Credit:NYSCU, 2002

Church of the Redeemer
Universalist Church

Lockport, New York

Built 1843

Universalist itinerant preachers arrived in the Lockport area as early as 1835. The first preacher of record was Rev. John Potter who reached in Lockport during the winter of 1836-37. The Rev. Luther Knapp was an early preacher in Lockport, although we have no record of his actual dates. A society was organized, but unfortunately died out for unknown reasons, perhaps resistance from more traditional Christian sects.

Lockport’s Universalists remained unorganized until 1841 when the Rev. Charles Hammond arrived from Royalton. Hammond, it is said, was a great orator, who later in his ministry became the editor of a Universalists newspaper published in Rochester, The Western Luminary.

Hammond set out to reestablish the Universalist faith through a new society. After several well-attended meetings in the court-house he felt the time had come for a permanent base. Now being refused use of the court-house, they hired a hall and continued to worship every other Sunday. In February of 1842, the Conference of the Niagara Association of Universalists convened in the Lockport Methodist Church for two days. During that time a number came to the Universalist faith. The enlarged fellowship then moved to Franklin Hall.

On April 11, a society was formally organized. A few weeks later (May 5) the society was incorporated. Following this, the newly organized society set-about to build their meeting house. A lot was purchased for $800 at the corner of Church and Ontario Streets. Rev. Hammond moved on to other work in the spring of 1843, and the Rev. B.B. Bunker was called as pastor. Under his pastorate the stone church was completed and during the fall of 1843 and dedicated on December 22. A Sunday School was organized in 1841.

Around 1868 the church was remodeled at a cost of about $6,000.

The church was dissolve in March, 1938 and on January 4, 1941 the New York State Christian Universalist board sold the church building to the Presbyterian Church Society which operated as Hamilton House. Since 2005 it has been home to the Erie Canal Discovery Center. The ground floor of the building houses the City of Lockport Visitor Center and the “Lock, Stock & Barrel” Museum Shop. Sadly, nothing of the sanctuary remains.

Credit:Church as Canal Center
Credit: Niagara History Center

Bibliography
History of Niagara County, New York (New York: Sanford & Co., 1878) p. 208, Transcribed on 18 Jul 2011 by Karen E. Dau of Rochester, NY [External Link]
New York Stat e Convention of Universalists [External Link]

[Church history may be updated as new information comes to light.]