OUR BEGINNING
The origins of the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (FUSW) began in the 1850s with Sunday services held in a private home in Yonkers, New York. By 1856, the crowds became too large for the space, and all interested religious liberals were invited to attend services at the Getty House Lyceum. Unitarians alternated Sundays at the Lyceum with the Universalists, and many individuals were drawn to both types of services. In late 1857, the Unitarians called their first minister, and the next year the church applied for a certificate of incorporation from the State of New York. A Gothic Revival-frame church building on North Broadway in Yonkers was dedicated in the autumn of 1861. The church remained in that building until 1965, when it moved to Hastings-on-Hudson. After Hurricane Ida, in 2021, the building suffered severe flooding, and we rented space from South Church in Dobbs Ferry, where we meet today.
Read more: Our Historical Past
REMEMBERING THE FLOOD
On Sunday, April 15, 2007 a late-season Nor’easter overtook the region. At FUSW, members of the congregation divided their attention between the service, presented by the Social Action Committee, and the thunderous, sheeting water clearly visible through the large window behind the pulpit.
We’d had floods before—the worst one in memory had come in the mid 1970s when the minister had to be rescued by police and removed from the building in a small boat. But since that time work had been done to make the building less vulnerable to the elements. Now, as the creek at the back of the property began to pour out of its banks, it became clear that it was time to end the service and get out of the building.
Read more: Remembering the Flood
MORE ABOUT OUR RICH HISTORY
We can trace the origins of the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (FUSW) back to Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Cleveland, who moved to Yonkers, NY, in 1853. For many months, the couple hosted Sunday services in their South Broadway home for families with Unitarian sympathies. By 1856, the crowds became too large for a private home, and all interested religious liberals were invited to attend services at the Getty House Lyceum. Various liberal Christian ministers were invited to conduct the services. The first Unitarian sermons were preached on July 6, 1856, by the Rev. Samuel S. Osgood, pastor of the Church of the Messiah (now the Community Church) in New York City. The services were attended by 200 listeners from as far away as Irvington and Fort Washington.
Read more: Our Longer History
Our New Home
Forty-three months after leaving our beloved 25 Old Jackson Avenue, FUSW celebrated Easter Sunday 2025 in our new home! Reaching this milestone was not easy, but we’re excited to have a beautiful sanctuary, a pleasant and functional multi-purpose room, and a sleek, modern pantry—all our own!
Finally, we would not have been able to stay together as a community, meeting in person if it weren’t for the generosity of our friends at South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry. We thank them for providing a welcoming space for us for over three years.
Read more: Our New Home
The origins of the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (FUSW) began in the 1850s with Sunday services held in a private home in Yonkers, New York. By 1856, the crowds became too large for the space, and all interested religious liberals were invited to attend services at the Getty House Lyceum. Unitarians alternated Sundays at the Lyceum with the Universalists, and many individuals were drawn to both types of services. In late 1857, the Unitarians called their first minister, and the next year the church applied for a certificate of incorporation from the State of New York. A Gothic Revival-frame church building on North Broadway in Yonkers was dedicated in the autumn of 1861. The church remained in that building until 1965, when it moved to Hastings-on-Hudson. After Hurricane Ida, in 2021, the building suffered severe flooding, and we rented space from South Church in Dobbs Ferry, where we meet today.
Read more: Our Historical Past
REMEMBERING THE FLOOD
On Sunday, April 15, 2007 a late-season Nor’easter overtook the region. At FUSW, members of the congregation divided their attention between the service, presented by the Social Action Committee, and the thunderous, sheeting water clearly visible through the large window behind the pulpit.
We’d had floods before—the worst one in memory had come in the mid 1970s when the minister had to be rescued by police and removed from the building in a small boat. But since that time work had been done to make the building less vulnerable to the elements. Now, as the creek at the back of the property began to pour out of its banks, it became clear that it was time to end the service and get out of the building.
Read more: Remembering the Flood
MORE ABOUT OUR RICH HISTORY
We can trace the origins of the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (FUSW) back to Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Cleveland, who moved to Yonkers, NY, in 1853. For many months, the couple hosted Sunday services in their South Broadway home for families with Unitarian sympathies. By 1856, the crowds became too large for a private home, and all interested religious liberals were invited to attend services at the Getty House Lyceum. Various liberal Christian ministers were invited to conduct the services. The first Unitarian sermons were preached on July 6, 1856, by the Rev. Samuel S. Osgood, pastor of the Church of the Messiah (now the Community Church) in New York City. The services were attended by 200 listeners from as far away as Irvington and Fort Washington.
Read more: Our Longer History
Our New Home
Forty-three months after leaving our beloved 25 Old Jackson Avenue, FUSW celebrated Easter Sunday 2025 in our new home! Reaching this milestone was not easy, but we’re excited to have a beautiful sanctuary, a pleasant and functional multi-purpose room, and a sleek, modern pantry—all our own!
Finally, we would not have been able to stay together as a community, meeting in person if it weren’t for the generosity of our friends at South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry. We thank them for providing a welcoming space for us for over three years.
Read more: Our New Home
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