With the construction of the Boston and Worcester Railroad in the 1830’s, West Newton had a direct link to downtown Boston. This precipitated rapid development in the area and the population grew. During the latter half of the 19th century, West Newton Square was the practical and spiritual center of the city boasting City Hall, the High School, the court house and police station, numerous small shops, a large department store and a number of churches. Nearby West Newton Hill and the surrounding area saw the construction of new homes, many owned by wealthy business people working in Boston, who now had a means to commute.

Among these new citizens were some "vigorous liberals" (including educator, Horace Mann, and abolitionist, Nathaniel Allen) who organized the First Unitarian Society in November 1848. (Our Society has just finished celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary to acknowledge this 150 year history). Unitarian services had been held sporadically in the Davis Tavern (the building still stands not far from our present church in West Newton Square) since 1844 and then regularly in the Village Hall since 1847. During the next twelve years several ministers served briefly. The parish must not have been very attractive to ambitious ministers, for it had neither church building nor parsonage. Finally, in 1860, a small house of worship was erected on Washington Street (on the site now occupied by the West Newton Cinema). Historian Lawrence Shaw Mayo described this structure as "an unpretentious affair without spire or tower – a small, severe-looking chapel, with the light from the yellow glass windows casting a distinctly odd hue on the congregation".

The first long-term minister, the "lovable and scholarly" Francis Tiffany, served this church from 1866 to 1883, interrupted by a two-year absence because of ill health. The parish thrived and the congregation soon outgrew its meetinghouse. In 1868, the building was enlarged to hold more pews and in 1879, a church parlor was added and a modest tower was added.

The successor to Reverend Tiffany was Julian Clifford Jaynes, who would serve here in his only ministry for thirty-seven years (until 1922). Mayo writes of the charismatic Jaynes, "When (he) occupied the pulpit, there was reverence in his voice, there was poetry in his prayers, and his sermons were moving and inspiring". Jaynes’ eloquent genius and the active partnership of his wife, Helen, drew so many new members that the church needed to be enlarged again in 1887, and by the turn of the century it was necessary to erect a new building.

Julian Jaynes’ influence is still felt in the building that houses our congregation. Very much taken with the ecclesiastical architecture he saw in England, Reverend Jaynes asserted, " I regard flat walls, white glass, and starved simplicity as the last resort for a house of religion. On the contrary, I want to preserve the best features of Gothic art – to keep all traditions and symbols that do not positively outrage our fundamental beliefs… I want the poetic, the imaginative, the beautiful, the devotional elements of religion expressed unmistakably in form and composition…which one finds so painfully lacking in the village churches of New England." The grounds of the Allen School, formerly Horace Mann’s Normal School, were acquired on the corner of Washington and Highland streets, the buildings were removed, and the cornerstone of the new building was laid on September 17, 1905.

Ralph Adams Cram designed the building and Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Boston’s Emerald Necklace and New York’s Central Park, laid out the grounds. Cram was one of the most prolific and influential architects in Boston in the early years of this century. He was the driving force behind a revival of Gothic motifs used both in religious structures and collegiate buildings. New York Times critic Ada Louise Huxtable wrote: "Cram was a leader of that small, erudite group of medievalists who built in the Gothic and Romanesque styles from 1900 to 1930, all of whom were summarily assigned to oblivion by the modernists in their period of ascendancy. But it is hard to bury over 70 cathedrals and churches in thirty-five states, and collegiate buildings that set the character of more than a dozen universities."

To this day, our massive building, which dominates West Newton Square, engenders ambivalent feelings in our members. Seen both as a classic archetype of sacred space as well as an architectural albatross with heavily Christian iconography, it is certainly not the simple edifice perhaps more typical of a UU church. In an effort to render some of the religious elements more accessible, an "Architectural Symbols" committee was formed several years ago. Plans are underway for the addition of a bronze flaming chalice symbol for the chancel, labels to explicate the stained glass windows (which were all given in memory of former members), and possibly the inscription of names of prominent philosophers from many faiths on the walls of the "clerestory" above the nave. The aging structure also requires enormous expenditures of capital, which the Board of Trustees struggles to balance with the other needs of our community. There is currently some discussion about creating an endowment expressly for the maintenance of our building. We anticipate major expenese in coming years including the possible replacement of the roof. We are fortunate to have received some state grant assistance in our preservation efforts and work is currently underway on the north wall of our sanctuary.

The Reverend Paul Phelan succeeded Julian Jaynes, and the next long-term ministry was that of Dr. Herbert Hitchen (1931-1950). Rev. Hitchen was described as an excellent and erudite speaker who galvanized his listeners. In 1945, the Society was strengthened by its amalgamation with the Channing Religious Society of Newton, which had been organized in 1851. It was under the ministry of John Ogden Fisher (1950-1961) that FUSN experienced a fresh wave of growth during the post-war "baby boom" era. In fact, the pressing need for Sunday School space in 1952 precipitated the "filling in" of the courtyard space between the sanctuary and the parish hall. As Fisher put it, "We had to get the class out of the men’s room and there wasn’t any place to go." This bowdlerization of Cram’s design sparked some controversy, but this plan was ultimately selected as the most economical and practical.

Our older members recall the many social events revolving around the church at this time. There was a lively "couple’s club", all-church suppers were held regularly, visiting speakers lectured on current events on Fridays, and the Women’s Alliance had monthly luncheons. The Sunday School was then two hours long and pageants were often performed for the whole church community. FUSN now had a Director of Religious Education, Harry Taplin, who was adored by old and young alike.

Following Rev. Fisher’s tenure in the 1960’s and 70’s, the church saw a succession of ministers with many different styles. It was during the turbulent political scene of these years that our congregation experienced serious setbacks. In the late 60’s , the Society wrestled with whether or not to use endowment money to support minority-owned businesses in the area. The "back-bonds" issue bitterly divided the congregation and many long-time members left the church when it was decided to support these bonds with part of our endowment. Further divisions occurred as a result of the Vietnam War controversy and the provocative personality of at least one minister during this period. It took many years for the church to rebound financially (money was lost on the back-bonds and pledges dipped considerably) and for membership to rebuild.

The renewed vibrancy and growth of our Society can be attributed in large part to the highly successful ministry of Gerald Krick (1979-1998). Gerry’s optimistic vision, skills at facilitation and negotiation, compassionate counseling, and spiritually oriented sermons drew new people and new energy to the church. Recognizing the religious diversity in the backgrounds of many new members, he was sensitive to this in his religious references and rituals. He brought many innovative elements to the Sunday service which have become very meaningful to many – the weekly candles of concern and celebration lit by members, the monthly candles lit in quiet commemoration of lost loved ones, the "talk-back" after the sermon, the "moment of friendship" when people greet each other, etc. Gerry was also able to empower people within the congregation to use their individual skills to support the community. A lay ministry was formed and continues successfully, many women’s and men’s groups have been launched, active adult education programs took place (e.g. "Parents as Resident Theologians", "the Bible for UU’s", "Building Your Own Theology", etc). A "Spiritual Discussion" group met on Tuesday evenings for many years in Gerry’s office and lay-led services have been offered once a month on a variety of topics. Gerry also actively supported the "welcoming Congregation" curriculum in our church. In 1994, our minister was awarded the Newton Human Rights Award, recognizing his efforts against discrimination. He had worked actively in the civil rights movement and supported the social activism of many of our members.

As the church grew, so, too, did the Sunday School Program which was ably directed for 15 years (through 1997) by Jacquelyn Shepard. During this time enrollment grew from about forty children (from preschool to Grade 8) to over 200. The "Coming of Age" program was initiated for eighth-graders and a youth group was organized for senior high school students. Anne Bancroft now serves as our R.E. Director and brings fresh enthusiasm (as well as her own three children!) to the program.

In 1998 after serving at FUSN for eighteen years, our senior minister Dr. Gerald Krick retired. The Reverend Oren (Pete) Peterson served as interim minister for the next two years. During this time our associate minister, the Reverend Pamela Barz Ware also resigned.

In the Spring of 2000, the congregation elected the Reverend James Ishmael Ford as senior minister. A widely respected preacher and writer, James brings to the Society a deep commitment to sustained spiritual disciplines as well as wide-ranging social activism.

After one hundred and fifty-two years we, the members of the First Unitarian Society in Newton, find ourselves a vigorous community dedicated to a living spirituality as well as serious social engagement. Our flourishing Religious Education program is complemented by the work of our Social Action Committee, our inspiring Worship services inform our outreach to the needs of our larger Newton and Boston communities. As we begin the twenty-first century we find FUSN revealing the liberal faith of Unitarian Universalism as a vital witness to the world of human possibility.

(Much of the information in the earlier portion of this report – and some of the words! - come from Janet Meacham’s paper prepared for the Jan 8, 1995 sermon about the church building , which commenced the capital fund drive to repair the tower).