Skip to main content

Arlington, Mass. Pleasant Street Congregational Church records, 1842-2010.

 Collection
Identifier: RG4962

Scope and Contents

This collection contains numerous records from Pleasant Street Congregational church, including as vital statistics, committee records and meetings, minister information, auxiliary information and events, printed materials and annual reports, church finances, church building information and a variety of photographs.

Dates

  • 1842-2010

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Access to this collection is unrestricted and open to the public.

Restrictions on Use

Items in this collection are subject to U.S. Copyright Law. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of collection items and to secure any permissions necessary for their reproduction and publication. Requests for permission to publish material must be discussed with the archivist or librarian.

Historical Note

Pleasant Street Congregational Church was organized in December 1842, as the Orthodox Congregational Church of West Cambridge. Many of the original members of the Orthodox Congregational Church had been members of the First Congregational Church in Arlington but left when the church turned Unitarian in 1828. Anna Bradshaw (1785-1869) played an important role in founding this church by holding the early prayer meetings on her homestead. The parcel of land on which the church was erected was donated by Anna Bradshaw. The church steeple was destroyed by a tornado in 1871 and it was again damaged during a hurricane in 1938. Between 1940 and 1953, Orthodox Congregational Church was renamed Pleasant Street Congregational Church. By 1963, Pleasant Street Congregational Church had joined the United Church of Christ. In April, 2010, a Merger Action Team was formed to explore a merger with the Congregational Church of West Medford, UCC. Within the next year, the church would officially close.

Extent

4.71 Cubic Feet (5 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Pleasant Street Congregational Church was organized in December 1842, as the Orthodox Congregational Church of West Cambridge. Many of the original members of the Orthodox Congregational Church had been members of the First Congregational Church in Arlington but left when the church turned Unitarian in 1828. Between 1940 and 1953, Orthodox Congregational Church was renamed Pleasant Street Congregational Church. The church would officially close its doors in early 2011. This collection contains numerous records from Pleasant Street Congregational church, including as vital statistics, committee records and meetings, minister information, auxiliary information and events, printed materials and annual reports, church finances, church building information and a variety of photographs.

Arrangement

The Pleasant Street Congregational Church records are arranged into three series and seven subseries. Furthermore, each series and subseries is arranged by date.

Series 1: Church records, 1842-2010

Subseries 1: Vital records, 1842-1960

Subseries 2: Committee records and meetings, 1842-2009

Subseries 3: Ministers, 1878-1989

Subseries 4: Auxiliary Organizations and events, 1899, 1937-2010

Subseries 5: Historical information, 1901-2004

Subseries 6: Printed materials, 1901-2007

Subseries 7: Annual reports, 1932-2010

Series 2: Financial records, 1855-1998

Series 3: Photographs, 1871-1999

Acquisition Information

Materials were donated to the Congregational Library & Archives by the Pleasant Street Congregational Church of Arlington, Massachusetts in May 2011; 2014-23.

Related Materials

Additional materials related to Arlington, Mass Congregational Church can be found at the Arlington Historical Society and the Arlington Public Library.

Processing Information

Originlly processed by Stefanie Maclin and Abraham Miller in 2011, using DACs second edition. Updated by William McCarthy in September 2017 and January 2019.

  • History of the United States – Local Arlington Celebrates : The Growing Years: 1875-1975 / Arlington Heritage Trust, 1977. Pipe organs of Arlington Massachusetts / by Alan Miller Laufman, 2000. Sermons and Religious Miscellany All Sermons listed are by Samuel Clarke Bushnell. Sermon in Commemoration of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Pastorate of Rev. S.C. Bushnell, Arlington, Mass., Feb. 5, 1905. Sermons [Bound Volume]. Sermon Preached in Madison, Conn., August 9, 1914. The Transformed Life. Sermon Preached in Old South Church in Boston, June 4, 1917. Church History – Local Favorite Recipes, Bradshaw Friendly Union, Orthodox Congregational Church. Fiftieth Anniversary of the Orthodox Congregational Church, Arlington, Mass., 1842-1892. The First Congregational Parish "The Unitarian Church," Arlington, Massachusetts. Manual of the Orthodox Congregational Church, Arlington, Mass., 1880. One Hundredth Anniversary of the Orthodox Congregational Church, June 7-14, 1942. Pleasant Street Congregational Church Directory, 150th Anniversary, 1842-1992. Two Statements to the Church, December 31, 1944. "The Web Unbroken" : Historical Episodes in Commemoration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Orthodox Congregational Church. Other Print Material Harold C. Knight Associates, Architects [Brochure]. The Small Church Study [1965?]. The Ten Laws : A Foundation of Human Society / by Edward Beecher Mason, 1897.
Title
Arlington, Mass. Pleasant Street Congregational Church records, 1842-2010.
Status
Completed
Author
William McCarthy, Stefanie Maclin, Abraham Miller
Date
2019-01-14
Description rules
Dacs2 2013
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Congregational Library & Archives Repository

Contact:
14 Beacon Street
Suite 200
Boston MA 02108
617-523-0470