Union Episcopal Church

Union Church Parish was incorporated by the New Hampshire legislature in 1794, taking its name from a proposed union between the Episcopalians and Congregationalists of Claremont to support a single minister. Although this union was never achieved, the Rev. Daniel Barber, who became rector of the church in 1795, had been trained as a Congregationalist. In 1818 Barber converted to Roman Catholicism, building a brick chapel and school in 1823 across the road from Union Church. Thus, Union Church has the additional religious significance of representing an attempt at cooperation between the Episcopalians and Congregationalists of western New Hampshire, and of giving birth to the first Roman Catholic church in that area.