The congregations of first the Universalist and then the Unitarian-Universalist churches in Urbana have built, rebuilt, remodeled, and renovated their buildings a number of times through the years. The first church on the Green & Birch Streets site was dedicated on June 18, 1871. 

By 1911, the Universalist minister, Rev. Ezekiel V. Stevens, and church lay leaders wanted to improve and perhaps enlarge the current building. Fundraising for the project – what we might call a Capital Campaign – included bringing the Young People’s Christian Union (YPCU) State Convention to Urbana, submitting information about the building campaign to the Universalist General Convention in Springfield, Massachusetts, and holding local events sponsored by the Ladies Aid society, the Women’s Alliance, YPCU, and the Murray Club.

At the Annual Meeting in January 1913, the congregation passed a resolution, stating “Resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that we proceed to repair in a large way or rebuild this church building, and that the Board of Trustees be instructed to prepare plans and specifications for carrying out this vote.” 

On March 30, 1913, The Building Committee “Moved and carried that an available building fund be created at once and placed in the custody of the church Treasurer, and that said fund may be drawn upon only [by] voucher authorized by the building committee and signed by the Pastor and Moderator.” Two weeks later, on April 13, 1913, the Building Committee “Moved and carried that a special committee be empowered with the responsibility of prosecuting the canvas for subscriptions to the building fund of which committee Rev. Stevens shall be chairman with power to choose two other members. Mr. M.W. Morgan and Mr. Frank Somers were chosen.”

Construction on the new building (our present Sanctuary and its basement) began on October 6, 1913 and was completed in time for Miss Bessie Morgan to marry Mr. Louis H. Smith on June 18, 1914.