First Unitarian Church (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1830-1986.

Held by the Filson Historical Society

Creator: First Unitarian Church (Louisville, Ky.)

Title: Records, 1830-1986.

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.

Size of Collection: Appx. 7.66 cubic feet and four wrapped volumes

Location Number: Mss. BA F527

Scope Note: Records of the First Unitarian Church of Louisville, Ky. The records chronicle the history of the church and in part the Unitarian religion through minute books, financial and parish records, histories, correspondence, sermons, records of church groups such as the Laymen’s League, the Channing Club, the PTA, and the Woman’s Alliance, oral histories (separated from the collection), and newspaper clippings. Also included are pamphlets, publications, etc. on both the history of the First Unitarian Church, Unitarian churches in the Ohio Valley, and the Unitarian Church as a whole. First Unitarian was also named Church of the Messiah for a time (1869-1918).

Historical Note/Timeline 

1830: First Unitarian Society of Louisville is formed
1832: Unitarians dedicate new building on the corner of Fifth and Walnut
1840: Universalists buy and repair a building on Chapel Street
1843: Universalists build a new building in the 800 block of West Market Street
1852: Unitarians expand building to add more pews
1865: First Unitarian establishes the Widows’ and Orphans’ Home
1869: Unitarians and Universalists merge in Louisville to form a new church called The Church of the Messiah
1871: New building is dedicated at the corner of Fourth and York Street
1872: Building is rededicated after a fire destroyed the building in late 1871
1895: Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt speak on suffrage outside the church
1918: Name of church is changed back to First Unitarian
1951: Theophilus Conrad Parish House is dedicated
1957-1960: Thomas Jefferson church planned
1979: Campus expanded to include Heywood House property
1985-1989: Fire destroys building, congregation meets at Plymouth Church
1989: Re-built building is dedicated and congregation moves back into the building

Copied from First Unitarian Church Website: https://firstulou.org/about/our-history/ (accessed 2/24/2025)

Folder List

Folder 1: James Freeman Clarke; correspondence, 1875, 1883; Reminiscences of Louisville, 1833-1873 (typed copy).

Folder 2: John Healey Heywood; correspondence, 1824-1982; Heywood Memoriams, 1880, 1903.

Folder 3: John H. Heywood; sermons, 1840-1879.

Folder 4: W. H. Ramsay; program. n.d.; Maxwell Savage; papers, memoriam. 1949, n.d.

Folder 5  Lon Ray Call; correspondence, 1979.

Folder 6: Lon Ray Call; sermons, 1929-1930.

Folder 7: Richard Seebode; correspondence, 1931-1937. 1937 Flood memoirs, news (typed copies), 1937.

Folder 8: Carl Bihldorff; correspondence, 1967; sermons, 1938-1967, n.d .

Folder 9: Augustus P. Reccord; sermons, no date (1942).

Folder 10: Robert T. Weston; correspondence, 1967-1974, n.d.

Folder 11: Robert T. Weston; sermons, 1946-1973, n.d.

Folder 12: Robert T. Weston; publications, 1950-1958.

Folder 13: Robert T. Weston; meditations, poetry, songs, 1955-1973, n.d.

Folder 14: Philip A. Smith; sermon, n.d.

Folder 15: William David Brown; correspondence, 1963; sermons, radio talks, 1962-1967.

Folder 16: William David Brown; meditations, remarks, 1963-1965.

Folder 17: Robert Reed; correspondence, sermons, miscellaneous, 1968-75.

Folder 18: John W. Chadwick; sermons, 1878-1904.

Folder 19: Miscellaneous sermons, meditations, from other ministers, 1921-1971.

Folder 20: Board of Trustees; correspondence, finances, 1904-1942.

Folder 21: Board of Trustees; correspondence, financial records, 1943-1979.

Folder 22: Church directories/yearbooks, 1902, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1981

Folder 23: Church directories/yearbooks, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1978-79.

Folder 24: Roster of Church members and friends, April 1910.

Folder 25: Bequests. 1922-66.

Folder 26: Amendment of Charter, Church of the Messiah, 28 February 1918.

Folder 27: Heating Plant installation contract. 23 August 1920.

Folder 28: Church survey by Charles E. Joy. 26 November 1934.

Folder 29: Letters re: United Nations, 1948.

Folder 30: Rabbi Rauch window, May 1955.

Folder 31: Cutler report, 1956.

Folder 32: Laymen sermons, 1959-1961.

Folder 33: Correspondence re: Steiner organ, ca. 1968-1971.

Folder 34: Certification/awards, 1960-1978.

Folder 35: Kentucky Heritage Commission Landmark certificate, 1976.

Folder 36: Church service programs, weekly calendars, 1915-1942.

Folder 37: Church service programs, weekly calendars, 1943-1980 and cover art

Folder 38: Miscellaneous Church records. 1830-1970.

Folder 39: Laymen’s League. Meeting minutes. 1920-1929.

Folder 40: Laymen’s League. Meeting minutes. 1930-1933.

Folder 41: Laymen’s League. Meeting minutes, 1934-1941.

Folder 42: Laymen’s League. Correspondence, records, 1916-1946.

Folder 43: Laymen’s League. Correspondence, 1934-1939.

Folder 44: Laymen’s League. Journal, 1929-1938.

Folder 45: Laymen’s League. Records, 1917-1947.

Folder 46: Laymen’s League. Records, 1932-1935.

Folder 47: Laymen’s League. Records, (printed pamphlets), 1931-1938, n.d.

Folder 48: Channing Club. Miscellaneous records.

Folder 49: Women’s Alliance of First Unitarian Church. Records, 1916-1968.

Folder 50: 100th Anniversary of First Unitarian Church. Records, 1930.

Folder 51: 125th Anniversary. Records, 1955.

Folder 52: 100th Anniversary of First Unitarian at 4th and York. Letters of Congratulations, February-March 1971.

Folder 53: Correspondence, reporting forms re: Ohio Valley Unitarian Church histories. 1979.

Folder 54: Sketches, drawings, etc. of Ohio Valley Unitarian churches.

Folder 55: Brief Histories of Unitarian Universalist Churches in the Ohio Valley District. Proof and printed copies, 1979.

Folder 56: Miscellaneous church histories.

Folder 57: The Louisville Unitarian, 1930.

Folder 58: The Minns Lectures, 1957.

Folder 59: The Democratic Church in Action: A Manual of Procedure, 1965, 1970.

Folder 60: First Unitarian Church Records. Pamphlets re: minister-church relations.

Folder 61: Poetry.

Folder 62: Miscellaneous printed material re: Unitarian Church questions, history, programs, etc.

Folder 63: Posters, n.d.

Folder 64: Anonymous religious writings and notes, 1831-1832.

Folder 65: Stephen C. Foster. Newspaper clippings, pamphlets, etc.

Folder 66: Newspaper clippings.

Folder 67: Newspaper clippings, proofs, press releases, etc.

Folder 68: Newspaper clippings.

Folder 69: Newspaper clippings.

Folder 70: Newspaper clippings.

Folder 71: Newspaper clippings, letter, 1985-1986.

Records Center Boxes:

R.C. Box 1

• Church financial records, including four ledgers dated 1851-1860, 1869-1874, 1891-1899, 1899-1909.
• Ledger re: Church of Messiah Building expenses, 1869-1873 . 1957 audit.
• Index of minutes of meetings, First Unitarian Church, by Ambrose Burns, secretary, 13 June 1921-18 May 1925.
• Church record books: 3 books dated 1830-1862, 1865-1870, 1870-1906, including minutes, resolutions, etc.
• Appraisal of Church, 1923 (showing floor plans)

R.C. Box 2

• Channing Club (Y.P.R.U.) records and minutes, 1926-1935.
• Isles of Shoals and Y.P.R.U. scrapbook, 1927.
• Church P.T.A. minutes, 1923-1926.
• Church records, 1833-1879.
• Roster of Church members, 1910-1916.
• Two signed guest books, 1926-1961.

R.C. Box 3

• Women’s Alliance Account Book, 1910-1919.
• Women’s Alliance ledger, 1901-1907.
• Six scrapbooks dated: 1942-1955, 1945-1950, 1949-1952, 1954-1956, 1955-1958, 1959-1968.

R.C. Box 4

• Six scrapbooks dated 1874-1918, 1901-15 (by Emily Montague Bullitt), 1916-1927, 1920-27, 1926-1955, 1968.

Separately wrapped Volumes

Volume 1: Record book of pew occupants and a book of contributors as well as pew selections, 1860-1872. (goes with records in RC Box 1)

Volume 3: Women’s Alliance scrapbook, 1895-1935 (goes with records in RC Box 3

Volume 2: Scrapbook of Channing Club history, 1922-1940 (goes with records in RC Box 2)

Volume 4: Church scrapbook,1936-1945. (goes with records in RC Box 4)

 

Removed to Audio Visual Collection:

Film and audio tape for WHAS-TV religious program, The Window, 12 May 1956.

Oral History tapes made by Nellie Carstens and congregation members, 1978.