Unitarian Meetinghouse

The Unitarian Meetinghouse is a historic church at the junction of CT Route 169 and CT Route 6 in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Built in 1771, it is one of a small number of pre-Revolutionary church buildings in the state, and distinctive for having a sufficiently complete documentary record to support a complete restoration. It retains a configuration distinctive of that period, with its main entrance on the long side of the building, and the pulpit opposite. The bell tower with steeple is located at one of the short ends, suggestive of the 19th century change to place the entrance there as well. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.The building is owned and maintained by the Unitarian Universalist Society in Brooklyn, CT. The UUSB are the direct successors of the first Unitarian congregation in Connecticut. Its first Unitarian minister, Rev. Samuel May, was a noted peace activist, education reformer, temperance crusader, supporter of women's rights, and one of the principal supporters of Prudence Crandall, the official female hero of the state of Connecticut. In 1871 the UUSB ordained the Rev. Celia Burleigh, the first female Unitarian minister and one of the very first regularly ordained female ministers in any denomination.