HIstory

 It is a joy to share the profound and inspiring history of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Mendon and Uxbridge. Our story is one of deep roots, community resilience, and a steadfast liberal faith that stretches back over three centuries.

The beginnings of our Mendon Society are truly foundational. The town of Mendon itself, established in 1668, was a fragile clearing settled by a handful of families. Their commitment to faith was immediate, with John Rayner serving as the first minister in 1667.

• In January 1668, the town ordered the first meeting house built. Joseph Emerson, the first settled minister (1669), was supported with a salary of 20 pounds, a house, 40 acres of land, and even an annual donation of butter.
• The early settlement, then about 25 families, faced tragedy when it was destroyed by the Nipmuc tribe in 1676, with both homes and the meeting house burned. Yet, the old settlers returned by 1678, rebuilding first a rough-seated second meeting house (1680), and later a third (1690) as the population grew rapidly.
• Rev. Grindal Rawson, who served for 35 years beginning in 1684, and Rev. Joseph Dorr, whose long, peaceful, and prosperous ministry spanned more than fifty years, from 1716 to 1767.
• The construction of the fourth meeting house was not without controversy. Talk began in 1728, but the house was not completed until 1737 after a bitter struggle over its location. Legend tells us that a dissatisfied faction even attempted to chop it down the night after it was raised—a testament to the passion of our forebears! Upon completion, pews were built and sold, with the "elderly men who bore the greatest charge in the Town" getting the first choice of space.
• By 1820, the fourth meeting house was deemed old-fashioned. At the same time, the community's faith was changing—the "learned Orthodox minister" was embracing Unitarianism. The people decided to build a new fifth meeting house. This was the first one built entirely by the parish, not the town government. Elias Carter, a renowned architect, was chosen, and generous subscriptions from 43 people raised $6,460. The beautiful new church, with its bell, was completed and accepted on November 29, 1820, at a total cost of $7,619.16.
• The Mendon church’s long life was nearly cut short on May 18, 1936, when it was struck by lightning. By a seeming miracle, it was saved from total destruction. The interior suffered damage to the ceiling, but the townspeople, showing remarkable support, donated generously toward the $12,000 restoration cost.

The Uxbridge Society began when the town of Uxbridge was incorporated in 1727, having split off from Mendon.

• The first church was gathered in 1730. Rev. Nathan Webb served for over forty years, from 1731 to 1772. However, under Rev. Samuel Judson (1792-1832), the religious controversies of the 19th century came to a head. In 1832, during the great Unitarian controversy, the conservative faction withdrew, leaving the liberal group to retain the church property.
• The liberal group called their first Unitarian minister, Rev. Samuel Clark, and erected our present magnificent edifice in 1834 on the same site as the town’s first meeting house. It was dedicated on January 13, 1835, modeled after the Gothic architecture of the Unitarian Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Major renovations, including the installation of the Hook-Hastings electric organ in 1926, were undertaken over the years.
• Under Rev. Roy Wintersteen (1922-1946), the congregation was vibrant and diversified, welcoming many mill owners and bankers. Church activity peaked in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, with membership reaching 140. However, economic changes—the closing of the mills by 1961—forced families to move away, ultimately impacting the size of the congregation. The Uxbridge building remained a valuable resource until it was sold in May 2013.

The most recent chapter of our history is a remarkable story of deliberate unity and growth.

• By the 1970s, both societies, having shared ministers for half a century, were facing serious sustainability questions. Crucially, within both churches was a fierce desire not just to survive, but to grow.
• In 1978, interim minister Peter Denny led the two congregations to begin meeting for a single Sunday service, rather than the two services our shared ministers had been holding. This step, combined with coffee hours and dedicated leadership, became the single most important factor in the revival of these small churches.
• When John Gibbons was settled as the permanent minister in 1980, the two parishes were already functioning as a single congregation. A committee then worked through months of discussion and debate, culminating in a 1985 plan to form the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Mendon and Uxbridge. A unique structure was established: the new Congregation was responsible for all church functions, while the two Societies retained responsibility for their historic buildings and endowments. The Uxbridge Society generously agreed to contribute a portion of its annual endowment income to support the consolidated budget.
• These efforts allowed our congregation to move beyond being two small local parishes and reach out to the larger community, drawing members from all surrounding towns: Milford, Hopedale, Upton, Sutton, Blackstone, Whitinsville/Northbridge, and Woonsocket, RI.
• As our numbers grew, so did our commitment to action. The congregation formed the Social Action Forum, which created the respected Adin Ballou Lectureship on Peace and Justice, hosting prominent figures like Daniel Berrigan, Prof. Howard Zinn, and Bernie Sanders. Our willingness to embrace diversity has become our greatest asset, ensuring a complex and challenging future.
• The departure of the well-loved John Gibbons in 1990 was a serious blow, but the congregation persevered. Marilyn Magnussen served as interim, followed by Rev. Cynthia Chetwynd in 1991. The task of rebuilding was taken up by Rev. Wayne Shuttee in 1993, who compiled this history to educate us about the long, honored path that brought our two Societies together.

This is the history we inherit—a tradition of faith, debate, destruction, rebuilding, and ultimately, a powerful coming together. Welcome to the newest chapter of our church's story.