152 Pearl Street
The Unitarian Church at 152 Church Street is located
at the head of the street that bears its name. The church was built in 1816 in the Federal style that
was popular at the time. Its brick
construction, extensive use of arched windows and fanlights, and cleanly set
features are all characteristic of this style. In 1845 the church was “Greek Revivalized”, “with the
addition of the massive cornice, bricked-in shortened windows and brick
pilasters at the corners”.[i] Numerous alterations have been
made to both the interior and the exterior. In 1868, a parish house was added to the rear of the
building. This addition now
houses a parlor, meeting rooms, and the church office. A lightning strike in 1955 revealed
structural weakness in the tower.
The damage was so severe that the tower had to be rebuilt, prompting
people from throughout the city to donate money for the project[ii]. Frequent remodeling has been conducted
on the interior, with major overhauls being performed in 1845, 1868, 1872, and
1932.[iii] Perhaps the most extensive
interior alteration occurred during one of the nineteenth century remodelings
that included replacing the original barrel vault ceiling with a flat one.[iv]