Unitarian Church, Burlington

The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House—once known as the Brick Meeting House—is the oldest surviving place of worship established by European settlers in Burlington. Built in 1816, it remains a quiet yet commanding presence in the heart of the city. As part of the Head of Church Street Historic District, alongside neighboring landmarks like the Masonic Temple and the Richardson Building, the church reflects a layered urban history recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974. Today, it continues to serve as the home of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, maintaining an unbroken thread between past and present.

The story of the church begins with a split in Burlington’s early religious community in 1810, when differing beliefs led to the formation of separate Trinitarian and Unitarian congregations. Just a few years later, construction of this meeting house began, completed in remarkably swift fashion within seven months. At the time, it was an ambitious structure—91 feet long, 60 feet wide, and crowned with a 170-foot steeple—fitted with a clock, organ, and a bell famously cast by Paul Revere.

Over the decades, the building has endured both change and challenge, including a lightning strike in 1954 that weakened the original steeple. Its eventual replacement in 1958, funded by contributions from across the community, stands as a testament to the building’s enduring significance. Visitors today will find not just a historic church, but a space shaped by resilience, shared effort, and over two centuries of local life.