First Universalist Church (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

Portsmouth, NH

The First Universalist Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was gathered in 1777. This building, the "brick church," was dedicated on April 21, 1897, and was destroyed by fire on January 11, 1947. The congregation had federated with the South Parish (Unitarian) in 1945, and this building was used for the greater part of the activities of the federated churches. The destruction of this building hastened the union of the two bodies into a single corporate body on January 26, 1947.

For more information, see: Craig, Lawrence R. Three Centuries of Religious Living. Portsmouth, N.H.: Randall Press, 1966. Photo of the fire damage, apparently intended for publication but not printed in the Leader [Portsmouth, New Hampshire (First Universalist Church and South church)]