Unitarian Universalist Church (Savannah, Georgia)

Last updated
Unitarian Universalist Church
"Jingle Bells" Church
Universalist Unitarian Church.jpg
Unitarian Universalist Church (Savannah, Georgia)
32°04′21″N81°05′24″W / 32.0726°N 81.0899°W / 32.0726; -81.0899
Location325 Habersham Street, Troup Square, Savannah, Georgia
CountryUnited States
Denomination Unitarian Universalist
Website Official website
History
Statusopen
Founder(s) Moses Eastman
Architecture
Functional statusused
Architect(s) John S. Norris
Years built1851
Clergy
Minister(s) David Messner [1]

The Unitarian Universalist Church is a historic church at 325 Habersham Street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the northwestern civic block of Troup Square. [1] It was designed by noted architect John S. Norris in 1851 [2] and built with funds left in his will by Moses Eastman, a local silversmith and councillor. [3]

Contents

The Christmas carol "Jingle Bells" was written by the church's music director James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893), [4] supposedly while living in Savannah. [5] [1] The city of Medford, Massachusetts, also claims that the song was written there in 1850, but it has been proven that Pierpont had moved to the west coast to partake in the California Gold Rush at that point. What is known is that he copyrighted the song, with the name "The One Horse Open Sleigh", on September 16, 1857, [6] while he was living in Savannah. [5]

The church was physically moved from Oglethorpe Square to the western side of Troup Square, a distance of a third of a mile, in 1860. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quitman, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Quitman is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,064 in 2020. The Quitman Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medford, Massachusetts</span> City in Massachusetts, United States

Medford is a city 6.7 miles (10.8 km) northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus on both sides of the Medford and Somerville border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jingle Bells</span> American Christmas carol

"Jingle Bells" is one of the most commonly sung Christmas songs in the world. It was written in 1850 by James Lord Pierpont at Simpson Tavern in Medford, Massachusetts. It was published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed that it was originally written to be sung by a Sunday school choir for Thanksgiving, or as a drinking song. Although it has no original connection to Christmas, it became associated with winter and Christmas music in the 1860s and 1870s, and it was featured in a variety of parlor song and college anthologies in the 1880s. It was first recorded in 1889 on an Edison cylinder; this recording, believed to be the first Christmas record, is lost, but an 1898 recording - also from Edison Records - survives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pierpont</span> American poet, lawyer, and merchant

John Pierpont was an American poet, who was also successively a teacher, lawyer, merchant, and Unitarian minister. His poem The Airs of Palestine made him one of the best-known poets in the U.S. in his day. He was the grandfather of J. P. Morgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Lord Pierpont</span> American songwriter and composer

James Lord Pierpont was an American songwriter, arranger, organist, Confederate States soldier, and composer. Pierpont wrote and composed "Jingle Bells" in 1857, originally titled "The One Horse Open Sleigh".

John S. Norris was an American architect.

The city of Savannah, Province of Georgia, was laid out in 1733, in what was colonial America, around four open squares, each surrounded by four residential "tithing") blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks. The layout of a square and eight surrounding blocks was known as a "ward." The original plan was part of a larger regional plan that included gardens, farms, and "outlying villages." Once the four wards were developed in the mid-1730s, two additional wards were laid. Oglethorpe's agrarian balance was abandoned after the Georgia Trustee period. Additional squares were added during the late 18th and 19th centuries, and by 1851 there were 24 squares in the city. In the 20th century, three of the squares were demolished or altered beyond recognition, leaving 21. In 2010, one of the three "lost" squares, Ellis, was reclaimed, bringing the total to today's 22.

<i>8 Days of Christmas</i> 2001 studio album by Destinys Child

8 Days of Christmas is the fourth studio album and only Christmas album by American R&B girl group Destiny's Child, released on October 30, 2001 by Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and the Osgood House</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and The Osgood House are a historic Unitarian Universalist church building and parsonage house at 141 and 147 High Street in Medford, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universalist-Unitarian Church</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The Universalist Unitarian Church is a historic church at the intersection of Silver Street and Elm Street in Waterville, Maine in the United States. Built in 1832 for a Universalist congregation founded in 1826, it is a prominent local example of transitional Federal-Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<i>Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis</i> 1986 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis is the fourth Christmas album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 23, 1986, by Columbia Records. This was Mathis's fourth holiday-themed LP and focused exclusively on secular material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitarian Church (Burlington, Vermont)</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

Built in 1816, the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House is the oldest remaining place of worship established by settlers in Burlington, Vermont. It is located along the northern side of the intersection of Pearl Street and the Church Street Marketplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Our Father (Atlanta)</span> Church in Georgia, United States

Church of Our Father was the first Unitarian church established in Atlanta, Georgia. The church was organized on March 27, 1883, by Rev. George Leonard Chaney, a Boston minister. Rev. Chaney initially held Sunday services in the Senate Chamber, Concordia Hall and the United States Courtroom. A church building was constructed at the corner of North Forsyth and Church Street and dedicated on April 23, 1884. The original building was demolished in 1900.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oglethorpe Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Oglethorpe Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the second row of the city's five rows of squares, on Abercorn Street and East President Street, and was laid out in 1742. It is south of Reynolds Square, west of Columbia Square, north of Colonial Park Cemetery and east of Wright Square. The oldest building on the square is the Owens–Thomas House, at 124 Abercorn Street, which dates 1819.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troup Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Troup Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the fourth row of the city's five rows of squares, on Habersham Street and East Macon Street, and was laid out in 1837. It is south of Colonial Park Cemetery, east of Lafayette Square and north of Whitefield Square. The square is named for George Troup, the former Georgia governor, Congressman and senator. It is one of only two Savannah squares named for a person living at the time, the other being Washington Square.

Moses Eastman was an American silversmith based in Savannah, Georgia. He was also the founder of, and sole benefactor in, the construction of Savannah's Unitarian Universalist Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habersham Street</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Habersham Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Lincoln Street to the west and Price Street to the east, it runs for about 4.82 miles (7.76 km) from East Bay Street in the north to Stephenson Avenue in the south. The street is named for merchant and statesman James Habersham. It was known as Prendergast Street in 1760. Its northern section passes through the Savannah Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Street (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Harris Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Liberty Street to the north and Charlton Street to the south, it runs for about 0.86 miles (1.38 km) from Purse Street in the west to East Broad Street in the east. Originally known only as Gordon Street Harris, its addresses are now split between "West Harris Street" and "East Harris Street," the transition occurring at Bull Street in the center of the downtown area. The street is named for Charles Harris, former mayor of Savannah. The street is entirely within Savannah Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Savannah Unitarian Universalist Church celebrates ‘Jingle Bells’ at annual festival" Savannah Morning News , December 24, 2017
  2. "Life & Architecture of John S Norris" – GoSouthSavannah.com
  3. Savannah in the Old South, Walter J. Fraser (2003), p. 196
  4. "James Lord Pierpont and the mystery of 'Jingle Bells'" – UUWorld.org, December 15, 2014
  5. 1 2 "Was ‘Jingle Bells’ actually written in Savannah? Local historian discusses popular holiday song’s origins" – WSAV, December 25, 2020
  6. Pierpont, J. (September 16, 1857). "One Horse Open Sleigh". Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co. Retrieved December 26, 2006.