1. Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua
Unitarians
In September of 1826, Unitarians moved out of the Olive Street Church and began to meet at Daniel Abbot’s home. They formed a committee to build a church of their own. An architect was hired named Asher Benjamin, who happened to be a fellow Unitarian, as well as an agent of the Nashua Manufacturing Company. Construction began in June 1827 on land that was provided, for the cost of $1.00, by the Nashua Manufacturing Company. When the church was completed, Daniel Abbot and the men of the committee marched to the new sanctuary and were greeted by the ladies of the church for the very first service.
By 1835, Daniel Abbot and Christopher Page donated land to what the church already owned so that the cemetery could be built.
Note that each of the entasis columns on the front of this Greek Revival church are one solid white pine tree trunk. When looking at the front of the church from the street, the set of large granite steps does not line up with the front door. Why? In 1927 the church building was moved 20 feet to accommodate the addition of the church hall.
Universalists
A Universalist Church was formed in 1818. For a while they met in the Nashua Manufacturing meeting house. They eventually built their own church on the corner of Main and Pearl Street. The building still exists as the Bar Harbor Bank. The Universalists merged with the Unitarians in 1956 to form the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua.