Springfield, Massachusetts. Emmanuel United Church of Christ. Records, 1881-1998.
Records, 1881 - 1999
RG 4392
7.5 linear feet
No Access Restrictions.
Processed December 1998 by Virginia Hunt. Reprocessed May 2000 and 2005 by Jessica Steytler
Copyright: requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the archivist or librarian.
Top of pageIntroduction
The Emmanuel records were donated by the church's last pastor, Marion Hansen in 1998, when the church closed. The initial survey and processing was started by Virginia Hunt in 1998, and the collection was completed in May, 2000 by Jessica Steytler. The collection is arranged by series.
Top of pageHistorical Note
The community started to meet regularly in 1881 in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was not officially formed until 1888, and then under the name White Street Congregational Church. In 1894, the governing body changed the name to the Emmanuel Congregational Church. Orville Reed was the first ordained minister at Emmanuel (1883 - 1885). The final name change came in 1962 - 1963 when the community chose Emmanuel United Church of Christ.
The community went through several buildings during its lifetime. The first official chapel was built at the corner of Orange and White Streets and dedicated in 1884 when the congregation numbered forty - five. By 1905, the community started planning to expand and completed the new church by March 1907. Thanks to land purchased in 1919 at White and Sumner Streets, the church could continue to grow. A new church was built in 1927; the old church was sold in 1928. The final building was constructed in 1939 when the congregation numbered over 600 members.
Emmanuel had a number of pastors:
Orville Reed 1883 - 1885
Henry Todd 1885 - 1888
E.H. Byington 1888 - 1889
L.F. Giroux 1889 - 1895
D.L. Kebbe 1895 - 1901
J.J. Newton 1901 - 1903
O.C. Bailey 1903 - 1904
O.W. Means 1904 - 1913
A.H. Hope 1914 - 1918
E.H. Thayer 1919 - 1929
Andrew J. Stanton 1929 - 1963
Nevin M. Kirk 1963 - 1977
Philip H. Ward 1977 - 1979
George A. Paboojian 1979 - 1981
Harris B. Hinchcliff 1981 - 1982
Robert Lambert 1982 - 1988
Linda W. McFadden 1988
Paula Nordhem 1988 - 1994
David H. Reinke 1994 - 1995
Marion Hansen 1995 - 1998
Top of pageScope and Content Note
Series I - Church Records
Polity
The first section includes polity issues: by - laws, statements of faith, council mintues, annual minutes, and correspondence. The earliest of these records, bound notebooks, date back to 1924. These bound ledgers include membership statistics.
Clerk Records and Membership
The second section includes clerk's records and membership. The files include correspondence, vital statistics, admission, dismission, baptisms, and church directories
Legal Documents
There were two mergers and a file regarding the name change from "Congregational" to "UCC." Embezzlement and Larceny plagued the church in the last few years before its closure. The files from these problems are also included, plus the church's dissolution papers.
Financial
The majority of the financial records were are included in annual reports or the bound ledgers. The files here were loose pages: reports, bequests, some late tax and personnel information.
Series II: Church Life
Building
The files in this section are deeds to property, fund drives, building improvements, and finally tenants (1980s and 1990s)
Ministers Files
This section contains
Series III - Administration/Pastor Files
The first part of this series contains legal documents: bequests, trusts, grants, leases, mortgages, deeds, statements of sales, and estate improvements. Following these documents are church records for improvements, repairs, relations with neighbors, and similarly - related estate management files.
There are several files that were created by the last pastor, Marion Hansen. Within Reverend Hansen's records are worship services. Following Reverend Hansen's records are pulpit searches, Congregational Yearbooks, by - laws, church constitution, legal suits, damage reports to the property, guest books, and other administration files.
Series IV - Church Groups
Includes records from the Mother's Club, the Study Club, the Brotherhood, Education Committee, Fireside Forum, Women's Guild,, and the Pilgrim Fellowship.
Series V - Historical Material -
Includes many scrapbooks, which document the earliest activities up to the last years of the church. There are anniversary records, brochures, pamphlets, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other such ephemera
Series VI - Photographs
The dates of the photographs range from the 1900s all the way to 1996 (approximate). Not all the photographs are dated, nor are all the individuals or events identified. Some featured events are: the Strawberry Festival, anniversary celebrations, and holidays.
Top of pageFolder List
| Series 1: Church Records | ||
| Polity: Council Minutes, Annual Reports, Correspondence | ||
| Box 1 | ||
| Constitution and By-Laws (2 copies) | 1925-1993 | |
| Minutes, Membership, Vital Statistics |
1924-1937 | |
| Minutes and Membership | 1937-1954 | |
| Nominations | 1942-1946; 1930;1960 | |
| Box 2 (legal-sized documents) | ||
Minutes, Clerk's Reports | 1954-1995 | |
| Church Clerk's Records | 1953-1990 | |
| Congregational Meeting Minutes | 1973-1987 | |
| Meeting Minutes | 1980-1989 | |
| Box 3 | ||
| Calls for Meetings | 1965-1986 | |
| Council Minutes (5 folders) | 1965-1985 | |
| Box 4 | ||
| Council Minutes (4 folders) | 1986-1999 | |
| Special Meetings minutes | 1982-1995 | |
| Annual Reports (3 folders) | 1957-1979 | |
| Box 5 | ||
| Annual Reports (2 folders) | 1980-1997 | |
| Correspondence (6 folders) | 1929-1948 (gaps); 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990-1995; 1995-1998 | |
| Clerk's Records, Membership | ||
| Clerk's Records | 1963-1981 | |
| Church Clerk Reports [annual reports] (2 folders) | 1972-1985 | |
| Wedding, Funerals, Memorial Funds, Baptisms | 1982-1991 | |
| Box 6 | ||
| Church Records, Vital Statistics | 1930-1952 | |
| Clerk's Records, Memebership notes | 1972-1985 | |
| Membership Directories (2 folders) | 1960-1983;1984-1996, gaps. | |
| Membership | 1995-1996 | |
| Letters of Dismission/Verification Letters | 1963-1977 | |
| “Transfers In” [membership] Forms and Corresp. | 1966-1989 | |
| "Transfers Out" membership correspondence (2 folders) | 1967-1989 | |
| "Transfers Out" membership forms | 1964-1989 | |
| Membership Revisions (3 folders ) | 1964-1975; no date | |
| Certificates of Transfer | 1993-1995 | |
| Box 7 | ||
| Membership files | n.d. | |
| Box 8 | ||
| Legal Documents | ||
| Auburndale Baptist and Emmanuel Consolidation | 1929, 1941-1943 | |
| Name change, Emmanuel UCC | 1964 | |
| Materials pertaining to merger of Emmanuel and Faith Church | 1966-1967 | |
| Parish Appraisal Committee | 1982 | |
| Embzzlement Problems: Notes | 1995-1996 | |
dePaz, Edgar, Larceny Lawsuit |
1996 | |
| Reinke Lawsuit (4 folders) | 1994-1996 | |
| Parsonage Damage | 1996 | |
| Chalice Theft | 1996 | |
| Church Repairs | 1996 | |
| Church Dissolution | 1999 | |
| Box 9 | ||
| Financial Documents: Further financial information available with annual reports. | ||
| Financial Reports, Correspondence | 1925-1942, incomplete | |
| Bequests, trusts | ||
| Daily financial journal | 1965-1973 | |
| Financial | 1992-1997 | |
| Taxes, Personnel | 1993, 1995-1999 | |
| 1995-1998 | ||
| Financial Summaries | 1996-1999 | |
| Membership Dues list | no date | |
| Box 10 | ||
| Building | ||
| Deeds | ||
| Congregational Church Building Society, Mortgage Papers | ||
| Church: Orange/White Streets: |
||
| Boiler Replacement | ||
| Building Fund Brocures | 1909, 1938 | |
| Building Fund Correspondence | 1969 | |
| Building Notes | 1919-1939 | |
| Construction | 1926-1939 | |
| Floor Plans | 1981 | |
| Irvington Street Parking Problems | 1975-1977 | |
| Organ Fund, Memorial Gifts | 1958 | |
| Report of the Sanctuary Improvement Committee | 1988 | |
| Building Tenants | ||
| Building Use | 1995, 1996 | |
| Inglesia Petecostal Fuente de Liberacion | ||
| Make Way For Ducklings (Daycare) | 1984-1998 | |
| Perlman, Mark | 1997 | |
| Russian Church- Hope | ||
| Tenants' Meeting | ||
| Box 11 | ||
| Minister Files | ||
| Minister Changes | 1978-1984 | |
| Pulpit Search, Rev. Paboojian | 1978-1979 | |
| Pastor Administrator Correspondence | 1995-1998 | |
| Hansen, Marion Woods license renewal | 1998 | |
| Manuscript and Sermon Colossians II, 2-4 | ||
| Sermons, Hansen | 1996-1997 | |
| Church Service Programs | 1923-1978, 1998 incomplete | |
| Funeral and Wedding Services by M. Hansen | 1996 | |
| Box 12 | ||
| Open Door Newsletters | 1975-1990 | |
| Box 13 | ||
| Auxiliary Groups | ||
| Lay Life and Work Committee | 1970-1971; n.d. | |
| Church Life Committee: Leadership, Records | 1979-1982 | |
| Christian Education Committee | 1969-1981 | |
| Cookbook | 1898 | |
Women’s Guild Records (2 folders) |
1949-1962 | |
| Women's Guild Minutes | 1950-1962 | |
| Emmanuel Brotherhood, Records | 1946-1962 | |
| Emmanuel Study Club Records | 1961-1969 | |
| Box 14 | ||
| Emmanuel Study Club Records (9 folders) |
1946-1969 + other dates | |
| Emmanuel Mother’s Club Records | 1949-1964,1954-1963 | |
| Emmanuel Mother’s Club Schedules | ||
| Box 15 | ||
| White St. Mission Sabbath School Roll, Sunday School Directories | 1881, 1898, 1900 | |
| Sunday School Record Book |
1941-1942 | |
| Cradle Roll | 1927 | |
| Early History of Troop 21 | ||
| Missionary Correspondence (typed copies) | 1840-1841 | |
| Congregational Christian Compact for World Order | 1944 | |
| Box 16 | ||
| Fireside Forum |
1944-1945 | |
| Fireside Forum, Guest Book | 1946-1948 | |
| Fireside Forum, Records | 1952-1953, 1955 | |
| High School Fellowship Records | 1933-1934 | |
| Pilgrim Fellowship Records (4 folders) | 1936-1949 | |
| Scrapbooks | ||
| Scrapbooks (2) | 1881-1963, 1917-ca 1940s | |
| Box 17 | ||
| Scrapbook | 1929-1979, 1931 | |
| 1938-1984 | ||
| Women’s Guild Scrapbook | 1947-1952 | |
| n.d. [ca. 1950s] | ||
| Scrapbook (2 folders) | 1979-1993 | |
| Scrapbook | 1994-1995 | |
| Box 18 | ||
| Historical | ||
| Guestbook | 1947-1976 | |
| Guest Books |
1946-1994 |
|
| Photograph album | ||
| Cambridge Platform of 1648, 300th Anniversary | 1948 | |
| Church Histories | mulitple dates | |
| 50th Anniversary | 1931 | |
| 75th Anniversary notes |
1956 | |
| 100th Anniversary notes and materials | 1984 | |
| Minister installations and farewells | ||
| Church Dedications and Anniversaries | ||
| Awards | 1917, 1988, 1994, n.d. | |
| Church Historian Report | ||
| Newspaper clippings | ||
| Ephemera | ||
| Series VI- Photographs | ||
| Box 19 | ||
| Photographs | ||
| Box 20 | ||
| Glass plate negatives | ||
| Box 21 - oversized | ||
| Role of Honor, | ||
| Book of Remembrance | ||
| clippings | ||
Oversize - folio
Declaration of Conscientious Objection to World War II
Photograph
Emmanuel Guild