Channing Memorial Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation named in memory of William Ellery Channing (1780-1840), founder of Unitarianism in America. Channing was born in Newport on April 7, 1780, in a building on School Street, which now houses Child and Family Services of Newport County. His grandfather, William Ellery, was one of the Rhode Island signers of the Declaration of Independence; his home is still standing on Washington Square. Channing was the minister of the Arlington Street Church in Boston from 1803 until his death in 1842. In his later life, Channing summered here at Oakland. His defense of human dignity inspired and inspires many, including Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Horace Mann, Dorothea Dix and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Among the notable past members of the Church are Julia Ward Howe, feminist and founder of the first International Mothers' Day, and Alfred Smith, who developed Bellevue Avenue. The congregation was organized October 24, 1835 in the home of William Ellery, Jr., and its first meeting house was dedicated July 27, 1836 by Channing. That building today is the Atrium Condos on Mill Street. The present edifice was built in 1880, as part of the international Centennial Celebration of Channing's birth. The architect was Elbridge Boyden of Worcester, MA, who also designed Mechanic's Hall of that city. The Church Building (above) is located at 135 Pellham Street in Newport, RI. It sits across the street from Touro Park, a peaceful spot located in the middle of a bustling tourist community. The Parish Hall, which houses RE classes and coffee hour is located directly behind the church building, and Channing House, which holds the Minister's Study and the Church Secretary's office is adjacent to the Chuch building to the left.

The Minister's Study (right) is located in Channing House next door to the main Church Building. It is used by the minister for pastoral counseling and for small committee meetings. The church secretary sits just outside, at the entrance to the building, greeting visitors and answering the phone.

Front of the Church (left). Facing Pelham Street, the Church contributes to the dignified Victorian appearance of the historical neighborhood. Constructed of stone, the spire can be seen from boats and ships in Newport harbor. Our "wayside pulpit," a wooden message board seen just below the LaFarge stained glass window at the front of the church, is used to convey one-sentence messages to pedestrians and passers-by. Our sanctuary contains many works of art. The Memorial Windows include two by John LaFarge, one of which, "Through the Valley of the Shadow," is located at the rear of the sanctuary. The window in the chancel, "The Parable of the Sower," is the work of LaFarge's associate, Donald McDonald of Boston, and was a gift of Channing's descendants.

The transept windows are the work of S. P. Belcher of Newark, N.J. Samuel West of Boston crafted the other windows. The Saint-Gaudens bas-relief near the entry is of Charles T. Brooks, who served this church for nearly 40 years as its first minister. The statue of Channing across the street is the work of William Clark Noble.