St. Paul’s Syracuse, the Downtown Episcopal Church, will hold its first bicentennial history presentation highlighting the life and work of Arria Sargent Huntington (1848–1921) on Sunday, May 31. The event takes place at the church, located at 220 E. Fayette St.

The schedule for the day includes:

• 10 a.m. – Worship service followed by fellowship
• 11:30 a.m. – Bicentennial history presentation

The presentation will be given by Catherine Baratta, associate professor of social work at Central Connecticut State University. A native of Solvay, Baratta learned much about Huntington through her doctoral work at Syracuse University.

Huntington was the daughter of the Rev. Frederick D. Huntington and Hannah Dane Sargent. She arrived in Syracuse when her father was named the first Episcopal bishop of Central New York in 1869. She remained active at St. Paul’s and in the Syracuse community until her death in 1921.

Throughout her life, Huntington worked tirelessly on behalf of women and children, especially those affected by the Industrial Revolution. In 1897, she became the first woman elected to serve on the Syracuse School Board and later served as school board commissioner. Huntington was associated with organizations such as the YWCA and Syracuse’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital, later known as Syracuse Memorial. She also founded The Huntington Club for Business Girls, which operates today as the Huntington Family Centers on Gifford Street.

The event is free and open to the public. The worship service and presentation will also be livestreamed.

For more information and to access the livestream link, visit the St. Paul's Syracuse website.