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Reading, Mass. Second Church of Christ records, 1720-1806.

 Collection
Identifier: RG5021

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a single record book. The records in this volume were kept by the church's first minister, Rev. Daniel Putnam, and his successor, Rev. Eliab Stone. Included are vital records of membership, baptisms, marriages, and disciplinary matters, as well as meeting minutes and the church's covenants from 1720 and 1781.

Dates

  • 1720-1806

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.

Digital Reproductions are protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use the Digital Reproductions in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the Congregational Library & Archives for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the Congregational Library & Archives. For additional information regarding copyright, please consult the Congregational Library & Archives' Digital Collections Copyright & Use policy.

Historical Note

The town of Reading was originally settled in 1639 as an offshoot of nearby Lynn, and incorporated as a town of its own in 1644 with a church gathered the following year. By 1713, the northern part of the town had grown large enough that its residents successfully petitioned to become a separate precinct encompassing the area north of the Ipswich River. The first meeting-house was constructed in 1717 and the Second Church of Christ in Reading was gathered on June 29, 1720 with 39 founding members. A call to serve was extended to the Rev. Daniel Putnam, a Harvard Graduate who, at 23, accepted the call. He served as pastor until his death on June 20, 1759.

A second meeting house was constructed on the site of the first in 1752. In 1761, Rev. Eliab Stone, another Harvard graduate, was given the opportunity to become the pastor of the North Parish. He too served until his death in 1822. The third meeting house was constructed in 1829.

Religious turmoil reached the North Parish during the 1830s in the form of increasing disagreements between the Orthodox and Universalist traditions. In 1836, the Orthodox members of the church withdrew and constructed a new church. This split was one of many within the greater Reading community at the time. Beginning around 1875, the Methodist Church in North Reading began meeting on the second floor of the Second Parish’s meeting house. In 1892, the two parishes merged to form the Union Congregational Church of North Reading.

On July 16, 1923, the church was officially incorporated and the bodies of the church and society were merged into one organization. The Union Church voted to join the United Church of Christ during the earlier part of the 1960s. The church continues to serve the community today as the North Reading Union Congregational Church.

Extent

1 Folder

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Second Church of Christ in Reading was gathered on June 29, 1720 with 39 founding members. The first pastor was Rev. Daniel Putnam who served until his death on June 20, 1759. He was followed by Rev. Eliab Stone who became the pastor in 1761 and also served until his death in 1822. Religious disagreements led to a split during the 1830s and in 1892 the Congregationalists and Methodists merged to form the Union Congregational Church of North Reading, which continues to serve the community today. The record book contains vital statistics, meeting minutes, and disciplinary records.

Technical Requirements

To access digital user’s copies via online-interface, a java-enabled web browser is required. Internet Explorer 8.x and later, Firefox 5.x and later, Opera 12 and later, Safari 5.x and later, or any version of Google Chrome are recommended.

Acquisition Information

Materials permanently loaned to the Congregational Library & Archives by the North Reading Historical & Antiquarian Society, North Reading, Massachusetts; Accession: 2011-59.

Accruals

Additional accruals are expected for this collection in the form of full-text transcription. There is no anticipated date for this accrual.

Bibliography

Parker, Margaret. "Historical Sketch." In Two Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary Program: Union Congregational Church North Reading, Massachusetts. Edited by the 250th Anniversary Committee, 6-8. North Reading, 1970. 17.11.1 N81.72 UniCC

Processing Information

Originally processed in 2010 by Jessica Steytler. Re-processed by Zachary Bodnar, June 2018, using DACS Second Edition.

Title
Reading, Mass. Second Church of Christ records, 1720-1806.
Status
Completed
Author
Zachary Bodnar
Date
2018-06-25
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

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