As membership grew at the Unitarian Church North (UCN), operating without a permanent spiritual home became a challenge. In December of 1979, a “Facilities Trust Fund” was established to collect donations, which would contribute to UCN’s future permanent home. In April of 1980, the “Facilities Trust Fund” became the “Building Committee.” Bringing the dream of a permanent home to fruition was a long process taking just under ten years to complete. In September of 1980, the congregation purchased eight acres of land just south of Pioneer Road in Mequon, Wisconsin. In May of 1984, the congregation voted to build an octagonal barn, which echoed a long tradition of octagonal barns built in Mequon since the 1800’s. The congregation finally broke ground In April of 1986. The first image is of the historic cornerstone which commemorates the establishment of a permanent home as well as the growth of the spiritual community at UCN. Construction took a little over a year. The second image was taken from a binder at the UCN archive and shows the ground-breaking on August 19, 1986. The official ribbon cutting ceremony took place in July of 1987.
Find related items in the Unitarian Church North collection.
- Barn
- Building
- Christianity
- Church
- Church Growth
- Faith
- Fellowship
- History
- Mequon Wisconsin
- Mequon, WI
- Photograph
- Protestantism
- Symbol
- Unitarian Church North
- Unitarian Universalism
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- Worship
- Source: "Ten Years In The Barn, A Unitarian Church North Photo History 1986 -1999" Binder. Unitarian Church North Archives, Mequon, WI.
- Creator: Liz Spaide and Bridget Gruel