First Universalist Church (Salem, Massachusetts)


The First Universalist Society of Salem is a historic Universalist former church building at 211 Bridge Street in Salem, Massachusetts.

History

The congregation was founded in 1805 after seven local people with an interest in Universalism attended a lecture by Rev. John Murray, a founder of Universalism. The current church building was constructed in 1808 with Rev. Hosea Ballou, a founder of the Universalist Church, laying the cornerstone of the Federal style building. Inside the building, the Hutchings organ was constructed in 1888 with 1,200 pipes. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The church closed in 2016, merging with First Parish, UU, in Beverly, MA.