An excellent example of an early 20th century church designed in the Colonial Revival style, the former Second Unitarian Church of Brookline (now Temple Sinai), was built when much of the surrounding neighborhood was developed and as a result, is tucked away off main streets, creating a unique viewshed for passersby. Brookline’s second Unitarian Church was formed in 1896, with the congregation holding its first meetings at Sears Chapel in the Longwood neighborhood nearby. Decades later, the Second Unitarian Society was urged to find another place for its congregation as the Longwood church wanted full access of their building. The Unitarians purchased a lot of land adjacent to their Parish House in Coolidge Corner (no longer standing) and gathered funds to hire architect, Edwin J. Lewis Jr., who is said to have designed the new edifice as a contemporary take on Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia. The church features a monumental portico supported by four Ionic columns, round arched windows, and a center tower that (at the time) was surmounted by a golden dome, visible for miles. Since 1944, the former church has been home to Temple Sinai, a reform synagogue that was established in 1939. The Jewish congregation here has maintained the building making slight changes to meet its needs.
Buildings of New England 