/2448.First Unitarian of Rochester. Wikipedia. January 06, 2018. Accessed February 12, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Unitarian_Church_of_Rochester.
Stuart, Oliver. Map of the city of Rochester : from Cornells' Maps : to accompany Boyd's Rochester and six county directory. Library of Congress. Accessed February 14, 2018. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804r.wd000504/.
Stuart, Oliver. Map of the city of Rochester : from Cornells' Maps : to accompany Boyd's Rochester and six county directory. Library of Congress. Accessed February 14, 2018. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804r.wd000504/.