First Unitarian Church of Providence, Providence

The First Unitarian Church belongs to a congregation whose origins date to the early 1720s, when a Congregational society formed within a religiously diverse community. After an earlier meetinghouse was destroyed by fire in 1814, the present building opened in 1816. It was designed by John Holden Greene, a leading early nineteenth-century architect and a member of the congregation.

The stone meetinghouse is a notable example of Federal architecture. Its broad classical portico, arched openings, urn-shaped ornaments and balanced façade are combined with pointed Gothic details and a tall, slender steeple. Inside, galleries, white-painted woodwork and decorative plasterwork follow the traditional New England meetinghouse plan. The tower also contains a large historic bell produced by the foundry associated with Paul Revere.

In 1966, lightning struck the steeple and caused a serious fire that damaged the tower, organ and much of the sanctuary. Architect Irving B. Haynes directed a careful restoration lasting more than two years, reconstructing historic details while adding modern structural and safety features. The building remains an active place of worship for a Unitarian Universalist congregation and is also used for concerts, lectures and community programs.