Hyde Park, Boston, Mass. First Congregational Church of Hyde Park records, 1860-2003.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of records from the First Congregational Church of Hyde Park from its inception in 1860 until 2003. Records include administrative records, meeting minutes, financial records, correspondence, bulletins and event programs, building records including blueprints, membership records and materials, photographs and scrapbooks.
The bulk of administrative records and correspondence were created between 1860-1930. The membership records cover the church’s entire time frame. Researchers interested in the church’s membership should devote time to the membership cards in boxes 13-16.
There is a largely complete collection of church bulletins from 1888-1976. Also of particular note are the scrapbooks and photographs for those interested in the visual history of the church and its impact on its community as represented from newspaper clippings. The Annals of the First Congregational Church of Hyde Park by William Lewis, 1860-1949, contain a detailed sketch of the church’s history during the period for which most of the records in this collection pertain.
Dates
- 1860-2003
Creator
- First Congregational Church (Hyde Park, Boston, Mass.) (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
Access to this collection is unrestricted and open to the public.
Conditions Governing 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
In June 1857 the first religious meetings were held in the village of Hyde Park and a Sabbath School was started. The first Congregational service in Hyde Park was held in December, in Bragg’s Hall and led by Rev. L.R. Eastman. On May 7, 1863, an Ecclesiastical Council met to a organize a Congregational Church and a new church of 10 members was established and named the Hyde Park Congregational Church.
A gift of land was secured from the Real Estate and Building Company in 1865. The church operated as a Church and Society from 1866-1895 when it became incorporated. The original church building was erected in 1868.
Reverend Perley B. Davis was installed as the first pastor of Hyde Park Congregational church in 1867 and remained in the position until 1892. He was proceeded by Reverends Andrew W. Archibald, Henry N. Hoyt, and Lucius F. Reed between 1893-1910. Rev. George W. Owen served as reverend from 1911-1948 and oversaw the church during its largest period of growth and change as it moved into a newly erected church building at the start of his appointment.
The new auditorium seated 520 on the floor and 170 on the balcony. An organ was gifted to the new church by Mr. Edward E. Taylor of Boston in honor of his mother. The new church building had plain glass windows upon its construction. George Owen chose the theme of the evolution of Christianity for new stained-glass windows which were created by Charles J. Connick and installed in 1917. In November 1915 the old church building was sold.
The church continued operating through the 20th century. Due to declining membership the church closed in 2009.
Ministers
- 1867-1892
- Perley B. Davis
- 1892-1897
- Andrew W. Archibald
- 1898-1908
- Henry N. Hoyt
- 1908-1910
- Lucius F. Reed
- 1911-1948
- George W. Owen
- 1948-1953
- Eugene Gilmore
- 1954-1955
- Malcom W. Garland
- 1956-1960
- Allan R. McAllaster
- 1961-1967
- Kenneth J. Sanford
- 1967-1989
- K.S. Jordan
- 1990-2007
- J.M. Smith
Extent
15.4 Cubic Feet (15 boxes, 6 cases)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The First Church of Hyde Park was established in 1860, incorporated in 1895, and closed in 2009. The original church building was constructed in 1865. Rev. George Owen gave the first sermon in the new church building in 1911 and new stained glass windows were added in 1917. This collection contains administrative records, membership information, photographs and scrapbooks, and church group records from 1860-2003 with the bulk of the records created between 1860-1930.
Arrangement
Materials in this collection have been arranged into five series by the subject of the records they contain: Administration, Services and fellowship, membership and vital statistics, church groups, and photographs and scrapbooks These series are then then further broken down into subseries by topics and then secondarily by chronology. Series 1 has 6 subseries representing administrative topics, Series 2 has 6 subseries divided by topics related to the services and personnel of the church, Series 3 has 6 subseries divided by the type of membership record, Series 4 has 13 subseries representing each of the church groups, and Series 5 contains 2 subseries divided by type of material.
Series 1: Administration, 1860-1993
Subseries 1: Administrative records, 1860-1954
Subseries 2: Financial records, 1867-1993
Subseries 3: Annual reports, 1870-1958
Subseries 4: Prudential Committee records, 1875-1927
Subseries 5: Supply Committee records, 1892-1910
Subseries 6: Executive Committee records, 1869-1955
Series 2: Services and fellowship, 1868-1999
Subseries 1: Correspondence, 1868-1971
Subseries 2: Ecclesiastical council, 1874-1935
Subseries 3: Events and anniversaries, 1876-1999
Subseries 4: Bulletins, 1888-1976
Subseries 5: Ministers and sermons, 1892-1969
Subseries 6: Member discipline, 1899
Series 3: Membership and vital statistics, 1860-2003
Subseries 1: Admissions, 1860-1999
Subseries 2: Dismissions, 1869-1986
Subseries 3: Member records, 1892-1974
Subseries 4: Membership cards, circa 1880-2000
Subseries 5: Baptisms, weddings, and funerals, 1948-2001
Subseries 6: Membership lists, 1863-2003
Subseries 7: Membership materials, 1870-1925
Series 4: Church groups, 1871-1972
Subseries 1: Sunday school, 1871-1972
Subseries 2: Heart and Hand Society, 1877-1884
Subseries 3: Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, 1884-1909
Subseries 4: Junior Society of Christian Endeavor, 1889-1902
Subseries 5: Auxiliary to the Woman's Board, 1872-1939
Subseries 6: Junior Auxiliary to the Woman's Board, 1894-1903
Subseries 7: Woman's Home Missionary Union, 1885-1929
Subseries 8: Maternal association, 1889-1906
Subseries 9: Social committee, 1900-1924
Subseries 10: Church Aid Society, 1905-1931
Subseries 11: New Church Building committee, 1884-1917
Subseries 12: Woman's Union, 1917-1923
Subseries 13: Fairmont Circle, 1949-1954
Series 5: Scrapbooks and photographs, 1900-2003
Subseries 1: Scrapbooks, 1900-1938
Subseries 2: Photographs, 1908-2003
Acquisition Information
Materials were donated to the Congregational Library & Archives by First Congregational Church of Hyde Park in April 2009; no accession number.
Bibliography
Processing Information
Originally processed in 2012. Re-processed by Graham Cousins, August 2025, using DACS Second Edition.
- Church buildings.
- Church bulletins.
- Church correspondence.
- Church finance.
- Church membership.
- Church records and registers.
- Church societies.
- Clergy conferences.
- Davis, Perley, B., 1832-1916
- First Congregational Church (Hyde Park, Boston, Mass.)
- Owen, George W., active 1911-1948
- Photographs.
- Sunday schools.
Creator
- First Congregational Church (Hyde Park, Boston, Mass.) (Organization)
- Owen, George W., active 1911-1948 (Person)
- Davis, Perley, B., 1832-1916 (Person)
- Title
- Hyde Park, Boston, Mass. First Congregational Church of Hyde Park records, 1860-2003.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Graham Cousins
- Date
- 2025-18-08
- Description rules
- 3
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Congregational Library & Archives Repository