Summit, Ill. First Congregational Church of Argo records, 1912-2010.

Collection

Identifier: RG5561

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains both administrative and membership records for the First Congregational Church in Argo, Illinois. The records include marriage records, baptismal records, membership records, remembrances, building records, an account book, a year book from the Women’s Association, a church constitution, and a document declaring the formation of the church.

Dates

1912-2010

Creator

First Congregational Church of Argo (Summit, Ill.) (Organization)

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

The Ladies Society of Argo was founded, with help from the Congregational Sunday School and Publishing Society, on May 5, 1911. From its formation, the goal of the Ladies Society was to form a church in the Argo community, which by 1911 had been anexed by the city of Summit. That effort had multiple starts but eventually resulted in the gathering of the First Congregational Church of Argo in 1913. Construction on a church building began in 1915 and the church dedication took place on May 7, 1916.

The church grew during the 1920s and by 1934 the mortgage for the building was paid off. The church building was renovated in 1938. The church underwent another renovation in the early 1960s and an addition to the church to support educational and recreational purposes was completed on November 6, 1960. The church joined with the United Church of Christ after the denomination’s formation in 1957. The church likely closed sometime between 2011 and 2018.

Extent

0.35 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The First Congregational Church in Argo, Illinois, was gathered in 1913 and construction on its church building was completed in 1916. The church underwent renovations in 1938 and in the 1960s with an addition to the church built in 1960. The church joined with the United Church of Christ. The church likely closed sometime between 2011 and 2018. This collection contains membership records, including baptismal and marriage records, as well as early records related to the formation of the church and the construction of its building.

Arrangement

This collection has been arranged in chronological order by start date.

Custodial History

The materials in this collection were given to the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, likely around the time of the church's dissolution. There is no further documentation on how the materials arrived at the Illinois Conference.

Acquisition Information

Materials were donated to the Congregational Library & Archives by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ in December 2024; accession number 2024-46.