Built in 1815, by architect David Hoadley, the United Church on the Green was originally known as North Church. In 1884, it merged with Third Church to create a United Church. Both congregations played an active role in the early abolition movement in the United States. Simeon Jocelyn, founding member of the Third Church, became one of the three founding members of the Amistad Committee formed to raise a defense for the Amistad captives. Committee members appealed to the public for both legal and living expenses throughout the trial. After the captives were freed, the Amistad Committee arranged for their return to Africa.

Roger Sherman Baldwin, a member of North Church and a New Haven attorney, offered his legal services to the captives. Over the course of two years, Baldwin successfully defended the Africans' right to freedom. Today a plaque within the church, dedicated to Baldwin and his father's memory, commemorates the active role this congregation member played during the Amistad Incident.

United Church on the Green is located at 323 Temple St. in the New Haven Green Historic District, a National Historic Landmark. The church is open on Sundays from 9:00am to 1:00pm with a service at 10:30am. It is also open by appointment. Call 203-787-4195 or visit the church's website for further information.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary, Amistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut." http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amistad/unt.htm.

Photos courtesy of the United Church on the Green