Our HistUUry 5/1/2026
The Minister Who Enabled a Small Congregation to Build a Building
Amid shifting demographics and declining income, the small congregation of Unity Church relocated north of Fullerton Avenue in 1903, renting space at 333 Hampden Court. At the time, services were led by visiting preachers, but the congregation needed a permanent minister.
In early 1904, they called Rev. Fred V. Hawley, former Secretary of the Western Unitarian Conference. Within his first year, attendance stabilized and began to grow. Confidence returned, and the congregation realized that building their own church was within reach.
Hawley served Unity for twenty-three years, leaving a lasting impression on those who knew him. One associate described him as “a minister of the greatest friendliness and sweetness of nature, with a heart-moving eloquence in both prayers and sermons.” Another called him “an awfully nice man, a fine preacher, with a wonderful philosophy of life,” while a third simply described him as “a sweet idealist.”
His gentle, scholarly approach inspired deep affection and loyalty among church members, though his influence rarely extended far beyond the congregation itself. One member wrote appreciatively of his “quiet, intensive sermons filled with spirit,” noting that “if he were a little more sensational, he might draw a larger public, but he truly preached to the few.”
Hawley also introduced important practical changes. He led the transition away from pew rentals to a system of free seating supported by general subscriptions and pledges, making membership more accessible. He also established the practice of welcoming new members through small ingathering ceremonies during Sunday services.
By 1926–27, the congregation was once again aging, as younger members moved to the suburbs and new changes loomed on the horizon. Before those changes could take shape, Rev. Hawley was struck by a truck on Clark Street and died from his injuries, bringing an abrupt end to his long and steady ministry.
