Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
First Unitarian Church of Buffalo
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, June 2011
|
|
 Location in New York
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 695 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York |
|---|---|
| Area | .53 acres (0.21 ha) |
| Built | 1904-1906 |
| Architect | Edward Austin Kent |
| Architectural style | English Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000367 |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 2015 |
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo is a historic church building in Buffalo, New York. You can find it at 695 Elmwood Avenue. A famous architect named Edward Austin Kent designed the church in 1906. Sadly, Kent passed away in 1912 while on the RMS Titanic. There is a special plaque inside the church that honors him.
This church is part of the Unitarian Universalist Association today. It was first known as the First Unitarian Church of Buffalo. It was connected to the American Unitarian Association. In 1953, another church, the Universalist Church of the Messiah, joined them. This church was part of the Universalist Church of America. They started worshiping together as the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. Both original churches began in 1831. The two groups officially joined together across the country in 1961.
Contents
Church History and Design
The church building was finished in 1906. The land for the church was given by John J. Albright. He also built the Albright–Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, which was completed in 1905. In 1908, a man named Col. Charles Clifton paid off the remaining $25,000 of the church's loan. He did this on one condition: the church pews would always be free for everyone to use.
The church is built in a Gothic Revival style. This means it looks like older European churches. Its walls and the stone patterns around the arched windows are made of Indiana limestone. The church also has a crenelated turret, which looks like the top of a castle wall. The oak doors are decorated with wrought-iron fleur-de-lis designs.
Inside the Church
.jpg)
The inside of the church has an English Country Gothic style. The main worship area, called the sanctuary, can seat 400 people. It has a large oak hammer beam ceiling. This type of ceiling has wooden beams that stretch out from the walls. They rise high above the floor from stone supports. The walls and floor inside are also made of the same Indiana limestone as the outside. Their simple look helps the oak and glass decorations stand out.
Special Features
The beautiful Art Nouveau stained glass windows were designed by Harry E. Goodhue from Boston. He also created stained glass for other churches. The large pipe organ in the choir area was built in 1906 by the Hutchings-Votey Organ Company. This company also built famous organs at Yale University and the United States Naval Academy Chapel. The Delaware Organ Company from Tonawanda, New York rebuilt the organ in 1960.
The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 30, 2015. It was listed as the First Unitarian Church of Buffalo. It is part of the Elmwood Historic District–East.
The McCann Memorial Library
The McCann Memorial Library inside the church has about 2,700 books. These books cover many different topics. They include everything about Unitarian Universalism. The adult section has books on world religions, philosophy, and spiritual readings. It also has books about life issues like death, divorce, and LGBTQ topics. You can find books on environmentalism, religious education, and inspiring fiction and poetry. The library also has books for children and young people. These books help them with life issues and offer many traditional stories for fun reading.
What Unitarian Universalists Believe
Unitarian Universalist churches follow and teach seven main principles. These ideas guide their beliefs and actions:
- Every person has worth and dignity just because they are human.
- We should treat everyone fairly, equally, and with kindness.
- We should accept each other and help everyone grow spiritually in our churches.
- People should be free and responsible in their search for truth and meaning.
- Everyone has the right to follow their conscience. We should use fair, democratic ways in our churches and in society.
- We should work towards a peaceful world community where everyone has freedom and justice.
- We should respect the web of all life, knowing that we are all connected.
Learn More
- Unitarianism
- Universalism
- Unitarian Universalism
- Edward Austin Kent
- John J. Albright
