Boston, Mass. Union Congregational Church records, 1822-1984.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the administrative records of the Union Congregational Church, in Boston, as well as records of the church's membership and church activities. The collection contains administrative meeting minutes, vital records, such as records of marriages and baptisms, membership lists, financial documents and ledgers, legal documents and deeds, church histories, records of two church auxiliary groups, and select Sunday service programs.
Dates
- 1822-1984
Creator
- Union Congregational Church (Boston, Mass.) (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 history of the Union Congregational Church begins with the formation of the Essex Street Church in 1819. The church was first formed in Boylston Hall and then moved to the Essex Street location which was constructed later in 1819. In 1822, owing to a disagreement with the church’s pastor, James Sabine, the majority of the congregation returned to the Boylston Hall with Sabine to reform as the Essex Street Presbyterian Church. A minority of the church remained with the church building on Essex Street. With financial support from the Old South Church and Park Street Church, and new members transferring from the Old South Church, Park Street Church, and a church in Braintree, the Union Congregational Church was formally organized in 1822.
Samuel Green was installed as the first minister at the Union Congregational Church in 1823. During his pastorate, which ended in 1834, approximately 600 new members were added to the church’s membership. In 1826, along with the Old South Church and Park Street Church, the Union Congregational Church helped to erect the Hanover Street Church, whose first minister was Lyman Beecher. In 1827, eighteen members of the Union Congregational Church agreeably split with the church to help form the Pine Street Church.
The church was substantially rebuilt in 1840. In 1868, the church’s prudential committee was empowered to buy land at the corner of Columbus Avenue and West Newton Street. Construction on a new church building was completed in 1870. In 1907, at the recommendation of an ecclesiastical council, the Berkley Temple Congregational Church, whose history began with the formation of the Pine Street Church in 1827, merged into the Union Congregational Church.
Demographic changes to the South End of Boston caused major financial hardship for the Union Congregational Church throughout the first half of the 20th century. The Old South Church provided significant financial assistance during this time, however, by 1948, it was clear that the church could not remain solvent. In 1948, the Union Congregational Church merged into the Old South Church.
Ministers of the Union Congregational Church
- Samuel Green
- 1823-1834
- Nehemiah Adams
- 1834-1878
- Henry M. Parsons
- 1870-1874
- Frank Warfiel
- 1876-1881
- R. R. Meredith
- 1883-1887
- Nehemiah Boynton
- 1888-1896
- Samuel Lane Loomis
- 1896-1907
- Allen A. Stockdale
- 1907-1913
- Ernest Graham Guthrie
- 1914-1925
- Herbert A. Jump
- 1927-1932
- Dwight J. Bradley
- 1934-1937
- Fred D. Bennett
- 1938-1944
- Ferdinand J. Loungway
- 1945-1948
Extent
3.27 Cubic Feet (3 boxes, 2 folders)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The history of the Union Congregational Church begins with the formation of the Essex Street Church in 1819. In 1822, owing to a disagreement with the church’s pastor, a minority of the church withdrew from the Essex Street Church and reformed the Union Congregational Church. The church was substantially rebuilt in 1840 and a new church building was constructed at the corner of Columbus Avenue and West Newton Street in 1870. In 1907, the Berkley Temple Congregational Church merged into the Union Congregational Church. In 1948, the Union Congregational Church merged into the Old South Church. This collection contains the administrative and membership records of the Union Congregational Church and includes meeting minutes, financial ledgers, legal documents, vital records, and records of church activities.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the five series listed below. Materials within each series have been arranged primarily by chronological order and secondarily by topic, when appropriate.
Series 1: Church records, 1822-1984
Series 2: Pew records, 1822-1905
Series 3: Financial and legal records, 1840-1949
Series 4: Membership records, 1876-1973
Series 5: Histories and programs, 1906-1945
Acquisition Information
Materials were initially donated to the Congregational Library & Archives at an unknown date; no accession number. The volume of worship programs was donated by Hubert E. Beckwith in March, 2019; 2019-22. Additional materials related to the merger between the Union Congregational Church and the Old South Church were acquired in an accrual of materials from the Old South Church; 2022-13.
Bibliography
Processing Information
Processed by Thomasin Kellermann in April 1988. Reprocessed by Zachary Bodnar, November 2023, using Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
- Baptismal records.
- Berkeley Temple Congregational Church (Boston, Mass.)
- Boston (Mass.) -- Church history.
- Christian union.
- Church finance.
- Church membership.
- Church records and registers.
- Essex Street Church (Boston, Mass.)
- Legal documents.
- Marriage records.
- Old South Church (Boston, Mass.)
- Pews and pew rights.
- Union Congregational Church (Boston, Mass.)
- Worship programs.
Creator
- Union Congregational Church (Boston, Mass.) (Organization)
- Title
- Boston, Mass. Union Congregational Church records, 1822-1984.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Zachary Bodnar
- Date
- 2023-11-29
- Description rules
- 3
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Congregational Library & Archives Repository