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History of All Souls
All Souls Church, Unitarian was founded on November 11, 1821, as the First Unitarian Church of Washington. The church evolved out of the Unitarian Society of Georgetown which had been meeting since 1815. Among the church's founding members were John Quincy Adams, John C. Calhoun, Charles Bulfinch, William W. Seaton and Richard Wallach.
The church was a hotbed of Abolitionist sentiment at a time when slavery was legal in the District of Columbia. The Reverend Robert Little preached anti-slavery sermons as early as 1824. The succession of ministers espousing abolitionist views reached its zenith with the calling of William Henry Channing, a vigorous proponent of the eradication of slavery and of equal rights for women.
In the aftermath of Reconstruction (1877), the church moved its quarters to a new building at 14th and L Streets, NW, and officially changed its name to All Souls Church, Unitarian. In 1881 the 14-year ministry of Reverend Rush R. Shippen began. He continued the All Souls tradition of liberal preaching and social activism.
The church's growth greatly accelerated under the long ministry of Reverend Ulysses G. Pierce (1901-1943). As a result of this growth, a decision was made to build a new church to accommodate the plans and activities of a growing congregation. A suitable plot of land was acquired at 16th and Harvard Streets, NW. Construction of the Church's present building began in 1921 and was competed two years later.
The design of All Souls draws on that of the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church of Trafalgar Square, London. The church's bell is from the original church building and was cast by Joseph Revere, son of Paul Revere, in 1822.
In 1943 a dynamic new leader, A. Powell Davies, entered the pulpit of All Souls. (Please click here to see publications by and about Davies.) Davies quickly achieved a national reputation for his progressive views on the issues of the day. He was a forceful advocate for civil rights for African Americans and women, and he was also active on behalf of nuclear disarmament. Rev. Davies' inspired preaching and leadership spawned the growth of new Unitarian churches and societies throughout the Washington suburbs.
Early in the 20th century, All Souls was one of the very few places in Washington available for interracial meetings. Reverend Davies took the lead in the movement to desegregate public facilities in Washington. The early desegregation efforts provided the foundation for the church's entry into the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 1960's. The Reverend James Reeb, murdered during the struggle in Selma, Alabama in 1965, served as Assistant Minister at All Souls until several months before his death.
The church also moved against segregation in its immediate neighborhood. With the assistance of the Unitarian Service Committee, All Souls organized the Columbia Heights Youth Club, the first desegregated Youth Club in Washington, which exists to this day in the basement of the church.
The social, political and cultural turmoil of the 1960's brought new change to the church under the leadership of Dr. Duncan Howlett, currently Minister Emeritus. All Souls emerged at the end of the decade of Dr. Howlett's ministry with a renewed commitment to making the church a witness to interracial harmony and social justice.
All Souls' long commitment to social justice was underscored in 1969 with the call of the church's first African American senior minister, Reverend David H. Eaton. Reverend Eaton brought to the church a prophetic vision, pulpit mastery and commitment to serve the Washington community. The Reverend Eaton served as member and later President of the District of Columbia Board of Education. His activism encouraged many people and groups to launch or house their activities at All Souls, including the Antioch Law School, the DC Music Center, the DC Rape Crisis Center and the Green Door. Under his ministry, the Jubilee Singers group was formed. In 1986 Reverend Eaton received the Clarence Skinner Award for the sermon which best expressed Unitarian Universalist social principles, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology by the Starr King School for the Ministry.
All Souls has a tradition of involvement in the surrounding community, including the Girard Street Playground Project begun in 1962. A major contribution was made by the All Souls Housing Corporation, founded in 1970, which rebuilt low and moderate income housing in the 14th Street corridor that was devastated following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since the late 1970's, the congregation's community outreach has been extended by the Beckner Fund, the annual proceeds of which are used for the enhancement of the church's immediate neighborhood.
All Souls has provided a forum for a broad spectrum of political, intellectual and religious leaders to present their views. Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Luther Adams, Ashley Montague, Margaret Meade, Howard Thurman, Helen Caldicott, Norman Thomas, Taylor Branch, William McFee, Randall Robinson, Noam Chomsky, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Cornel West, Nikki Giovanni, Henry Louis Gates, E. Lynn Harris, and Alice Walker have all received a warm reception at All Souls Church. Most recently, we have been pleased to welcome Mayor Anthony Williams.
The Reverend Daniel Webster Aldridge, Jr., was called to be Senior Minister in 1994. Under his leadership, the church established a formal Policy Statement Against Violence Toward Women. In 1996 All Souls hosted a forum entitled "Jerusalem: Is Coexistence Possible?" with representatives from Judaism, Christianity and Islam. During Reverend Aldridge's ministry the church sponsored Jazz Vespers, the All Souls Church Chess Club, and the All Souls Music and Cultural Festival. In a very difficult time in the church's history, Reverend Aldridge was dismissed from his position as senior minister by vote of the congregation.
Following Reverend Aldridge's departure in 1998, All Souls was served by Interim Associate Minister John DeTaeye, Interim Consulting Senior Minister Reverend Terry Sweetser and Interim Senior Minister Reverend David Keyes.
In May 2001, All Souls called Robert M. Hardies to be Senior Minister. Two days after Rev. Hardies preached his first sermon at All Souls, terrorists struck New York and Washington. From All Souls' bell tower, one could see the Pentagon smoldering across the Potomac. That night, many people sought comfort and solace at a service held at All Souls, which was covered by NPR's Scott Simon. Later that fall, All Souls was once again called upon to serve city and nation by hosting the public memorial service for Joseph Curseen Jr. and Thomas Morris Jr., the two postal workers who died from exposure to anthrax.
What comes next? We hope you will consider helping write the next chapter of the congregation's long and distinguished history.
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View of
the church steeple
from 15th Street
The All Souls Choir
Church members socialize after the
service each week in Pierce Hall
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