Bangor, Maine. All Souls Congregational Church. Records, 1811-1995 [microform]

Records, 1811-1995 [MICROFILM]

RG 4374

7 microfilm reels, positive, 35 mm

No access restrictions. Microfilmed on behalf of All Souls Congregational Church (Bangor, Me.) by the Congregational Library August 1997.

Processed May 1997 by archive staff.

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

 

 

Introduction

Dec. 16, 1947 All Souls Congregational Church voted to deposit the "clerical records" of the Central Congregational Church, First Church and their respective societies at the Bangor Public Library. Their records were to be made available to the clerk of All Souls Church upon written request. Unless recalled by vote of the Board of Trustees of All Souls Church, these records were to remain at the Bangor Public Library.

The All Souls Congregational Church records were accessioned on an item level sometime during the 1960s; the records that arrived at the Bangor Public Library in 1947 also appeared to have been accessioned in the 1960s. The majority of the record books were assigned an individual shelf number and accession number; this information was recorded on a Bangor Public Library bookplate glued to the inside front cover. The accession date, accession number and donor are listed in the container list, to assist access to the physical records in the Bangor Public Library. If the accession information is not listed in the container list, the records do not note this information. The majority of the records are not stored in archival containers and have metal clips and staples.

 

Historical Note

Bangor was originally settled in 1769 by Jacob Buswell; the area was known as Sunbury. In 1791 the town was named Bangor and in 1834 was incorporated as a city. The town grew considerably between 1800 and 1830, when the population increased from 277 to 2868.

All Souls Congregational Church was formed by the union of four different churches: the First Congregational Church, gathered in 1811; Central Congregational Church, gathered in 1847; East Bangor Congregational Church, gathered in 1878; and All Souls Congregational Church, gathered in 1912. The First Congregational Church and Central Congregational Church merged in 1912 to form All Souls Congregational Church. East Bangor Congregational Church existed as a Schedule 1 church from 1961-1981. The original First Congregational Church building was constructed in 1822; in 1830 the building was destroyed by fire and in 1831 the congregation decided to rebuild the church. Note that Series III-B-1 contains the membership record of the Central Congregational Church and Rockland Congregational Church. Rockland Congregational Church existed as the Second East Church of Thomaston until 1848 and of East Thomaston until 1850. The church was listed as a Schedule II church from 1961-1978; the church affiliated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches from 1976 onward.

In 1847 the Central Congregational Church was organized, in response to the increased population of Bangor. In 1900 the Central Church built a Sunday School parish house and in 1903 the congregation built a Gothic-style church building.

The April 30, 1911 fire destroyed the main part of Bangor, including 100 business blocks, 285 dwellings and 7 churches. Among the church buildings destroyed were the First Congregational Church and Central Congregational Church. After the fire the two churches decided to merge to form the All Souls Congregational Church; the formal merger date was March 6, 1912. May 20, 1912 the ground was broken for a new building; the building was completed November 16, 1913.

The First Church parsonage stood on Broadway and escaped damage in 1911; it was used as a parsonage until 1943.

 

Scope and Content Note

Each series represents a church, since each church existed separately prior to the mergers. All of the series labeled Historical Material contain anniversary celebration material, typically printed church histories. If multiple copies existed, the donor and accession information was listed in the container list and the copy in the best condition was microfilmed.

Note that Series I-E-1 contains part of the ministerial record for Rev. Charles Albert Moore (1869-1953), the last minister of Central Congregational Church and All Souls minister from 1911-1935. Series III-B-1 contains Rockland Congregational and Central Congregational membership records. Series III-F-1 Orders of Worship lists the names of the deacons, church clerk, treasurer, auditor, church committee, Sunday school superintendent, president and treasurer of the corporation, board of trustees, building committee members, men's league members, woman's association members, junior auxiliary members, Y.P.S.C.E. members, and ushers. The materials microfilmed in Series III-G are from an envelope labeled "miscellaneous papers." The material microfilmed are legal documents e.g., articles of incorporation. See the container list for more precise content descriptions. Note that the microfilm item number is listed in parentheses in the container list.

 

Description

Series I. First Congregational Church
  A. Church Records, 1811-1950
  B. Society Records, ca. 1863
  C. Sunday School Records, 1819-1832
  D. Historical Material
  E. Ministerial Records, 1893-1943
  F. Printed Material
Series II. Central Congregational Church
  A. Church Records, 1847-1912
  B. Society Records, 1847-1911
  C. Historical Material
  D. Printed Material
Series III. All Souls Congregational Church
  A. Annual Reports, 1953, 1962-1967, 1971-1995
  B. Church/Clerk's Records, 1895-1978
  C. Church/Standing Committee Records
    1. Building Committee, ca. 1952
  D. Ancillary Organizations
    1. Young Persons Society of Christian Endeavors (Y.P.S.C.E.) Records, 1911-1928
    2. Junior Guild Records, 1943-1954
  E. Historical Material
    1. 25th Anniversary Celebration
    2. 50th Anniversary Celebration
    3. 70th Anniversary Celebration
  F. Printed Material
    1. Order of Worship, 1912-1933
  G. Miscellaneous
Series IV. East Bangor Congregational Church
  A. Historical Material

 

 

Container List

     
Box 1

Series I. First Congregational Church

  A. Church Records, 1811-1905
    1. Records of the Church of Christ in Bangor, 1811-1842 (micro. item 1)
      Includes articles of faith, church covenant, meeting minutes.
      285.8741.B2237 C. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church Acc. number 361351. Acc. date Jan. 18, 1949.
    2. First Congregational Church Clerk's Records, 1820-1905 (micro. item 2)
      Contains membership records; alphabetical index in back of volume.
      285.8741.B2237r. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church. Acc. number 361353. Acc. date Jan. 18, 1949.
    3. Clerk's Records, 1842-1858 (micro. item 3)
      Minutes of annual meetings and others meetings; calls to ministers.
      285.8741.B2237c. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church. Acc. number 361352. Acc. date Jan. 18, 1949.
    4. First Congregational Church Treasurer's records, 1842-1893 (micro. item 4)
      Front of volume contains list of treasurers and their years in office. Contains donations and/or accounts of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Maine Missionary Society, First Congregational Church and Society, Union Missionary Society, American Missionary Association and American Sunday School Union.
      285.8741.B22371t. Gift of Irving G. Stetson. Acc. number 563003. Acc. date Feb. 3, 1966.
  B. Society Records, ca. 1863 (micro. item 5)
    1. First Congregational Church Society Subscription, ca. 1863.
      Includes names, amounts and some dates of donors to the parish debt of $10,000.
      285.8741.B2237S. Acc. number 363225. Acc. date March 30, 1949.
  C. Sunday School Records, 1819-1832 (micro. item 6)
    1. Sunday School organized in 1819. Includes meeting minutes, lists teachers and students. Severe aqueous liquid damage.
      285.8741.B2237B. Acc. number 465467. Acc. date July 25, 1958 (unrecorded in vault since 1920).
  D. Historical Material
    1. An Historical Sketch, Articles of Faith, Covenant, and Catalogue of the First Congregational Church, Bangor, Maine from 1811-1856. Bangor, Maine : Samuel S. Smith, printer, 1856. 55 p. (micro. item 7)
      285.8741.B22.1 Copy 1. Gift of Mrs. Fannie Eckstorm. Acc. number 39956. Acc. date June, 9, 1915.
      285.8741.B22.1 Copy 2. Gift of Rev. Charles H. Cutler. Acc. number 6783. Acc. date Nov. 21, 1911.
      285.8741.B22.1 Copy 3. Gift of Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph G. Blake. Acc. number 69850. Acc. date July 1918.
    2. First Congregational Church One Hundredth Anniversary Nov. 26, 1911. Invitation and Order of Service. Manuscript(micro. item 8).
      285.8741.B22.3. Acc. number 54170.
  E. Ministerial Records
    1. Charles A. Moore's Sermon Record, 1893-1943 (micro. item 9).
      Includes date, place, text, subject of sermon and sermon number. Inscription in front of volume reads Charles A. Moore from Mother Sept. 1893.
      285.8741.B224 s. Gift of Margaret Crosby, 1955. Acc. number 420181. Acc. date Feb. 25, 1955.
  F. Printed Material
    1. First Congregational Confession of Faith and Covenant, 1811. Bangor, Maine: Burton and Carter, printers, 1831. Printed (micro. item 10).
      285.8741.B2237 CO. Gift of C. F. Bragg II. Acc. number 488599. Acc. date May 18, 1960.
    2. Crosby, James H. Historical Sketch of the First Congregational Church, Bangor, Maine, 1811-1911. Bangor, Maine : Ira H. Joy [1911]. 46 p. 3 copies (micro. item 11).
      285.8741.B22.2. 2 copies gift of Charles Bragg II. Acc. date Aug. 15, 1996.
      285.8741.B22.2. Gift of Edwin P. Dilllingham. Acc. number 24508.
     
Box 2

Series II. Central Congregational Church

  A. Church/Clerk's Records
    1. Central Congregational Church Clerk's Records, 1847-1887 (micro. item 1).
      Articles of faith, organizational history, covenant, meeting minutes and membership records.
      285.8741.B2238re 1847-1886. Acc. number 361354. Acc. date Jan. 18, 1949.
    2. Central Congregational Church Clerk's Records, 1886-1912 (micro. item 2).
      Membership records, parish and church meeting minutes, installation and calling records, clippings, programs and orders of worship; acidic clippings, programs and orders of worship are adhered to the pages.
      285.8741.B2238r. Acc. number 361355. Accession date Jan. 18, 1949.
  B. Society Records
    1. Central Congregational Society Records, 1847-1911 (micro. item 3).
      Covenant, meeting minutes, treasurer's report.
      285.8741.B2238r. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church. Acc. number 357902. Accession date July 29, 1948.
  C. Historical Material
    1. 1847-1897 Fiftieth Anniversary of the Central Congregational Church Historical Address by Rev. George W. Field, D.D. Delivered April 1, 1897. Printed (micro. item 4).
      285.8741.B25.2 copy 1-3.
      Copy 2 Source unknown, 1915. Acc. 37189.
      Copy 3 Gift of Mrs. Harold H. Hodge, 1915. Acc. number 37222.
      Copy 4 Gift of Reuel S. Kimball, 1915. Acc. number 37295.
    2. Blanding, Edward Mitchell. History of Central Congregational Church, Bangor, Maine, 1847-1912. Historical Address Delivered Jan. 24, 1912 by Edward Mitchell Blanding Clerk, 1896-1912. Printed by vote of Central Congregational Church, ca. 1912. 31 p. (micro. item 5).
      285.8741.B61C. Gift of Charles Bragg II. Acc. date May 28, 1996.
      285.8741.B25.3. Copy 1 Gift of Mrs. Harold H. Hodge. Acc. number 37223.
      Copy 2 Gift of Bangor Historical Society. Acc. number 35088.
  D. Printed Material
    1. Order of Worship, 1905 - 1910 (micro. item 6-11).
    2. Central Congregational Church Confession of Faith and Covenant with Names of Members, Past and Present, 1886 (micro. item 12).
      285.8741.B2238C. Gift of Mrs. Flora E. Hinckley, 1914. Acc. number 31682.
    3. Central Church: An Interesting Sketch of this Parish Recently Read before the Y.P.S.C.E. / W. S. Dennett. 1896. Printed (micro. item 13).
      285.8741.B25.5. Gift of Miss H. G. Crosby, Baltimore, Maryland, 1915. Acc. number 42304.
    4. Year Book of the Central Congregational Church Bangor, Maine, 1897-1898 (micro. item 14).
      285.8741.B25.4. Acc. number 38076.
    5. Bangor Central Congregational Church Manual, 1904 (micro. item 15).
      Printed. Lists pastor, officers, committee members, form of admission, creed, covenant, treasurer's report, clerk's report, members, directory of pew holders.
      285.8741 B25.1. Gift of Rev. C. H. Cutler. Acc. number 36455.
     
Box 3

Series III. All Souls Congregational Church

  A. Annual Reports
    1. Annual Meeting Reports, 1953, 1962-1967 (micro. item 1).
      285.8741.B224O. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church, 1971. Acc. date Jan. 18, 1971.
    2. All Souls Congregational Church Annual Meeting Reports, 1967, 1971-1995 (micro. item 2).
      Includes minister's report, annual meeting minutes, clerk's report, moderator's report, deacon's report, report of committees, alphabetical list of parish members, including addresses and phone numbers.
      285.8741.B224 an v. 2
  B. Church/Clerk's Records
    1. Accessions to Church and Adult Baptisms, 1895-1949 (micro. item 3).
      Membership records of members received into Rockland Congregational Church, Central Congregational Church, All Souls Church, baptisms, printed form of admission.
      285.8741.B224ac. Gift of Margaret Crosby. Acc. number 420180. Acc. date Feb. 25, 1955.
    2. All Souls Congregational Church Clerk's Records, ca. 1912-1978 (micro. item 4).
      Includes alphabetical list of members, list of pastors and officers, baptisms, marriages
    3. Clerk's Records, 1911-1938, 1950 (micro. item 5).
      Typescript pages are pasted into this record book; pages are pasted around manuscript copy.
      285.8741.B224 O. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church. Acc. number 402252. Acc. date June 4, 1953.
    4. Clerk's Records, 1939-1955 (micro. item 6).
      285.8741.B224 O. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church, 1954. Acc. number 413058. Acc. date June 10, 1954.
       
Box 4
    5. Clerk's Records, 1955-1964 (micro. item 7).
      "Official Record Dec. 14, 1955 - Jan. 22, 1964"
      Most years include most of the following: agenda; trustee meeting minutes; church council report; nominating committee report; deacons' minutes; building fund report, call for the annual meeting, annual meeting minutes, clerk's report (includes new members, baptisms, deaths, removals); treasurer's report, Woman's Association report, the Guild report, the Twenty Club report, an organization for the young women of the church; Six Thirty Club report, an organization for business and professional women; Couples Club, Pilgrim Fellowship, an organization for high school age young adults; Parish Canvass Committee; Parsonage Committee; Religious Education Committee; Director of Christian Education; report of minister; ecclesiastical council minutes; Christian Education director's report; Evening Guild, formerly known as the Twenty Club; church school music; pre-school nursery; senior high fellowship; junior high fellowship; week-day school; women's fellowship.
      285.8741.B224 O. Acc. number 570870. Acc. date Aug. 10, 1967.
  C. Church/Standing Committee Records
    1. Building Committee
      All Soul's Congregational Church Building Fund Brochure, ca. 1952 (micro. item 8).
      Includes 3 pp. manuscript history of All Souls Congregational Church.
      285.8741.B224 al. Acc. number 403463. Acc. date, July, 27, 1953.
  D. Ancillary Organizations
    1. Young Persons Society of Christian Endeavors (Y.P.S.C.E.) (micro. item 9).
      Young People's Society All Souls Congregational Church Records, Dec. 31, 1911 - May 20, 1928.
      Includes meeting minutes, some attendance records and secretary's report.
      285.8741.B224r
      Gift of Louis Felix Ranlett, 1974. Acc. date Aug. 5, 1974.
    2. Junior Guild
      Junior Guild Treasurer's Records, 1943-1954 (micro. item 10).
      285.8741.B224tr
      Gift of Louis Felix Ranlett, 1974. Acc. date Aug. 5, 1974.
    3. Junior Guild
      Junior Guild Treasurer's Records, 1935-1956 (micro. item 11).
      285.8741.B224tr
      Gift of Louis Felix Ranlett, 1974. Acc. date Aug. 5, 1974.
  E. Historical Material
    1. 25th Anniversary Celebration
      Caring for the Future of All Souls Church. Issued for the 25th Anniversary in 1937. 18 p. (micro. item 12).
      285.8741.B224C. Acc. number 245761. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church.
      All Souls Church Congregational Bangor, Maine Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Observance, November, 21, 1937 (micro. item 13). Order of Worship 285.8741.B224t
      Gift of Louis Felix Ranlett, January 1938. Acc. number 248291.
    2. 50th Anniversary Celebration
      All Souls Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. March 6, 1962. 69 p. Compiled by All Souls Congregational Church, 1962. 2 copies; 1 copy is hardbound, one copy is softbound (micro. item 14).
      285.8741.B224 all. Acc. number 511365. Acc. date March 9, 1962.
    3. 70th Anniversary Celebration  
      All Souls Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. Bangor, Maine [History]. Bangor, Maine : All Souls Congregational Church, 1983. 2 copies; 1 copy does not have photographs inserted. Based on a similar book issues in 1962 in partial observance of the 50th anniversary (micro. item 15).
      285.8741.B224 all. Acc. date July 27, 1983.
       
Box 5
  F. Printed Material
    1. Order of Worship, 1912-1933 (micro. item 16-36).
    2. What it means to be a member of the All Souls Congregational Church of Bangor, Maine, n.d. (micro. item 37).
  G. Miscellaneous
    Miscellaneous Papers (micro. item 38).
      285.8741.B224m. Gift of All Souls Congregational Church, 1949. Acc. number 363226. Acc. date March 30, 1949.
     

IV. East Bangor Congregational Church

  A. Historical Material
    Mae Colburn Keeler / History of the East Bangor Congregational Church.
      28 p. mss. Church gathered in 1848; notes officers (micro. item 39).
      285.8741.B2245H.