Georgetown, Mass. First Congregational Church records, 1731-1866.

Collection

Identifier: RG4967

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The First Congregational Church records of Georgetown, Mass. document the activities and history of the church organization and its members. The documents include meeting and committee minutes, financial records, membership records, vital records, and sermon manuscripts.

Dates

1731-1866

Creator

Braman, Isaac, 1770-1858 (Person)

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 First Congregational Church in Georgetown was originally established in 1731 as the Rowley West Parish, also known as the Second Parish. Prior to the church’s founding, parishioners had to travel a significant distance to worship in Rowley or neighboring Byfield. By 1768 the parish had outgrown its original meeting house and a new building was built. This meeting house, later known as Old South Church, was constructed on the corners of East Main and Elm Streets in 1769.

When the town of Georgetown was incorporated in 1838, the Rowley West Parish was renamed to the First Congregational Church of Georgetown. The third and final meeting house was constructed in 1874 along Andover Street. In 1908, the church merged with the Orthodox Memorial Church. In 1961, the church voted to become a member of the United Church of Christ. The First Congregational Church in Georgetown continues to serve the community today.

Extent

0.62 Cubic Feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The First Congregational Church in Georgetown was originally established in 1731 as Rowley West Parish. When the town of Georgetown was incorporated in 1838, the Rowley West Parish was renamed to the First Congregational Church of Georgetown. The collection includes meeting minutes, financial records and valuable vital records.

Arrangement

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

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

Loaned to the Congregational Library & Archives, August 2011, by the First Congregational Church in Georgetown, Mass; no accession number.

Accruals

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

Processing Information

Originally processed by Christina Prochilo, November 2012. Additional description by Sari Mauro, October 2013, using DACS Second Edition. Additional processing by Zachary Bodnar, August 2018, using DACS Second Edition.