History of First Unitarian Church

The Move to the "Suburbs"

In the 1880s, the congregation decided to move from the downtown area to what was then considered the suburbs. Many congregants had moved to the neighborhood called Avondale and they wanted the church close by. The church's current site at the corner of Reading Rd. and Linton St. was purchased and ground broken in 1888, and Rev. George Thayer (1882-1916) directed the effort. Designed by the noted local architect James McLaughlin, the sanctuary is graced by several Tiffany windows and a distinctive wood-carved pulpit. 

Rev. Thayer's ministry was the longest in the church's history, and he was the first of three ministers to be awarded the title of Minister Emeritus. The next minister, Alson Robinson, however, served less than one year. His strong pacifism in the midst of World War I did not sit well with a majority of members and he was forced to resign. 

John Malick (1918-1939) succeeded Robinson and served the second longest term in church history. During this period, the church changed its name from the First Congregational Church to the First Unitarian Church and added a meeting room and classrooms to the original structure. Rev. Malick served on the Cincinnati School Board, participated in the State Constitutional convention and spoke out against prohibition in the city.

The Modern Era

The modern era of the church's history begins with the arrival of Rev. Ellsworth Smith. He attracted many new members and the congregation grappled with the need to either build a new church further out in the suburbs or to expand at the present site. The congregation made the conscious decision to remain and expand the building in what was becoming an inner city neighborhood. A large addition with new church offices, a meeting room, kitchen and additional classrooms was competed in 1956. This period marked an important milestone for the church, as the first African American members joined First Church.

The church experienced continued growth under the next minister, Rev. Robert O'Brien (1957-1962). A number of current members joined during this time. This growth, combined with the church's decision to stay in Avondale, spurred some members who lived in the northern suburbs to form a new fellowship. Northern Hills Fellowship (which called its first full-time minister in 1980), was founded in 1961.

Our church was the site of the first kindergarten training center west of the Appalachians and contains a memorial to congregation member William Howard Taft. Some highlights of the church's recent history have included the placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, the celebration of our 150th anniversary in 1980, the rededication of the original building on its 100th anniversary in 1989 and the purchase of the parking lot across Linton Street. 

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