Gloucester UU Church

10 Church Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

The Meetinghouse of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church

The Gloucester Meetinghouse is an architectural masterpiece and historic landmark located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets in downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts. Built in 1806, it stands as the oldest surviving meetinghouse in the city and holds the distinction of being the home of the first Universalist congregation in the United States.

Architecture and Historic Features

This magnificent Federal-style building is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and exemplifies the finest traditions of early 19th-century New England ecclesiastical design. The meetinghouse features several remarkable historic artifacts, including a Paul Revere bell, a Simon Willard clock, and an original charter signed by freed slave Gloster Dalton—treasures that delight history enthusiasts of all ages.

The building's elegant interior retains most of its period architectural features, creating a space that seamlessly blends historic preservation with contemporary cultural use. The Gloucester Meetinghouse is also recognized as one of the first large historic buildings of its type in New England to achieve carbon neutrality, combining the best of preservation and green building practices through its clean-energy initiative TownGreen2025 in collaboration with Reforest the Tropics.

Historical Significance

The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church has a storied history as the first Universalist congregation in the United States, founded in 1779 by the Reverend John Murray and a small group of dissidents from Gloucester's First Parish Church. The congregation played a pivotal role in the fight for religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1786, the congregants sued and won a landmark ruling that they could not be taxed to support a church to which they did not belong—a decision that predated the adoption of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by five years.

Acoustics and Accessibility

The Gloucester Meetinghouse offers an unparalleled large entertainment venue with over 300 seats in world-class acoustics. The Federal-style architecture and carefully proportioned interior space create exceptional sound quality that makes the venue particularly sought after for concerts and musical performances. The elegant design, combined with the building's period features, produces warm, resonant acoustics that enhance every performance, from intimate chamber music to full choral works. Musicians and audiences alike appreciate how the historic space allows both the subtle nuances and powerful crescendos of music to be heard with extraordinary clarity and beauty. Like all of the orchestra's performance venues, the Gloucester Meetinghouse is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair seating and access available to ensure that all members of the community can enjoy the outstanding cultural programming offered in this historic space.

Community Hub

Today, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation—a secular nonprofit organization created in 2015 and modeled after the Old North Foundation in relation to Boston's famous Old North Church—manages large-scale preservation projects for the landmark building as it enters its third century of service. The foundation presents an annual selection of concerts, symposia, and civic events designed to engage and inspire the Cape Ann community, including the popular outdoor summer series Music on Meetinghouse Green.

Driving Directions

Driving Directions from the South to Gloucester UU Church

Destination: 10 Church Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 (corner of Middle and Church Streets)

From Boston Area (I-95/Route 1 North):

  1. Take I-95 North for approximately 30 miles
  2. Take Exit 14 for Route 133 East toward Essex/Gloucester
  3. Follow Route 133 East for about 8 miles through Essex
  4. Continue straight as Route 133 becomes Western Avenue in Gloucester
  5. Turn left onto Main Street (Route 127)
  6. Follow Main Street north toward downtown Gloucester
  7. Turn right onto Middle Street
  8. The church will be on your left at the corner of Middle and Church Streets

From Route 1 North (Alternative):

  1. Take Route 1 North to Route 128 North
  2. Follow Route 128 North to Exit 9 (Route 133 East)
  3. Follow directions above from Route 133 East

From I-93 North:

  1. Take I-93 North to I-95/Route 128 North
  2. Follow Route 128 North to Exit 9 (Route 133 East toward Essex/Gloucester)
  3. Follow directions above from Route 133 East

Parking Information:

  • Main parking: Enter the green space parking area between the granite pillars at 50 Middle Street
  • Alternative parking: Available around the Historic District on surrounding streets
  • Accessibility: Side entrance at 10 Church Street offers elevator access

The church is a historic Federal-style building from 1806 with a distinctive 5-story tower and is located in Gloucester's Historic District, making it easily recognizable upon arrival.

10 Church Street, Gloucester, MA 01930