Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia (UU)

2125 Chestnut Street

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 24, 2025

1. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia (UU) Marker

Inscription.
Unitarian Universalists are committed to diversity in community and respect for the individual's path to religious faith. We are dedicated to social justice as a means of living out our religious values.

Frank Furness, famed Philadelphia Victorian architect, designed this building. The cornerstone was laid in 1885. It houses distinctive architectural features and notable stained glass.

Erected by First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Unitarian Universalism (UUism) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.

Location. 39° 57.151′ N, 75° 10.578′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Rittenhouse Square. It is at the intersection of Chestnut Street and South Van Pelt Street, on the left when traveling east on Chestnut Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19103, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Okra (within shouting distance of this marker); Medical Aloe (within shouting distance of this marker); Philadelphia Horticulture and the College (within shouting distance of this marker); Plant As Medicine (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Ginger (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.

Another marker is

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 24, 2025

2. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia (UU) Marker

Compassion and Action, Faith and Fellowship
Hope and Wholeness
Since 1796

no longer nearby. Ginger (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . History page on the congregation's site.
Some text from the page is cited below. Please note, that First Unitarian Church of Baltimore also claims to be the first Unitarian Universalist congregation to be founded in the Unitarian tradition. Prior to this era of Unitarian-founded churches, individual congregations became Unitarian when the congregations took positions that their prior traditions found heretical, most notably the rejection of the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity as well as the doctrine of the Trinity (from which Unitarians gained their moniker). The Unitarian Universalist faith is non-creedal.

Our Congregation
On June 12, 1796, twenty of Philadelphia’s intellectual leaders formed the First Unitarian Society of Philadelphia. We were the first continuously functioning church in the country to proclaim itself “Unitarian”. The founders were directed and encouraged by the Unitarian minister Joseph Priestley, better known as the father of modern chemistry for
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 7, 2020

3. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia (UU) Marker
his discovery of oxygen. Priestley had fled from England to Pennsylvania after his church, home and laboratory were burned by angry supporters of the Church of England. The small but growing congregation was lay-led until 1825, when William Henry Furness was persuaded to serve as our first minister. This young Unitarian minister from Boston ultimately stayed in the role for 50 years. Over time, Rev. Furness became one of the few abolitionist ministers in the city. He counted among his friends such notable figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Bronson Alcott. His son, Frank Furness, was the architect of our current building, the third to serve as our church home.

As noted above, Rev. William Henry Furness served as our minister for 50 years. He is perhaps best remembered for delivering abolitionist sermons prior to the Civil War, at times under the protection of armed members of the congregation. He is also believed to have escorted John Brown’s body through Philadelphia under cover of darkness to avoid mobs seeking to desecrate the corpse.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the first woman of African
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 24, 2025

4. First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
descent to have her writings published in the United States, was a member of First Church from 1870 until her death in 1911. She is best known for her fiction and poetry, but was also a political activist and lecturer who promoted civil rights, temperance, and women’s rights.

Beginning in 1968, Rev. Victor H. Carpenter led our congregation into social activism on issues such as prison reform, civil rights, black empowerment, woman’s liberation and especially the peace movement. Long-time members recall candle vigils on our main entrance porch to protest the Vietnam War.

In 2007, Reverend Nate Walker became the first openly gay minister the year after we officially became a Welcoming Congregation. All clergy who have served the congregation since Rev. Nate’s tenure also identify as LGBTQ.

In 2016, Reverend Abbey Tennis became the first woman to serve as solo called minister to First Unitarian church. She became Lead Minister in 2019 when Reverend Hannah Capaldi joined the staff as Minister for Faith Formation.

(Submitted on January 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)

Additional keywords. Unitarian Universalism

<i>First Unitarian Church, 2121 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia...</i> image. Click for full size.

Jack E. Boucher (courtesy of the Historic American Building Survey and the Library of Congress), 1973

5. First Unitarian Church, 2121 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia...

Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 553 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on March 8, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on January 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 5. submitted on March 9, 2020.