History of UU Utica

The Flaming Chalice — The very first Universalist congregation in our area was established by the Reverend Nathaniel Stacy in 1804 with a building at the corner of Genesee Street and French Road. That congregation, far south of the center of Utica, continued until 1824., when it dissolved. A small cemetery of members of that church still exists on French Road.

In the year the Erie Canal opened, 1825, the First Universalist Society of Utica was organized by the Reverend John S. Thompson. Forty-two people, including five women, were the initial members.

In 1829, Dolphus Skinner established the Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate to counter attacks against the Universalist Church and its beliefs. Church members were active in the abolition and temperance movements, and in education. The organizational meeting of the New York State Universalist Sunday School Association was held in Utica in 1842. Financial problems in the 1840’s forced the church to sell the Devereux building. (photo from the Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography, an on-line resource of the Unitarian Universalist History and Heritage Society http://uudb.org)

church with tree — In 1849, the Central Universalist Society was formed with four men and fifteen women who had been members of First Society. The Reverend Eben Francis was the pastor. A new church, seating 420 people, was built on Seneca Street in 1851. It was named The Church of Reconciliation-for all souls would be directed to God. By 1866, the building debt had been fully repaid.

Church with the Tree in the Tower — By 1887, the church was famous nationally as, “the church with the tree in the tower.” A mountain ash tree had taken root in a pocket of soil on the north tower and had grown to forty feet tall. It was symptomatic of general deterioration, and the church was given much-needed repair. A few years later, church membership was reported to be 200 and average Sunday school attendance was 150.

Church of Reconciliation — In 1906, 100 members and 25 children strong, the church sold the building to the Citizens Bank and Trust Company and laid the cornerstone of a new building on the corner of Genesee and Tracy Streets. There were 91 pledges at that time. In 1919, funds were raised to contribute to the World Drive for World Peace and to start a trust fund of $18,000 for the church.

At a special meeting in 1926, the bylaws were revised and the name The Church of Reconciliation (Universalist Unitarian) was adopted. Twenty Unitarians joined the church. During World War II, membership declined to below 40. (Rev. John MacPhee 1946-1952)

Church pamphlet — Through the 1960’s, members were active in draft counselling and the establishment of Planned Parenthood of the Mohawk Valley. But, the church building, in need of repair, was too large for a small congregation. The congregation sold the building to the Church of God, a primarily Black congregation, and purchased a lot on Higby Road for a new church.

Church with Black Lives Matter Banner — In 1978, the new church was dedicated, with the President of the UUA, Paul Carnes, taking part. Reverend Timothy Behrendt was serving as part-time minister, beginning in 1970. When Tim retired in 2000, his ministry was the longest in the church’s history. Since then, there have been a number of settled and interim ministers. Currently the minister is Rev. Karen Brammer.

Above is a slide show. Click to the left or right of the photo above to move through the slide show.

The history of the current congregation began in 1825. The founding members numbered forty-two including five women. All were entitled to vote, though it was unusual to include women in voting at that time. Prosperous members included Andrew S. Pond, head of an iron foundry, and Esra Barnum who owned a business that supplied boats for the Erie Canal and was appointed a U.S. Marshall. These benefactors made it possible to build a meeting house at the corner of Genesee and Devereaux Streets.

1825 – Erie Canal completed from Lake Erie to the Hudson River. Utica is a relatively small incorporated village. Utica wouldn’t become a city until 1832. Utica Public Library established. The First Universalist Society of Utica formed at a time when there were only sixteen Catholic families living in Utica.

1825 to 1828 – Services held at the Utica Court House and Academy (forerunner to Utica Free Academy)

1828 – First church building constructed at 4 Devereux Street on land purchased from Nicholas Devereux. It measured 40 by 65 feet, about the size of our current sanctuary.

1845 – Church building at 4 Devereux Street is given up due to a mortgage issue. The building later burns down. The State Office Building today occupies the entire city block.

1845 – 1853 – Utica – Universalists gather for services at Mechanics Hall, Hotel at Liberty Street across from Gerber’s Tavern. Women’s rights advocates Susan B Anthony, and Universalist Minister Olympia Brown, the first woman ordained to any denomination, spoke here. As did William Lloyd Garrison and Solomon Northup, author of Twelve Years a Slave.

1853 – A new church on Seneca Street is constructed and will be home for the Utica Universalists for the next 50 years and will be known as The First Universalist Church of Utica.

1870’s – The number of people wanting to attend Universalist services exceeded the church’s capacity and extra services were held at the Utica Opera House.

1903 – Fire destroys the front of the Seneca Street church, several stained glass windows and the church organ.

About 1904 – 05 – Andrew Carnegie contributes money to replace the fire-damaged organ.

1906 – The Seneca Street church building and property are sold to make way for a new building housing Citizens Bank, and later would become the site of The Marine Midland Bank/HSBC, now the Landmarc building.

1906 – The Comstock home at Genesee and Tracy Streets is purchased and would become the parish house. That same year the Utica Universalists laid the cornerstone for a new church to be built in front of Comstock House.

1907 – First Universalist Church of Utica opens at 1304 Genesee St. and would serve the congregation until 1978. Greta M. Worstell (Crosby) would be the church’s first woman minister in 1960. Alex Haley, Roots author and anti-war activist Fr. Daniel Berrigan would speak here.

1926 – Utica Universalists invite Unitarians to join the congregation and it becomes Church of Reconciliation-Universalist Unitarian. That would precede the national merger of the two churches by 35 years.

1946 – Church of Reconciliation rents space in the church basement and first floor of the parish house to a very young Utica College of Syracuse University which had established its home on Oneida Square.

1959 – Utica Council of Churches severs membership of Church of Reconciliation because it could not acknowledge “Christ as divine Lord and Savior” and thereby did not meet its membership requirements.

1978 – Church of Reconciliation building is sold and the congregation constructs a new environment friendly building at 10 Higby Road and is renamed:

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica.

History of Ministers

John S. Thompson 1825-1826
Dolphus Skinner 1827-1832
Aaron Grosh 1832-1838
T.D. Cook 1839-1842
H.B. Soule 1843-1844
Eben Francis 1849-1853
Theophilus Fisk 1853-1856
C.C. Gordon 1856-1859
T.D. Cook 1860-1864
D. Ballou 1864-1869
A.J. Canfield 1870-1873
C.F. Lee 1875-1879
E.F Foster 1879
M. Crossley 1880-1882
O.A. Rounds 1882-1887
Clarence E. Rice 1887-1892
Caleb E. Fisher 1893-1895
Frank Leland 1896-1899
James D. Corby 1899-1906
John Sayles 1905-1907
George Cross Baner 1907-1914
William C. Selleck 1915-1919
Leslie C. Nichols 1920-1925
Thomas J. Saunders 1925-1929
Alfred S. Cole 1929-1931
Stanart Dow Butler 1931-1935
Robert Killam 1935-1941
Alfred Lynn Booth 1942-1944
John Stewart MacPhee 1945-1952
T. Conley Adams 1952-1956
Leon S. Simonetti 1957-1959
Greta M. Worstell (Crosby) 1960-1961
Herbert E. Hudson IV 1961-1966
Derek Sparks 1967-1970
Ralph N. Schmidt – Minister at Large 1971-1980
Timothy Hume Behrendt 1970-2000
2000-2001 Mary Wellemeyer (interim)
2001-2004 Kaaren Anderson
2004-2005 John Marsh (interim)
2005-2007 Naomi King
2007-2010 David Blanchard
2010-2013 Lucy Ijams
2013-2014 David Blanchard
2014-2018 Eve Stevens
2018-2020 Erin Dajka-Holley
Rev. Lori Staubitz 2021
Karen Brammer 2022-

Left: Rev. Ralph N. Schmidt Right: Rev. Dolphus Skinner

Left: Rev. Erin Dajka-Holley Right: Rev. Lori Staubitz

Left: Scrip sold to finance early church Right: E.S. Barnum one of the first UU Utica church members

Left: Rev. John MacPhee Right: Timothy Hume Behrendt and Peggy Spencer Behrendt (former music director)

Left: Rev. Lucy Ijams Right: Rev. Naomi King

Left: Kaaren Anderson Right: Rev. Eve Stevens

In 1951, members of the Utica Church of the Reconciliation (Universalist Unitarian) were instrumental in the founding of Unirondack, a Universalist Unitarian camp in the Adirondacks. A camp and land on Beaver Lake, 18 miles east of Lowville, New York were purchased. A recreation building designed by Rev. Howard Gilman was added. The camp is still in operation and features camps for different age groups as well as family camps and weekends for small groups. A winterized building has been added to extend the use in spring and fall.

(Special Thanks to Still Free and Untrammeled by Eleanor (Peg) Hassett, Sally Carman for assistance on this page)

UU of Utica

Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica

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