Catherine Evans, Ph.D., vice president of the BCHS Board and historian of the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, will read her paper to celebrate the church’s Founders Day:

The Beginnings of Unitarianism in Baltimore: Post-War of 1812 Euphoria to the Panic of 1819

Originally delivered at the convocation of Unitarian Universalist History and Heritage Society in Baltimore in October, 2019, the paper sets the context for the Church's founding, the major events in the time between the founding and the Channing sermon at Sparks' ordination in May, 1819, and the aftermath of the devastating financial crisis of 1819 in which members of the Church played key roles. It draws on our own rich archival resources. How did the Church begin with such elaborate vision and enthusiasm only to fall immediately so deeply in debt that it was a struggling congregation for over five decades afterward? It is an engaging and inspiring story, one we hope you will want to hear. This event concludes the three years of the church's bicentennial celebrations. This event is free and open to the public.