Our Society is a direct descendant of the First Universalist Society of Danbury, Connecticut that was organized in 1822. There has been an active Unitarian Universalist presence in Northern Fairfield County since that time. We’re the second oldest UU Society in the Metropolitan New York District.

In 1960, one year prior to the merger of the Unitarian and the Universalist denomoinations, the Danbury Universalist society changed its name to First Universalist-Unitarian Church of Danbury.

The Unitarian Fellowship of Ridgefield held its first service at the Ridgefield, CT Community Center in June, 1964. June and George Volckhausen--names you will hear mentioned reverently amongst our members--provided the driving energy for the founding of the group.

In 1966 the First Universalist-Unitarian Church of Danbury merged with The Unitarian Fellowship of Ridgefield to create the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Fairfield County. The Rev. Ralph C. Bailey was the first minister of the newly named Society, serving through 1970, when the Society moved to West Redding, CT.

After 12 years of lay leadership, the Society entered the Extension Ministry Program of the Unitarian Universalist Association, calling Rev. Stephen H. Furrer in early 1983. Since then we have had Rev. Barbara Pescan as our third Minister, and Rev. Dr. Daniel Simer O’Connell as our fourth Minister, with several interim Ministers to see us through our transitions.

Our current minister is the Rev. Dr. Linda Hansen.

For more details of our history see the following sources:

1. Whitlock, Reverdy (1998) The Story of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Fairfield County 1822-1995.
2. Society History by Rev. Stephen H. Furrer
3. Our Society archivist Douglas Parkhurst

© Copyright 2003 Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury
This page last updated June 6, 2003
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