history7

History of the

Unitarian Universalist Society

of Greater Springfield

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Historical Text - #6

The Second Universaist Church

Grace Kellogg

This was a nice little church, located where two rather busy streets came together, with a drugstore, a bakery and some grocery stores nearby. It was a poor to middle-class neighborhood and people therein often sent their children to this church even if they never came themselves. Most of the more well-off people a few blocks away did not attend this church. As time went on, it was thought of as a community church.

In its practices it wasn't much different from other Protestant churches. We observed the traditional Christian holidays and the rites. and we sang the traditional hymns. On the same level as the platform at the front of the church there was a place for the choir on each side. Behind the pulpit on the wall there was a cross. We all were very excited when, after many years, the church was able to afford a small Estey electric organ for the side from which the choir sang, and the piano was moved to the other side. The right hand wing of the building was where we usually entered, where the choir robes (or earlier, their supplies) were kept and from there the choir entered the church sanctuary. The room could be used for other things too, of course. The left hand wing was where the minister's desk was and Young People's meetings were held in there -- also Sunday School classes. At the back of the sanctuary was a beautiful stained glass window of delicate colors and design and on the sides were smaller windows that matched the big one but without so much design. I hope my attempt at describing the building is showing that there was definitely a religious atmosphere, but nothing garish or overdone.

I went to that church from 1925 until it closed in 1946. The ministers that I remember were either retired ministers, who came to fill in for a short time, or students studying for the ministry at Tufts University. And there were Drs. Howard and Dorothy Spoerl, who had come to Springfield to teach at American International College. Both were wonderful people as well as fine ministers: she was a very compelling preacher and lecturer. She acted as our minister at two different times, and he once. Their home was always open to us and to the AIC students.

We were a very active group of people. We celebrated Christmas and Easter with special programs and music. Our Easter Sunrise Service began with singing on the steps, then we went inside for a short service, and then to the basement for an Easter breakfast. We also observed Maundy Thursday, Children's Day and Young People's Sunday. Many of us young people had a chance to deliver a "sermon".

We also had some sort of association with Springfield College. I am told that at least one of the ministers was a professor there, and that one of the young men who used to loin in with our young people's group became a minister.

Throughout the church year there were public suppers, public card parties, and usually a play or variety show. Sometimes our play or show was taken to St. Paul's Church in Palmer, and at least once to the First Baptist Church on State Street. I believe they may have come to entertain us also. There were also parties and picnics.

Whatever it was that was going on, both the older and the young people worked together in harmony.

The demise of the church resulted from three things: the older people became unable to help or they died: the young people got married and had to move away and had to transfer to some other church which was more convenient to get to and to send their children to: and people who were not Universalists no longer sent their growing-up children there or the children lost interest. Furthermore, our headquarters on Beacon Street did not give us much help. In 1946, we had to give up and the church was sold.

My contemporaries and I look back on growing up in that church as a wonderful experience, if only because it was the natural thing for old and young to work together and to respect one another. And we had FUN!