To begin with, I want to thank Melina Bordeau and Paul Franz from the Greenfield Recorder for their coverage of the 125th anniversary event at the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Greenfield on Jan. 9. It was important for me to do something to mark the occasion, as public acknowledgement of the history of this congregation in Greenfield, and its current church building in particular.
The congregation began meeting in 1825 on Bank Row before it built the first wooden building on the corner of Main and Hope streets in 1837. After 57 years that building was moved to where it’s now the back offices of the Recorder, and the current building was erected. All Souls doesn’t have the oldest church building still in use in Greenfield, as the Federal Street home of the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew opened in 1849, making that one 170 years old. Still, 125 years is nothing to sneeze at! I mean, how many of us participate with any entity that’s been around that long?
I grew up in Boston in the 1950s to 1970s, in a politically liberal Jewish family that recognized our heritage more than the practice of the religion, and being at All Souls has been my only experience as a part of a religious and spiritual community. When I moved from Maine to Leyden in October 1997, I didn’t know anybody in Franklin County, and didn’t see too many people up on East Hill. And when I was ready to find some community, I came down into Greenfield, and entered the “church” of the Unitarian Universalist congregation. Even though the crosses on the old frames where the hymnal numbers were posted freaked me out a bit at first, it didn’t take too long for me to feel welcome and comfortable there.
Twenty-two years now as a part of All Souls — that’s even longer than the 15 years I had Tasha the wonder dog! But it wasn’t until a few years ago, after I took down the old Famous Bill’s Restaurant signs from the Trail, that I got curious about who Bill was — which is a whole different story — and other Greenfield history.
It was in 2018 that I first began noticing that the current All Souls Church building was approaching its 125th anniversaries, of the corner stone being laid in June 1894, and the building’s opening in January 1895. I began doing some research in the library right across the street, and in the minister’s study in the church, poring through boxes of old photographs and documents, and old books of membership, marriages, memorial services, so forth and so on. After seeing the pictures and reading about so many individuals and families who had put in so much “time, talent and treasure” for a community of spirit, sharing and cooperation that they believed in, and they got so much from, I started getting excited about how we could mark an occasion of significance for All Souls, and for Greenfield as well.
The stories that appeared on the front pages of the Gazette and Courier of June 9, 1894, and Jan. 12, 1895 were thousands of words long. Throngs gathered for these events because the “old” Unitarian congregations of Greenfield drew all kinds of folks who wanted a liberal Christian religious experience, and opportunities to build community that didn’t necessarily recognize being within the four walls of their new, and old buildings. Unitarians and Universalists formed a partnership in 1961, and All Souls has lived that union here in Greenfield for close to 60 years now. The church building needed to be closed for over two months last year to remove asbestos that was uncovered downstairs during a remodeling project, and it took a while to feel “at home” again after our return in mid-October. But we are here, in body and spirit, and the desire to share what we have and know with any and all that wish to witness our presence, and maybe even to join in what we’re doing in our “corner on Hope.” And five years from now, when we can celebrate 200 years as a congregation in Greenfield, won’t that be a time?!
Russ Pirkot is a resident of Greenfield.