United Memorial Chapel for All Faiths - Atlas Obscura
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United Memorial Chapel for All Faiths

Hudson, Massachusetts

One of the smallest churches in the United States is located along the side of the road in a residential neighborhood. 

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Driving along Causeway Street in Hudson, Massachusetts, you might go straight past a small white building along the side of the road. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was a shed in somebody’s yard, but this small structure is actually a chapel which is known locally as the “original smallest church.”

The United Memorial Chapel for All Faiths was built in 1953 by Reverend Louis Winthrop West right next to his home. It measures just five feet (1.5 m) by 11 feet (3.4 m) and is capable of holding around four people. In the 1970s, it was moved to the grounds of the First Federated Church in Hudson and despite only being able to fit a handful of people it was not uncommon for around 100 people to gather outside for religious services.

In 2003, a former Hudson resident bought the church and had it relocated to Hyannis with the idea of placing it on a barge to use for weddings off Cape Cod, although whether this actually happened remains unclear. Eventually it was brought back to Hudson, where it currently stands along Causeway Street in a residential area. If you have an interest in tiny or peculiar churches, the United Memorial Chapel for All Faiths is certainly worth a quick visit. 

Know Before You Go

You can usually pull over across the street on Collins Drive to see the church for a few minutes. 

world's smallest roadside attractions churches
Nearby
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1.85 miles
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