Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington facts for kids
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
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Front of the church at dusk, March 2015
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 Location in Virginia
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| Location | 4444 Arlington Boulevard Arlington County, Virginia |
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| Built | 1964 |
| Architect | Charles M. Goodman |
| Architectural style | Brutalist |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000943 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 19, 2014 |
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (UUCA) is a special church in Arlington County, Virginia. It's located at 4444 Arlington Boulevard. This church was the very first Unitarian church in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. It was started way back in 1948.
Throughout its history, UUCA has been involved in many important progressive causes. This includes supporting the Civil Rights Movement and working for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Virginia. During the Civil Rights Movement, UUCA was the only church in Virginia to speak out for racial integration.
The main church building, called the sanctuary, was designed by architect Charles M. Goodman in 1964. It's made of concrete in a style called Brutalist. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2014. It's one of only three churches Goodman designed, and the only one in Virginia.
Contents
A Look at UUCA's History
In the early 1940s, leaders from All Souls Church in Washington, D.C., encouraged their members living in the suburbs to start new Unitarian groups. The first of these new groups was the Unitarian Church of Arlington. All Souls Church helped them with support and money.
The very first meeting was held in a home on September 16, 1943. After that, services were held in different places on Sunday afternoons. This allowed members to still attend morning services at All Souls. Places they met included the Buckingham Community Room and the Kate Waller Barrett School.
Gilbert A. Phillips became the minister for the Arlington church in 1946. By 1948, the church had 117 members, and its school had 103 students. That same year, members decided to become their own independent church. They voted to separate from All Souls Church and join the American Unitarian Association.
Finding a Permanent Home
As more people joined, the church needed its own permanent place. They bought a piece of land at the corner of Arlington Boulevard and South George Mason Drive. In November 1948, they started building their first church at 4451 1st Place South. The American Unitarian Association helped with a $15,000 loan.
The first building was designed by Earl B. Bailey, who was also a church member. It was a brick building in the Colonial Revival style. It had an auditorium, a kitchen, an office for the minister, and meeting rooms. The first service in the new building was in June 1949, and it was officially dedicated on October 2.
By 1950, the church had almost 250 members. The success of the Arlington church inspired the minister of All Souls, Arthur Powell Davies, to create the Greater Washington Association for Unitarian Advance in 1950. This group helped start more Unitarian churches in the Washington, D.C., area. All Souls and the Arlington church were the first members.
Growing and Building More
In 1953, a new wing for religious education was added to the church. It was also designed by Earl Bailey. This made the auditorium bigger and added more classrooms and offices. By 1954, the church was already full, and they started holding two services on Sundays. The church school also held two services because it had over 500 students.
The church bought more land nearby and built a parsonage (a house for the minister) in 1958. By 1959, there were eight Unitarian churches in the D.C. suburbs, and the Arlington church was the largest.
The congregation then started planning for a completely new main building. They chose Charles M. Goodman, a famous local architect known for his modern designs. The church members wanted a building that showed their liberal and progressive beliefs. Goodman spent a lot of time with the church members to make sure the design fit their values.
Goodman finished his design in late 1961. The church started building the main sanctuary, which cost about $300,000. The new building was dedicated on March 22, 1964. UUCA's sanctuary is one of only three churches Goodman ever designed, and it's his only church building in Virginia.
Later Changes and Recognition
In the mid-to-late 1960s, fewer people attended church services and the school. The church worked to attract new members, and attendance slowly grew again. By 1974, there were 724 members.
By the late 1980s, the church needed even more space. In 1993, members approved building an addition to the sanctuary. This new wing was dedicated on October 2, 1994. It added classrooms, offices, a chapel, and meeting rooms. The design of this new wing won an award.
Another expansion was added in 2013. This included a large hall and a multipurpose activity room.
UUCA's 1964 sanctuary was recognized as a historic landmark in 2014. It was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in September and the National Register of Historic Places in November. This was after two years of effort to get the building recognized. One church leader said they hoped this would show people that the physical presence of a group in a community matters.
Today, the church has 900 members. Its current leaders include Senior Minister Rev. Amanda Poppei and Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel. Famous past and present members include Representative William R. Ratchford and Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette, who was Virginia's first openly gay elected official.
UUCA's Activism for Change
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Like other Unitarian churches, UUCA is a liberal church. It has always been active in social justice causes and working with people of different faiths. When UUCA was founded, its leaders said the church was dedicated to improving individual and community life through religion.
Standing Up for Rights
In 1949, when most local groups were segregated (separated by race), UUCA ran a children's summer camp that was open to all races. In the 1950s, it was one of the few places in Northern Virginia where black and white people could meet to talk about race relations.
In 1951, UUCA minister Ross Allen Weston started the Community Council for Social Progress. This was a group of people from different races and faiths. They worked to promote fairness and equality.
UUCA members were very active during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. They protested against segregation and unfair treatment of minorities. In June 1956, UUCA minister Weston received a thank-you letter from Martin Luther King Jr.
After the important 1954 Supreme Court decision, Bolling v. Sharpe, made school segregation illegal in Washington, D.C., Virginia's Governor asked for opinions from citizens. UUCA was the only church in Virginia that spoke out in favor of integration.
Facing Challenges and Continuing the Fight
In October 1958, the church received a bomb threat. This happened on the morning a rabbi from Temple Beth-El was scheduled to speak. This was part of a larger effort by a group to scare synagogues and other groups friendly to Judaism. Other churches condemned the threat, and the Arlington congregation stated they would not be scared into changing their religious practices.
The church continued to support civil rights in the 1960s. They helped register black voters in Arlington County. They also renamed their original 1949 building (which is now gone) Reeb Hall. This honored James Reeb, a minister who was killed while protesting in Selma, Alabama.
Since the 1970s, church members have continued to support many social justice causes. These include environmentalism, women's rights, LGBT rights, and affordable housing. One of UUCA's most important projects was the Culpepper Garden Senior Center. This is a non-profit retirement community for low-income senior citizens. It opened in 1975 and has grown since then.
From the 1990s until 2011, Reeb Hall was rented out to non-profit groups. These included the Northern Virginia chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Since the 1990s, Kol Ami, a Reconstructionist Jewish community, has met at UUCA.
How UUCA Looks and Where It Is
The church sits on a large piece of land at the corner of Arlington Boulevard (U.S. 50) and South George Mason Drive. It's near the Arlington Forest neighborhood. The property goes south to First Place South, a street with homes where the church parsonage is located.
A large parking lot is on the south and west sides of the property. This is where the original Reeb Hall once stood. People coming to the church can walk from the parking lot to the 1994 addition using concrete paths and a pedestrian bridge.
South of the church is the Memorial Wall and Garden, which was dedicated in 1996. This garden has concrete walls, paths, and benches. You can also find concrete blocks with the names of church members in the garden. South of the garden is a playground, built in 2007, surrounded by a wooden fence.
The main 1964 sanctuary building faces the road intersection. It sits on a wooded hill on the northeast corner of the property.
The Building's Design
UUCA is made up of three main parts:
- The 1964 sanctuary is a rectangular, two-story building made of reinforced concrete.
- The 1994 addition is a two-story concrete building on the south side of the sanctuary.
- The 2013 addition is a two-story concrete building on the east side of the 1994 addition.
These additions were designed to match the original building's size, style, and materials. They also fulfill Charles Goodman's original plans to expand the church. They are set back and are not as tall as the sanctuary, showing respect for the original design.
The sanctuary is a precast concrete building designed in the Brutalist style. It has a flat concrete roof that hangs over the sides. It also has a concrete block foundation and walls made of corrugated concrete panels. Square clerestory windows are at the top of the building on the north, east, and west sides. Narrow windows are on the first floor.
The east and west sides of the sanctuary have five sections, called bays. The north and south sides have three bays. Tall concrete columns, spaced about 16 feet apart, define these bays. They go from the ground to the roof. The main entrance to the sanctuary is on the south side, where the 1994 addition is located.
The 1994 addition runs along the entire south side of the sanctuary. It is a large building with a social hall, classrooms, and office space. Like the sanctuary, it has a flat roof and a concrete foundation. Its concrete walls are lighter and smoother than the sanctuary's.
The 2013 addition, called the Celebration Center, replaced a terrace on the southeast corner of the 1994 addition. It also has light-colored concrete walls and some stone facing. It features an overhanging roof and windows that wrap around the top, similar to the sanctuary.
Inside the Sanctuary
The main meeting space inside the sanctuary is 62 feet by 62 feet. It has a shiny concrete floor with a large grid pattern. The north, east, and west walls are made of beige brick, and the ceiling is exposed concrete.
The design of the sanctuary allows for lots of natural light. This is helped by rows of light fixtures on the ceiling. These fixtures are the original black metal cylinders designed by Goodman. A concrete stage, now covered with wood, is on the north wall. It has a ramp for wheelchairs hidden by a decorative wood screen.
The seating in the meeting space includes padded, movable pews and chairs. There are two staircases on the south side of the meeting space that lead to the first floor. The east staircase leads to the choir balcony and an elevator. Goodman chose to put the choir on the south side because he thought it was the best spot. The balcony has stepped seating for choir members and a large pipe organ.
The ground floor has a main hallway that runs north-south, with another hallway on the south side leading to the staircases. This lower floor has meeting and storage spaces. Most areas have concrete floors, concrete block walls, and concrete ceilings.
More to Explore
- List of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist churches
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Arlington County, Virginia
