Skip to main content

Springfield, Mass. Emmanuel United Church of Christ records, 1881-2000.

 Collection
Identifier: RG4392

Scope of Collection

This collection includes topics on church polity; reports and minutes of meetings; membership and vital statistics; correspondence; legal and financial documents; tenants to the building; auxiliary group records; photographs; scrapbooks; newsletters. The earliest the church governmental records go back to is 1925. The very earliest records are from the Sunday school. The scrapbooks have been reformatted for preservation purposes.

Dates

  • 1881-2000

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

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

Copyright

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

The community started to meet regularly in 1881 in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was not officially formed until 1888, and then under the name White Street Congregational Church. In 1894, the governing body changed the name to the Emmanuel Congregational Church. Orville Reed was the first ordained minister at Emmanuel (1883-1885). The Auburndale Baptist Church merged with Emmanuel in the 1940s and Faith Church in the 1960s. The final name change came in 1962-1963 when the community chose Emmanuel United Church of Christ. The community went through several buildings during its lifetime. The first official chapel was built at the corner of Orange and White Streets and dedicated in 1884 when the congregation numbered forty-five. By 1905, the community started planning to expand and completed the new church by March 1907. Thanks to land purchased in 1919 at White and Sumner Streets, the church could continue to grow. A new church was built in 1927; the old church was sold in 1928. The final building was constructed in 1939 when the congregation numbered over 600 members.

Pastors

  1. Orville Reed, 1883-1885
  2. Henry Todd, 1885-1888
  3. E.H. Byington, 1888-1889
  4. L.F. Giroux, 1889-1895
  5. D.L. Kebbe, 1895-1901
  6. J.J. Newton, 1901-1903
  7. O.C. Bailey, 1903-1904
  8. O.W. Means, 1904-1913
  9. A.H. Hope, 1914-1918
  10. E.H. Thayer, 1919-1929
  11. Andrew J. Stanton, 1929-1963
  12. Nevin M. Kirk, 1963-1977
  13. Philip H. Ward, 1977-1979
  14. George A. Paboojian, 1979-1981
  15. Harris B. Hinchcliff, 1981-1982
  16. Rober Lambert, 1982-1988
  17. Linda W. McFadden, 1988
  18. Paula Nordhem, 1988-1994
  19. David H. Reinke, 1994-1995
  20. Marion Hansen, 1995-1998.

Extent

6.7 Cubic Feet (16 cases, 1 carton, 5 boxes, 1 folder, 1 object)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The church started as White Street Congregational Church in 1881, but did not officially start until 1888. The collection includes topics on church records; pastor files; church groups; historical material; and photographs.

Arrangement

  1. Series I- Church Records
  2. Series II: Church Life
  3. Series III- Administration/Pastor Files
  4. Series IV- Church Groups
  5. Series V- Historical Material
  6. Series VI- Photographs

Accruals

There have been two accruals since the collection was accepted in 1998. No further accruals are expected.

Title
Springfield, Mass. Emmanuel United Church of Christ records, 1881-2000.
Status
Completed
Author
Jessica Steytler
Date
2015
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