In 2023, the UUFH is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
The history of liberal religion in Huntington might well be dated to the 1836 establishment of The First Universalist Church of Huntington. Their church building was on the southwest corner of Main Street and New York Avenue, and the congregation thrived for many years, but in 1913, with membership decreasing, the church was disbanded. In the mid 1940’s, under the leadership of Robert Brockway, then a student of religion, a small group of people began to discuss forming a Unitarian church.
Their discussions culminated in a first Unitarian service, held in the evening of December 7, 1947, in the Methodist Church of Northport. Regular services began under Brockway’s leadership, and on March 21, 1948, the group adopted By-Laws and a Statement of Purpose. This small gathering of churchgoers would eventually become the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington.
At the start, the group defined themselves as the Unitarian Church of Northport, and in time applied to both the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church for official recognition. Because there were fewer than 50 members of the church – the minimum requirement for Unitarian church status – the Unitarian Association gave official recognition to the congregation not as a church but as a fellowship. The group thus became part of the denomination’s new program granting official fellowship recognition to small groups who were seeking affiliation; however, for some time the group continued to describe itself as a church. The Universalist Church denied the group’s request for dual affiliation.
In 1956, the congregation moved to Huntington. Meetings were held on Sunday afternoons at Temple Beth-El on Park Avenue. A year later, the congregation purchased the Carter House on Gaines Street. On March 7, 1957, the congregation was officially incorporated under the laws of New York State under its new name, The Unitarian Fellowship of North Suffolk.
Eventually, the Sunday School expanded into the whole of Carter House, and adult services were moved to the Huntington Masonic Temple. As membership continued to grow, the congregation concluded that both new quarters and professional leadership were necessary.
In 1962, the congregation purchased three buildings on four acres of the former McKesson Brown Estate – the “farmhouse,” now known as the cottage, the garage and servants’ quarters, and a 70-foot-high water tower. Throughout the summer, members labored to convert the garage and servants’ quarters into a worship hall, social hall, kitchen, classrooms, and offices. Members found joy in their new space, but by the late 1970’s, with membership at 250, the space was no longer sufficient. The imposing water tower – a much-beloved landmark – stood on what was deemed the only feasible land for expansion. With heavy hearts, members voted to demolish the tower. The new main hall that rose in its place was not as tall, but it too reaches skyward.
On February 6, 1965, after merger of the Unitarian and Universalist denominations, the congregation again changed its name and became what it is today, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington.
The Renaissance Faire
For more than two decades, the Fellowship held an annual Memorial Weekend Renaissance Faire. From a modest start in 1972, the Faire grew to include numerous arts and handicraft booths, stages for performing groups, jousting by the Society for Creative Anachronism, elaborate costumes, music, food, and children’s entertainment. At its peak, the Faire attracted about 6,000 visitors, bringing contact with neighbors, businesses, group homes and the public. Members experienced the joy of working together on a major undertaking, and the Faire became a significant community event. In time, however, the congregation decided that too much effort was being taken up by the Faire. Members wished to pursue issues of spiritual significance, especially in areas of personal growth and social justice. The Faire came to an end, but the friendships formed in those days still warm our collective memory.
Our Ministers
Unitarian Universalist congregations are governed by congregational polity – the members of the congregation govern the congregation’s activities, not denominational authorities. The congregations conduct ministerial searches and call their own ministers. On June 17, 1962, the congregation voted without dissent to call the Reverend Ralph Stutzman as its first full-time minister. It also voted to maintain a strong lay Program Committee that would offer half of the Sunday services. Reverend Stutzman remained with the Fellowship for eighteen years. He was followed by four full-time settled ministers: the Reverend Bruce Marshall, the Reverend Beth Graham, the Reverend Paul Ratzlaff, and the Reverend Jude Geiger. UUFH is currently in an interim ministry between settled ministers and is being served by the Reverend Doctor Debra W. Haffner. UUFH is now in search for its next settled minister.