Congregational Unitarian Church

The Unitarian Universalist Church is significant as Ann Arbor's most outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque religious architecture. Designed in 1881 and 1882 by Detroit architects Donaldson & Meier whose firm received numerous important commissions in southeastern Michigan, the church at the corner of State and Huron Streets was the last of many Ann Arbor area stone buildings constructed by the Walker Brothers. Long the site of Unitarian worship, the structure was purchased in 1946 by the Grace Bible Church and rented by them in 1971 to the Bible Church of True Holiness. The general configuration, the materials, the window shapes, and especially the tower are strongly related to the work of Henry Hobson Richardson. This building is an outstanding example of what is now known as Richardsonian Romanesque, a blending of Romanesque details with Richardson's own powerful creative force. The use of heavy rough ashlar trimmed in a contrasting color appears often in his work. The Romanesque windows are a standard feature of his buildings, both religious and secular. Finally, the tower, both from the standpoint of its overall massing, and its details, is strongly reminiscent of the tower of the Trinity Church in Boston. Richardson's winning of the competition for this church in 1872 was the real beginning of his remarkable career which spanned fourteen years until his death in 1886. The influence of that church and other of his buildings spread throughout the country during this period, and almost to the end of the century in some locales. Michigan, and Ann Arbor in particular, have a number of buildings which evoke the memory of Richardson's work, but none of them relate in such a direct way to the building which launched his career as does the Unitarian Universalist Church.

The Unitarian Universalist Church building is virtually unaltered in its appearance except for the addition of a student center to the north, built around 1920 to match exactly the materials and style of the original. The building is constructed of rough ashlar stone, in random shades of brown and tan, with trim and accents of black stone. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles, though there is reason to believe that it was originally slate. Located on the corner of an important intersection in the city, the building's corner is dominated by a massive tower, square in plan and rising slightly above the top of the roof of the sanctuary. This tower is given an accent by corner turrets which extend above the tower's roof eaves. The sanctuary extends to the east from the corner, and is the most massive part of the building, with a high pitched roof. The offices and library extend north from the tower, and are covered by a lower roof. Most windows are round-topped Romanesque style with stone arches as lintels. The doors are heavy wood. The interior has been greatly altered. The sanctuary now doubles as a church and a basketball court, with masonite and wire now covering the walls and windows. The ceiling is now acoustical tile. All lighting is modern: original was probably gas. The plumbing is new while the steam heat is original. Many of the interior doors are original. The flooring and plaster walls are in good condition, though there is some water damage and the sanctuary floor has been shored up from below with steel columns.