Pelham, Massachusetts. Pelham United Church records, 1920-2013.

Collection Information
Title:

Pelham, Mass. Pelham United Church records, 1920-2013.

Creator(s):

United Church of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)
Federated Church of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)
First Congregational Church of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)
Congregational Parish of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)

Dates:

1920-2013

Extent:

15 document cases (4.5 cubic feet)

Collection ID #:

RG5104

Conditions Governing Access:

This collection is unrestricted and open to the public.

Copyright:

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.

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item], in the Pelham (Mass.) United Church records, RG5104. The Congregational Library and Archive, Boston, MA.

Language:

English

Processing information:

Collection accessioned by Jessica Steytler October 2013.

Revision History:

This collection has been minimally processed for access. Please contact the archivist or librarian for more information.

This collection was originally processed in 1988 by Robert Lord Keyes. The Congregational Library & Archives retains this original guide in its collection file. It is available upon request.

Abstract:

The United Church of Pelham was incorporated on June 8, 1959, superseding the Federated Church of Pelham. This collection includes annual reports, minutes, financial papers, pastor papers, Sunday school, woman's guild, and bulletins. Note: This collection has been minimally processed for access and is available for researcher access.

Acquisition Information:

Donated by the Pelham United Church as a gift October 2013.

Historical Note

The United Church of Pelham was incorporated on June 8, 1959, superseding the Federated Church of Pelham. Papers and documents dated before June 8, 1959, refer to the Federated Church of Pelham, while those after that date refer to the United Church of Pelham.

The Federated Church of Pelham was formed in 1936, and joined together the following existing congregations: the Methodist-Episcopal Church of West Pelham (est. 1831), the First Congregational Church of Pelham (est. 1837), also known as First Congregational Parish of Pelham, the Union Church Society of North Belchertown (Dwight Chapel, est. 1886).

The United Church of Pelham did join the United Church of Christ in 1959 and closed in 2013.

 

Scope of Collection

This collection includes annual reports, minutes, financial papers, pastor papers, Sunday School, woman's guild, and bulletins. The time-frame for the records starts in 1920 when the church was known as Pelham First Church and also includes records from when it was Pelham Federated. The bulk of the records are between 1950-1980.

 

Further Searches

Subject Headings

United Church of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)

Federated Church of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)

First Congregational Church of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)

Congregational Parish of Pelham (Pelham, Mass.)

Hampshire-Franklin Meeting House Fellowship

Pelham Rural Fellowship (Pelham, Mass.)

Church membership.

Church records and registers - Massachusetts - Pelham.

Women - Societies and clubs.

Christian education.

Sunday school.

 

Related Materials

Please search the library's online catalog for related materials.

 

Arrangement

This collection has not been fully processed by the Congregational Library and Archive. The collection was originally organized by the church in 1988 and had a number of additions between then and when the church closed in 2013. Items are in the original order in which the records were given to the library, although some material was removed before donation and several of the boxes have been compressed. Researchers will find that this collection does have a significant amount of detail not present in other minimally processed collections. While there are no formal series, the material breaks down in the following sections:

Constitutions, by-laws

Minutes, Reports, Papers

Annual Reports

Financial

Pastors

Sunday School

Women's Guild

Topics 1

Topics 2

Papers to File

Antecedent and Other Churches

Bulletins

 

Contents

Constitution, by-laws

 Date Box
  Articles of agreement Federated Church of Pelham 1936 B1
  Proposed constitution and by-laws 1959 January 5 B1
  Proposed constitution and by-laws 1959 April 5 B1
  Constitution and by-laws 1959 June 8 B1
  Constitution and by-laws proposed changes 1962 B1
  Constitution and by-laws 1962 February 8 B1
  Constitution and by-laws 1967 December 31 B1
  Constitution and by-laws 1971 B1
  Constitution and by-laws 1971 B1
  Constitution and by-laws 1971 B1
Constitution and by-laws proposed changes 1981 B1
 

Minutes, Reports, Papers

 Date Box
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1936 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1937 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1938 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1939 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1940 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1941 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1942 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1943 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1944 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1945 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1946 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1947 B1
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1948 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1949 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1950 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1951 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1952 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1953 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1954 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1955 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1956 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1957 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1958 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1959 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1960 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1961 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1962 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1963 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1964 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1965 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1966 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1967 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1968 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1969 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1970 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1971 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1972 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1973 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1974 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1975-1976 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1977 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1979 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1980 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1981 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1982 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1983 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1984 B2
  Minutes, reports, miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham 1985 B2
  Miscellaneous papers undated B2
Miscellaneous papers Federated Church of Pelham undated B2
 

Annual Reports

 Date Box
  Annual report 1958 B3
  Annual report 1959 B3
  Annual report 1960 B3
  Annual report 1961 B3
  Annual report 1962 B3
  Annual report 1963 B3
  Annual report 1964 B3
  Annual report 1965 B3
  Annual report 1966 B3
  Annual report 1967 B3
  Annual report 1968 B3
  Annual report 1969 B3
  Annual report 1970 B3
  Annual report 1971 B3
  Annual report 1972 B3
  Annual report 1973 B3
  Annual report 1974 B3
  Annual report 1975 B3
  Annual report 1976 B3
  Annual report 1977 B3
  Annual report 1978 B3
  Annual report 1979 B3
  Annual report 1980 B3
  Annual report 1981 B3
  Annual report 1982 B3
  Annual report 1983 B3
  Annual report 1984 B3
  Annual report 1985 B3
  Annual report 1986 B3
  Annual report 1987 B3
  Annual report 1988 B3
  Annual report 1989 B4
  Annual report 1990 B4
  Annual report 1991 B4
  Annual report 1992 B4
  Annual report 1993 B4
  Annual report 1994 B4
  Annual report 1995 B4
  Annual report 1996 B4
  Annual report 1997 B4
  Annual report 1998 B4
  Annual report 1999 B4
  Annual report 2000 B4
  Annual report 2001 B4
  Annual report 2002 B4
  Annual report 2003 B4
  Annual report 2004 B4
  Annual report 2005 B4
  Annual report 2006 B4
  Annual report 2007 B4
  Annual report 2008 B4
  Annual report 2009 B4
  Annual report 2010 B4
  Annual report 2011 B4
  Annual report 2012 B4
Executive board minutes 1950-1959 B4
 

Financial

 Date Box
  Financial ledger 1950-1959 B4
  Ledger (no folder)   B4
  Treasurer's book 1949-1959 B4
  Taxes 1924-1959 B4
  Parsonage rental receipts 1949-1957 B4
  Miscellaneous financial papers 1923-1939 B4
  Miscellaneous financial papers 1941-1956 B4
  Miscellaneous financial papers 1957-1959,
undated		 B4
  Pelham Hill Church restoration 1946 B4
  Estate of Marcia B. Sauter 1957-1958 B4
  Insurance appraisal 1959 B4
  Church parsonage 114 Amherst Road leases and other legal papers 1969-1980 B4
Church parsonage 114 Amherst Road Sale to Steven Weisler and Diane Schwartz 1981 B4
 

Pastors

 Date Box
  List of pastors 1900-1931 B5
  Notes on pastors undated B5
  Charmichael, Rev. James correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1966-1969,
undated		 B5
  Condon, Rev George D. correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1960-1965,
undated		 B5
  Corbett, Rev. Merle Everett correspondence 1960, undated B5
  Cronk, Eleanor correspondence to Federated Church of Pelham 1948 B5
  Dudley, Rev. William E correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1927-1972,
undated		 B5
  Figenbaum, Rev. J.W. correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1972-1987 B5
  McKean, Rev. Philip correspondence 1975 B5
  Morrison, Rev. Ruth miscellaneous papers 1947-1948 B5
  Nelson, Rev. Hart correspondence 1965 B5
  Spencer, George Carl photograph, degree, poem, hymn undated, 1913,
1917, undated		 B5
  Towle, Rev. Gifford H. biography Undated B5
  Towle, Rev. Gifford H. correspondence including from family 1931-1987,
undated		 B5
  Towle, Rev. Gifford H. digest of letters to Evelyn Kimball 1965-1968 B5
  Towle, Rev. Gifford H. and Majorie correspondence from India and photographs 1963 B5
  Towle, Rev. Gifford H. miscellaneous papers on India undated B5
  Towle, Rev. Gifford H. miscellaneous papers undated B5
  Wade, Rev. Ronald C. correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1957-1960,
undated		 B5
  Welch, Rev. Maxwell miscellaneous papers 1944-1957 B5
  White, Rev. Harold B. miscellaneous papers and photograph 1937-1953 B5
  Williams, Rev. J. Paul miscellaneous papers 1940 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1951 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1952-1953 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1953-1954 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1955-1956 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1956-1957 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1957-1958 B5
  Sunday School attendance books 1959-1960 B5
  Sunday School attendance books undated B5
  Sunday School attendance books undated B5
  Sunday School attendance books undated B5
Church and Sunday School attendance record 1962-1966 B5
 

Women's Guild

 Date Box
  Women's guild loose programs and brochures Undated B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1950-1951 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1951-1954 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1954-1956 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1955-1959 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1956-1957 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1959-1960 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1963-1964 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1964-1969 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1967-1969 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1969-1970 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1969-1972 B6
  Women's guild minutes book 1971-1975 B6
  Women's guild notebook not in a folder Undated B7
  Women's guild notebook not in a folder 1983-1991 B7
  Women's guild miscellaneous notebook 1968-1975 B7
  Women's guild programs 1951-1969 B7
  Women's guild programs 1970-1972 B7
  Women's guild programs 1973-1978 B7
  Women's guild president's book 1951-1952 B7
  Women's guild president's book 1952-1955 B7
  Women's guild financial ledger 1952-1957 B7
  Women's guild miscellaneous papers 1951-1983 B7
Women's guild photograph 1976 B7
 

Topics 1

 Date Box
  Membership papers and records 1953-1959 B7
  Membership undated B7
  Membership certificates 1959-1964 B7
  Deacons and Deaconess minutes, reports, papers 1978-1979 B7
  Board of Christian education minutes 1961-1964 B7
  Board of Christian education minutes 1965-1974 B7
  Board of Christian education minutes 1975-1977 B7
  Board of Christian education minutes 1978-1979 B7
  Historian's reports by Herbert Goodell 1974-1984 B7
Historian's notes on the church and Pelham by Herbert Goodell undated B7
 

Topics 2

 Date Box
  Incorporation for United Church of Pelham 1959 B8
  Steps taken to from United Church of Pelham 1959 B8
  "Lord's Acre" news clipping undated B8
  Pops concert fundraiser 1955 B8
  Church dedication program 1959 B8
  Church addition photographs 1960 B8
  Newsletter, The Link 1965 B8
  Mortgage burning 1966 B8
  Rally Sunday 1967-1972 B8
  Sunrise services correspondence with Rev. Arnold Kensworth 1968 B8
  Church activities, slides 1977, undated B8
  Stationary undated B8
  Parishioner's recipes undated B8
  Parishioner's recipes undated B8
  Parishioner's recipes undated B8
  Parishioner's recipes undated B8
  Brewer, M. Louise. "The case of Pliny Hannum" 1933 B8
  Chaffee, William S. certificate recognition of service 1959 B8
  Chaffee, Jessica B. "Pelham song" undated B8
  Packard family in Pelham genealogy undated B8
  Estate of Mary J. Shores 1930-1958 B8
  Pelham Historical Society miscellaneous papers undated B8
  Foerster, William J. "The first trail marker at Bourne." 1984 B8
  Hampshire District Fellowship of Congregational Christian Women annual report 1965 B8
  Photographs, unknown group undated B8
Photograph of auction at Pelham town hall undated B8
 

Papers to file in archives collection

 Date Box
  Church building history undated B9
  Towle, Rev. Gifford ministry at Pelham Hill undated B9
  Towle, Rev. Gifford ministry at Packardville undated B9
  Towle, Rev. Gifford ministry at Dwight undated B9
  Towle, Rev. Gifford ministry at Pelham Hill, Pacardville, and Dwight undated B9
  To be filed (newspaper clipping) 1989 B9
  Church council minutes 1960-1963 B9
  Church council minutes 1964-1967 B9
  Church council minutes 1968-1970 B9
  Church council minutes 1971-1974 B9
  Church council minutes 1975-1978 B9
  News clippings undated B9
To be filed undated B9
 

Antecedent and other churches

 Date Box
  Pelham Rural Fellowship minutes and papers 1939-1942 B9
  Pelham Rural Fellowship minutes and papers 1943-1947 B9
  Pelham Rural Fellowship minutes and papers 1948-1953 B9
  Hampshire-Franklin Meeting House Fellowship minutes and papers 1954-1956 B9
  Hampshire-Franklin Meeting House Fellowship minutes and papers 1957-1961 B9
Hampshire-Franklin Meeting House Fellowship minutes and papers 1964-1965,
undated		 B9
 

Bulletins

 Date Box
  Bulletins 1937-1954 B10
  Bulletins 1955-1969 B11
  Bulletins 1970-1979 B12
  Bulletins 1980-2001 B13
  Bulletins 2002-2008 B14
  Bulletins 2008-2013 B15

 

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