"On the night of January 5, 1828, twelve gentlemen met at the home of Mr. Nathan Hastings in the town of Providence to discuss the formation of a new religious society according to the principles of the Unitarian faith."  So marks the beginning of Westminster Unitarian Church.

The new congregation called themselves the Westminster Unitarian Society, and the first services were held in an empty building that once housed a brewery.  In May of 1828, land was purchased on Mathewson Street in Providence, between Westminster and Washington Streets.  Plans for a new church building project began.  Frederick A. Farley, Westminster's first minister, was ordained during that year by William Ellery Channing. 

The first few years were rough, with the congregation beset by debt from their new church building.  But the church overcame its money woes, and the Unitarian congregation grew.  Over the years, the church was used for a variety of activities, from a growing church school to anti-slavery meetings.  In 1849, Rev. Frederic Henry Hedge became pastor of Westminster.  Rev. Hedge became one of the best-known Unitarian theologians of his time.  Along with Emerson, he was one of the founders of the Transcendental Club.

Dr. Augustus Woodbury succeeded Rev. Hedge in 1857.  His ministry is often referred to as the "Golden Age of Westminster Church."   The membership flourished and the church was a leader in Providence public affairs.

In the late 19th century, the Mathewson Street neighborhood had changed from residential to business, and membership in Westminster declined.  The society moved from Mathewson Street to a chapel on Adelaide Avenue in Providence.  The congregation called themselves the Woodbury Memorial Unitarian Church, and its first service was held on January 5, 1902.  After 5 years the society outgrew the chapel, and a new church building was erected on Adelaide Avenue.  It was dedicated on September 27, 1909.  The name Westminster Congregational Society was readopted.

The first 20 years at the new location were successful.  In the 1940s, under the ministry of its pastor, Rev. Richard W. F. Seebold, the church also regained its prominence in Providence civic affairs, with various Westminster groups helping out with the war effort on the home front.

In the 1950s, the church again faced financial troubles.  In January of 1954, a proposal to unite with the First Church of Providence was put before the congregation.  The merger did not happen; instead, a massive drive to attract new members began.  Attendance at services increased and new members joined the congregation.

Later in the decade, a new Unitarian fellowship was proposed for southern Rhode Island.  Many of Westminster's members now had homes south of Providence and had an interest in attending a church closer to their homes.  In 1958, the congregation voted to relocate to the Madeline Standish estate in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.  The first service was held on the lawn in September of 1958.

In the early 1960s, William Warner designed a new church building.  Groundbreaking took place in March of 1963.  Warner won an award from the "National Conference of Religious Architects" for his design of the Westminster Church.  In July of 1965, the matching parsonage was completed.  In 1969, the addition of Fellowship Hall and improvements to the Church House were completed.

The 1970s were filled with events such as potluck dinners, ski and skate sales, Earth Day activities, and the Christmas Fair.  There were gains in membership and an increase in attendance at services and the church school.  In 1977, Rev. Frederick Gillis became the minister at Westminster.  During  Rev. Gillis's tenure, the membership and school attendance continued to grow.

The 1980s were a time of growth and renewal.  New chairs for the Church were bought in 1983. The mortgage was retired in 1984. Church building projects were undertaken to maintain and improve the Church properties.  A major capital fund drive produced extensive maintenance and repair, a new pipe organ, and an endowment fund.  More new programs were started, such as the Passover Seder, a Study Group for Unitarian Universalist history, Dinners for Eight, and the clothing sale.  It was also during these years that the RE Coordinator became a paid part-time position rather than a volunteer position.

In the 1990s, the Church began having two Sunday morning Worship Services rather than a single one. And in 1990, the Welcoming Congregation Committee was started, when a proposal was brought before the board for their approval. At the May 1995 Congregation Meeting, the congregation unanimously voted to request the Welcoming Congregation Status from the UUA, which was later granted. (Please see the Welcoming Congregation section for the full story).  The RE Program continued to flourish. Many new curriculums, including the OWL (Our Whole Lives) were introduced.

The turn of the century saw more changes for Westminster. In early 2003 Rev. Frederick Gillis announced his retirement, after more than 25 years as Westminster’s minister. Before he retired, the board of directors voted unanimously to name Rev. Gillis “Pastor Emeritus.”

In August, 2003, Rev. Deborah Mero joined us as our interim minister.  At the end of two years, we were still looking for a settled minister, not unusual for a congregation that has had a long-term settled minister. Because of UUA restrictions on the length of time an interim minister can serve a congregation, Rev. Judith Downing joined us in August, 2005, as interim minister.

Rev. Barbara Fast was installed on November 5, 2006. After nearly four years of an extraordinarily succesful ministry, Rev. Fast was called to Danbury, Connecticut.  We are currently enjoying the interim ministry of Rev. Tricia Brennan as we search for our next settled minister.