Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church has been a presence for liberal religion in the Portland community since 1821, when the First Universalist Society of Portland was formed and the congregation built a wooden church on the corner of Congress and Pearl Streets. The installation sermon was preached by the renowned Universalist preacher, Rev. Hosea Ballou, sometimes called the father of Universalism. Several moves and mergers with other Universalist churches followed until in 1962 the merger between the Universalist Church of America and the American Unitarian Association enlarged our religious tradition.

Our current church building was dedicated in 1971. A dawn redwood tree, which now stands nearly 100 feet tall in the center of our front garden, was planted the same year as a tiny seedling. By 1980 the congregation identified itself firmly as Unitarian Universalist, changing its name to The Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church, now nicknamed “A2U2.”