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Somerville, Massachusetts. Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church. Records, 1864 -2002.

Records, ca. 1864 - 2004

RG 4674

7 linear feet

Processed June 2002 by Jessica Steytler.

Copyright: requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the archivist or librarian.

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History of the Church

The Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church started off in 1864 with the name Winter Hill Orthodox Congregational Church. Founding leaders in the church included Rev. E. Porter Dyer, Samuel F. Rugg, Samuel Oakman, Benjamin W. Eldridge, Joseph P. Williams, and John W. Atwood. The records note 26 "constituting members."

The Reverend William H. Pierson, pastor from 1872 - 1881, was greatly influenced by a Unitarian beliefs. In early 1881, these beliefs triggered a schism in the congregation. There were a number of pastors that lead the newly formed Broadway Congregational Church, while Charles L. Noyes guided the (original) Winter Hill Congregational Church/Society. In 1918, the two churches reunited under the Rev. Noyes, who remained pastor until 1922. The church has remained like thusly unified ever since.

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Name Changes

1863-1866 Winter Hill Orthodox Congregational Church
1966-1881 Broadway Orthodox Congregational Church of Winter Hill
1881-1918 Schism
1883-1918 Broadway Orthodox Congregational Church of Winter Hill became Winter Hill Congregational Church
1883-1918 Broadway Church became Broadway Congregational Church
1918-2004 Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church
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Pastors

1863-1866 E. Porter Dyer, Acting Pastor 
1866-1868 E.P. Marvin, Acting Pastor 
1868-1870 Samuel H. Virgin, first Pastor      
1871 no pastor 
1872-1881 William H. Pierson
Broadway Congregational Church Pastors During Schism
1881 A.H. Quint, Acting Pastor  
1884-1889 Lewis V. Price
1889-1891 Charles E. Andrews   
1891-1893 Joseph F. Loverling, Supply Pastor 
1894-1905 Horace H. Leavitt
1905-1912 Robert W. Beers
1912-1918 George L. Parker
Winter Hill Congregational Church Pastor During Schism
1882-1918 Charles L. Noyes
Broadway Winter Hill Church Pastors
1918-1922 Charles L. Noyes
1922-1925 Albert Buckner Coe
1925-1936 Klein K. Haddaway
1937-1973 William T. Howe
1973-1989 Jacob Merrill
1990 J.J. Gunther III, Interim Pastor  
1991-2000 L.J. Knight, Pastor   
2001 J.J. Gunther III, Associate Pastor  
2001-2004 Russell Kent, Pastor 
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Scope and Content Note

The Rev. Russell Kent contacted the Congregational Library in 2002; he was concerned about the church's older records and he wanted to make sure that nothing was lost or destroyed accidentally. The church kept its active records until it closed in 2004. The types of materials within the collection include church meetings, membership records, pastor's records and reports, financial and building records, clubs, societies, sunday school, and historical records.

The church's records: annual meetings and such, are steady until 1977, then there is a large gap until the final days of the church from 2000 - 2004. These last records are not complete. The most valuable part of Series 2 is a set of minister's reports which span from 1925 to 1968. The financial records are consist ant up to 1999, after which point, they are less complete or missing. Membership lists do not extend past 1977 and baptisms not beyond 1984. The social and charitable organizations, particularly the Woman's Union, are well represented from the earliest years up to the 1960s, with a particular boom in all groups in the 1930s. Researchers should be sure to look at the historical sketches in Series 5.

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Description

Series 1. Church Records. This set of records contains reports from church council meetings, annual meetings, by - laws, statements of faith, covenants, constitutions, membership, correspondence, and some committees: executive, nominating, and personnel. The ledgers and folders are arranged in ascending chronological order. During the schism years, the records from the separate churches are kept together as often as possible.

Series 2I. Minster Records. These records can be divided into two sections. First are reports given at annual meetings (1920s and 1930s) during Rev. Haddaway's and Rev. Klein's tenures. Supplementary folders belong to Charles Noyes and Albert Coe. The second half contains records of the search for a new pastor in 1990 - 1991, which resulted in Linda Knight's call to the church.

Series 3. Financial and Building Records. The majority of this series are treasurer's reports. The folders are arranged in clusters: benevolence reports, treasurer's reports, and financial ledgers, all in ascending chronological order. Older financial records and ledgers that are summarized in treasurer's reports, insurance records, and recent legacies.

Series 4. Clubs and Societies, Sunday School. The dominant group represented in this series is the Woman's Union. The Library chose to keep the Woman's Union annual reports over their minute ledgers when possible. Other groups in this series are the Men's Union, youth groups, and Serviceman's Committee. The Serviceman's Committee was organized to assist soldiers in World War II.

Series 5. Historian Files. This series has notable programs (from new minister installments, anniversaries, and special events), histories of the church, sermons and speeches, and records for historic landmarks. There are a few photographs, but there are only a few individuals identified. There are also a sample of Sunday service programs.

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Folder List

Series 1. Church Records Ledgers-
Box 1 - Oversize documents  
  Broadway Orthodox Church, Records, Membership 1864-1907
  Notice of Special Meeting, Broadway Orthodox 1865
  Noyes, Charles L. Retirement Agreement 1922
  Church Blessing    
Box 2    
  Broadway Orthodox Church, Records   1864-1873
     
  Broadway Orthodox Society, Meetings, Constitution    1869-1883
  Winter Hill Church, Polity and Membership 1883-1905
  Winter Hill Church, Polity, Business, and Annual Meetings  1883-1905
Box 3    
  Winter Hill Society, Polity, Members, Meetings     1883-1906
  Winter Hill Church, Polity, Membership, Special and Annual Meetings 1906-1918
Box 4    
  Winter Hill Church, Meeting Minutes     1906-1918
  Broadway, Polity, Membership Signatures    1893-1906
  Broadway, Standing Committee    1904-1912
Box 5    
  Broadway, Business Meetings    1905-1918
  Broadway, Membership      1907-1918
Box 6    
  Broadway, Standing Committee    1912-1918
  Broadway Winter Hill, Church Council    1954-1967
  Broadway Winter Hill, Membership  1939-1972
  Broadway Winter Hill, Membership  1927-1977
  Broadway Winter Hill, Marriages  1927-1977
  Broadway Winter Hill, Baptisms 1919-1984
 
Series 1, Church Records, folders
Box 7    
1
2
3
4
5-6
7-11
 Records, Broadway Orthodox Church   
By-Laws and Amendments Confessions of Faith, Broadway Church  Church Council, Broadway
Church Council, Broadway
Church Council 
Church Meetings 
1864-1870
n.d., 1969, 1970, 1991
n.d.
ca. 1882
1918-1969
1918-1968
Box 8
   
12-15
 Annual/Church Meetings and Special Meetings  1909-1977
15a.
Meeting Minutes 2000-2004
16-19
 Executive Committee    1932-1966
Box 9    
20
 Correspondence, Winter Hill Church   1910-1918
21
 Correspondence 1922-1956, 1962-1975, 2002
22
 Deacon Reports  
23-26
 Membership letters of admission, dismission 1890s-1960s

Box 10

   
27-30

Membership letters of admission, dismission

 1890s-1960s

Box 11

    
31-32
 Marriage Certificates 1881-1921
33
 Membership Committee     1907-1925
34
 Nominating Committee   1915-1966
35
 Personnel   1988-1994
 
Series 2. Minister Records
Box 12    
1
 Noyes, Charles ca. 1924
2
 Coe, Albert 1922-1925
3
 Minister’s Report. Haddaway, Klein    1925-1936
4
 Minister’s Report. Howe. William T.  1938-1968
5
 Merrill, Jacob F. Obituary 1991
6-9
 Search Committee [New Minister]    1990-1991
 
Series 3. Financial
Box 13    
1
 Treasurer’s and Auditor’s Reports   1906-1919
2
 Financial 1918
3
 Invested Funds, Interest Account  1919-1927
4
 Benevolence Reports                       1925-1967
5
 Renovations 1940
6
 Historic Preservation     1968, 1990-1996
7-9
 Treasurer’s and Auditor’s Reports  1922-1986
Box 14    
10-13
 Financial Ledgers  1988-1991
14
 Pledges                                                      1991, 1992, 1996
15-21
 Financial Ledgers 1992-1996
22
 Land Title, Clearance Defaulted                  1996
23-25
 Financial Ledgers 1997-1999
26
 Energy Conservation     1999
Box 15    
27
 Bequests 1957, 1975, 1987-1991,1999
28-9
 Anderson, Peter, Legacy                   1999
30-1
 Financial Statements    (temporary- destroy after FY 2005 1999
32
 Minister's expenses (temporary til 2005 ) 1999
33
 Building Assessment, Feasibility Study 1999, 2002
34
 Treasurer’s Resignation Letter  2000
35
 Bank, Investment Statements   (temporary?) 2000-2001
36
 Insurance 2001-2004
37
 Communal building logistics and maintenance 2002-2003
38
 Legal Documents: Church Dissolution 2004
39
 Legal Documents: BWHCC vs. Freedom Ministries 2004
 
Series 4. Clubs and Societies
Ladies Sewing Society and Woman's Union - Ledgers
Box 16    
1-2
 Ladies Sewing Society - 1867-1899
3-6
 Woman's Union - 1918-1938
Box 17    
7-9
 Woman's Union - 1938-1984
10-11
 Letters (Folders) 1906-1964
Charity and Missions - Ledgers
Box 18    
12-13
 Woman's Home Mission 1890-1910
14-15
 Charities Aid 1918-1970
16
 Junior Church Aid 1927-1936
Box 19    
17
 Junior Church Aid 1920-1936
Charity and Missions - Folders
18
 Church Aid 1920-1932 (gaps)
19
 Junior Church Aid 1922-1930 (gaps)
20
 Charities Aid 1920s-1930s, 1972
21
 Missions 1906-1939
Youth Groups,
22
 Winter Hill Youthful Helpers 1896-1899
23
 Young People's Society, 1906, 1920-1935
24
   Christian Endeavor 1938-1952
25
 Youth Groups     1952-1975
Sunday School
26
 Sunday School 1867-1880
27
   1896-1901
28
   1902-1957
Box 20
29
   1959-1966
Adult Groups
30
 Daughters of the Covenant 1906, 1917, 1919
31
   Keys Group 1938-1967 (gaps)
32
 Knights of King Arthur/ Queens of Avalon 1938-1945
33
 Wachusett Club 1916
34
 Walter Colburn Club 1924
35
 Men’s Union, Winter Hill/Broadway Winter Hill   1915-1930   
36
 Servicemen’s Committee   1944-1946
37
 Servicemen’s Committee, Record of Servicemen   1944-1946
 
Series 5. Historian
Box 21    
1
 Church Bulletin 1964-1966, 1990 (gaps)
2
Guest Sign in 1976-1991
3
 Histories of the Church    multiple dates
4
Noyes, C.L. Laying the Cornerstone 1925
5
 Photographs n.d., 1980s
6
 Programs, Anniversaries multiple dates
7
 Programs, Special Events multiple dates
8
 Speeches and Sermons    
9-11
 Sunday Programs early 20th century, 1945-1992 
12
 World War II Honor Roll