First Unitarian Church, San Jose

The First Unitarian Church of San Jose is located at 160 North Third Street in downtown San Jose, across from Saint James Park, and was designed in "Richardsonian Romanesque" style by architect George Page, who also designed the Hayes Mansion. Local historian Linda Larson Boston called the building, “One of a handful of American churches patterned after Unitarian churches of Transylvania, it features a large triple-arched stained glass window on the facade, multiple domes and cupolas, and both round and square towers,” in her pamphlet, Highlights of San Jose, California’s Saint James Park and Environs. The congregation purchased the site in 1888, and the cornerstone was laid in a ceremony on September 23, 1891. The building is registered as Number 902 on the list of California Historical Landmarks.

On October 16, 1995, the church was gutted by a six-alarm fire that occurred during a major renovation project. For three years the congregation met at the community center across the street until the sanctuary was ready for services in 1998. Final restoration and renovation of the building cost $8 million, with work and fundraising continuing until 2001.As part of the renovation project, the church added classrooms and office space in its basement so that it could establish the Third Street Community Center in 1998. The center is a separate, non-sectarian non-profit that houses the Don Edwards Computer Learning Academy, an after-school program, and ESL classes serving low-income and immigrant neighbors.