King Seaman United Church

On the east side of the King Seaman School Museum is the Seaman United Church. It is said that after a meeting with Rev. Nathaniel Gunnison, founder of the Universalist Unitarian Church in Boston, Amos Peck Seaman was so impressed that he became himself a member of this faith. The church was to be Universalist Unitarian but was intended to be used by all Protestant denominations. A clause in Amos’ will stated that if it ever became the sole property of one denomination it was to revert to his estate.

It is believed that Amos Seaman built the church around 1848 because a hymn book was found with the date 1864 inscribed inside. The church was originally built for all denominations, and in 1863, it was completed and dedicated a Universalist Church. After Amos’ passing, to fulfill his wishes, the church was used by many denominations such as; Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and occasionally visiting Universalists. In 1997, concern for the old building brought about the King Seaman Church Society. With the pledge to preserve and restore its role as a spiritual center in the community, in 1999, the church became a Municipal Heritage Property. In 2013, the King Seaman Church Society began hosting a service in July, which has become an annual service.

Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), shown in the photo above, was the founder of the Universalist religious denomination in the USA. Amos Peck Seaman was introduced to this faith while living in Boston. The church's official name is the ‘King Seaman Universalist Church”. Services were held in the church up until 1985. There is no active congregation today but an annual service is held each year in the month of July.