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Arlington, Massachusetts. Pleasant Street Congregational Church. Records, 1842-2010.
- Collection Information
- Organizational History
- List of Ministers
- Scope and Content
- Box and Folder List
- Appendix A -- Items Removed to the Library's Print Collections
- Appendix B -- Items Removed Due to Duplication of Library Holdings
| Title | Arlington, MA : Pleasant Street Congregational Church records. |
| Creator | Orthodox Congregational Church (Arlington, Mass.) Pleasant Street Congregational Church (Arlington, Mass.) |
| Dates | 1842-2010 |
| Physical Description | 8.5 linear feet. 4 record boxes, 1 document box. 35 volumes. |
| Collection Number | RG.4962 |
| Access Restrictions | None. |
| Copyright | Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the archivist or librarian |
| Language | Material chiefly in English |
| Collection processed by Stefanie Maclin and Abraham Miller, 2011 | |
Abstract
This collection consists of the records of Pleasant Street Congregational Church, organized in 1842. The records document the functions and history of the church, including church governance, finances, church organizations, leadership, and membership.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Pleasant Street Congregational Church of Arlington, Mass., May 2011.
Organizational History
Pleasant Street Congregational Church was organized in December, 1842, as the Orthodox Congregational Church of West Cambridge. Many of the original members of the Orthodox Congregational Church had been members of the First Congregational Church (Arlington, Mass.), but left when the church turned Unitarian in 1828. Anna Bradshaw (1785-1869) played an important role in founding this church by holding the early prayer meetings on her homestead. The parcel of land on which the church was erected was donated by Anna Bradshaw. The church steeple was destroyed by a tornado in 1871 and it was again damaged during a hurricane in 1938. Between 1940 and 1953, Orthodox Congregational Church was renamed Pleasant Street Congregational Church. During the 1960s, the church erected a new steeple. By 1963, Pleasant Street Congregational Church had joined the United Church of Christ. In April, 2010, a Merger Action Team was formed to explore a merger with the Congregational Church of West Medford, UCC. The church closed in early 2011.
Ministers
| Francis Horton | 1843-1854 | ||
| Daniel R. Cady, D.D. | 1856-1877 | ||
| J. Lewis Merrill | 1878-1880 | ||
| Edward Beecher Mason, D.D. | 1882-1889 | ||
| Samuel Clarke Bushnell | 1890-1920 | ||
| Don Ivan Patch | 1920-1926 | ||
| Edward A. Morris | 1926-1930 | ||
| Laurence Barber | 1930-1945 | ||
| David G. Colwell | 1945-1950 | ||
| John A. Heidt | 1951-1960 | ||
| Stuart C. Haskins | 1961-1969 | ||
| Mark Freeman Strickland | 1969-1976 | ||
| Kenneth B. Wentzel | 1976-1989 | ||
| Thomas L. Clough | 1990-1999 | ||
| Pam Ware | 1999-2001 | (Interim Pastor) | |
| Danny Roman Gloro | 2001-2003 | ||
| Lisa Stedman | 2003-2006 | (Interim Pastor) | |
| Rebecca Kavich Girash | 2006-2011 |
Scope of Collection
The Pleasant Street Congregational Church records document activities and the history of the church organization. Records document church governance, finances, church organizations, leadership, and membership. Included in this are calendars, correspondence, reports, minutes, registers, publications, directories, and photographs. Of particular note are the registers and record books from the early years of Orthodox Congregational Church.
Arrangement
The Pleasant Street Congregational Church records are arranged in eight series. The records are arranged chronologically, generally. Some files are in reverse chronological order. Some series have folders in multiple boxes.
| Series I | Governance | |
| Series II | Financial | |
| Series III | Auxiliary Organizations and Events | |
| Series IV | Ministers | |
| Series V | Membership | |
| Series VI | Historical | |
| Series VII | Photographs | |
| Series VIII | Printed Material |
Related Materials
| At the Congregational Library | |
| Arlington, MA : Orthodox Congregational Church. 17.11.1 AR5.32 ORTCC | |
| Sermons by Samuel Clarke Bushnell (1852-1930). | |
| Other material from Pleasant Street Congregational Church can be found at the New England Historical Genealogical Society in Boston as well as the Arlington Historical Society, particularly records relating to Anna Bradshaw. | |
Access Terms
Orthodox Congregational Church (Arlington, Mass.)
Pleasant Street Congregational Church (Arlington, Mass.)
Congregational Churches - Massachusetts - Arlington.
United Church of Christ - Massachusetts - Arlington.
Arlington (Mass.) - Church history.
Massachusetts - Church history.
Church records and registers - Massachusetts.
Arlington (Mass.) - Buildings, structures, etc. - Pictorial works.
Detailed Description and Container List
Series I: Governance, 1842-2010 |
||
| The Governance series includes records relating to the administration and government of the church. Included are Annual Reports, By-Laws, Committee Records, and Correspondence. This series includes records from the foundation and early years of the church. The Records of the Orthodox Congregational Church, 1921-1931, were removed from their original binder and kept in original order. The bound volumes of church calendars are not boxed, rather on a separate shelf. | ||
| Box 1 | ||
| Folders 1-15 | Annual Reports | 1932-2010 |
| Folder 16 | Notices of Annual Meetings and Annual Meeting Minutes | 1954-2010 |
| Folder 17 | By-Laws | 1947-2009 |
| Folder 18 | Committee Records | 1950-1956 |
| Folder 19 | Committee Records | 1955-1962 |
| Folder 20 | Committee Records | 1970-1978 |
| Box 2 | ||
| Folder 1 | Committee Records | 1978-1983 |
| Folder 2 | Committee Reports | 1954-1972 |
| Folder 3 | Committee Reports | 1972-1973 |
| Folder 4 | Committee Reports | 1974-1983 |
| Folder 5 | Church Planning Committee | 1947-1954 |
| Folder 6 | Canvas Committee | 1953-1958 |
| Folder 7 | Board of Deacons | 1961-1962 |
| Folder 8 | Correspondence | 1957-1978 |
| Folder 9 | Records Book, Orthodox Congregational Church | 1844-1855 |
| Folder 10 | Records | 1856-1946 |
| Folders 11-12 | Records of the Orthodox Congregational Church | 1921-1931 |
| Box 5 | ||
| Folder 3 | Original Records of Formation of West Cambridge Orthodox Church | 1842-188 |
| Bound Volumes | Church Calendars, 35 volumes | 1951-1954; 1960-1987; 1990-1996 |
| return to series list | ||
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Series II: Financial, 1855-1997 |
||
| The Financial records document the church finances and the church building. Included are Treasurer’s reports, committee records, insurance information, property records, and documents related to building repairs and renovations. | ||
| Box 2 | ||
| Folder 13 | Financial Records | 1882-1972 |
| Folder 14 | Church Treasurer Reports | 1954-1960 |
| Folder 15 | Building Committee, New Parish House | 1953 |
| Folder 16 | Parish House Furnishing Committee Records | 1955-56 |
| Folder 17 | Estate Bequests and Wills | 1941-1956 |
| Folder 18 | Insurance Papers | 1957-1958 |
| Folder 19 | Property Deeds and Mortgages | 1921-1989 |
| Folder 20 | Building Repairs | 1955-1972 |
| Folder 21 | Blueprints and Architectural Plans | 1952 |
| Folder 22 | Schedule of Rates for Use of Facilities | 1950-1968 |
| Folder 23 | Inventory Lists | 1984 |
| Folder 24 | Existing Conditions Report | 1996-1997 |
| Folder 25 | Steeple Renovation | 1962-1966 |
| Folder 26 | Church Bells | 1948-1962 |
| Box 5 | ||
| Folder 4 | Account Book, Orthodox Congregational Church | 1855-1920 |
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Series III: Auxiliary Organizations and Events, 1899, 1937-2010 |
||
| This series includes the records for church organizations and events, such as the Sunday School and the Pageant of the Brides, an annual event. The church also held retreats at Craigville, a conference center and village, part of the ministry of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Pleasant Street Congregational Church put on and rented space for musical events. | ||
| Box 2 | ||
| Folder 27 | Education, including Sunday School | 1956-1970 |
| Folders 28-30 | Craigville | 1978-1984 |
| Folder 31 | Pageant of the Brides | 1937-1950 |
| Box 3 | ||
| Folder 1 | Auxiliary events | 1956-1979 |
| Folder 2 | Church World Service Day, Cuban Family | 1963 |
| Folder 3 | Homecoming Sunday | 1973 |
| Folder 4 | Church Organ and Musical Events | 1899, 1973-2010 |
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Series IV: Ministers, 1870-1980 |
||
| This series includes programs, biographical sketches, correspondence, and scrapbooks. The scrapbooks from Samuel C. Bushnell were removed from the original bindings and kept in original order. | ||
| Box 3 | ||
| Folder 5 | Ministers | 1890-1980 |
| Folder 6 | Ministers, Installations | 1878-1961 |
| Folder 7 | Ministers, Bushnell, Samuel C., scrapbook | 1890-1920 |
| Folder 8 | Ministers, Bushnell, Samuel C., scrapbook | 1916-1946 |
| Folder 9 | Pastoral Search Committee | 1968-1976 |
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Series V: Membership, 1842-1976 |
||
| The Membership series includes records related to church vital statistics, such as lists of members, admissions to the church, and membership transfers. The genealogical records predominantly include clippings from the marriage and obituary sections of newspapers. | ||
| Box 3 | ||
| Folder 10 | Register of Members, Orthodox Congregational Church | 1842-1938 |
| Folder 11 | Letters of Dismission, stubs | 1939-1947 |
| Folder 12 | Marriage Certificates | 1952-1960 |
| Folder 13 | Genealogical Records | 1947-1976 |
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Series VI: Historical, 1901-2004 |
||
| This series includes clippings about the church and records generated for or about the church anniversaries. Church Book II and III were not with the materials transferred to the Congregational Library. The scrapbooks were removed from their original bindings and kept in original order. | ||
| Box 3 | ||
| Folder 14 | Newspaper Clippings | 1901-2004 |
| Folder 15 | 125th Anniversary |
1967 |
| Folder 16 | 150th Anniversary | 1992-1993 |
| Folders 17-18 | Church Book I, scrapbook | 1949-1955 |
| Folder 19 | Church Book IV, scrapbook | 1960-1976 |
| Folders 20-21 | Church Book, scrapbook | 1986-1989 |
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Series VII: Photographs, 1871-1999 |
||
| The Photographs series includes photographic prints and 35mm color negatives of church events, portraits, including ministers, and images of the church structure. | ||
| Box 3 | ||
| Folder 22 | Photographs, Church structure | 1871-1959 |
| Folder 23 | Photographs, Events | 1924-1999 |
| Folder 24 | Photographs, Portraits | 1950-1973 |
| Folder 25 | Photographs, Myron Charles Taylor and Elizabeth Pinkerton Crosby | 18--, 1998 |
| Folder 26 | Photographs, Edith Fox | 1900-1955 |
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Series VIII: Printed Material, 1901-2007 |
||
| Printed Material includes the programs for services and the issues of the church bulletin, first called "The News Letter" and later named "The Banner". | ||
| Box 3 | ||
| Folders 27-29 | Church Services | 1936-1960 |
| Folder 30 | Church Services | 1901-1981 |
| Folder 31 | Church Service, Children’s | 19-- |
| Box 4 | ||
| Folder 1 | Church Newsletter | 1948-1950 |
| Folders 2-16 | The Banner | 1967-2002 |
| Box 5 | ||
| Folders 1-2 | The Banner | 2003-2007 |
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Appendix A: Items removed to the Congregational Library Print Collections
The following are materials that were originally transferred with the Pleasant Street Congregational Church records, but have since been transferred to the Print Collections. This material is predominantly found in the following three sections: History of the United States – Local; Sermons and Religious Miscellany; Church History – Local.
History of the United States – Local
Arlington Celebrates : The Growing Years: 1875-1975 / Arlington Heritage Trust, 1977.
Pipe organs of Arlington Massachusetts / by Alan Miller Laufman, 2000.
Sermons and Religious Miscellany
All Sermons listed are by Samuel Clarke Bushnell.
Sermon in Commemoration of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Pastorate of Rev. S.C. Bushnell, Arlington, Mass., Feb. 5, 1905.
Sermons [Bound Volume].
Sermon Preached in Madison, Conn., August 9, 1914. The Transformed Life.
Sermon Preached in Old South Church in Boston, June 4, 1917.
Church History – Local
Favorite Recipes, Bradshaw Friendly Union, Orthodox Congregational Church.
Fiftieth Anniversary of the Orthodox Congregational Church, Arlington, Mass., 1842-1892.
The First Congregational Parish "The Unitarian Church," Arlington, Massachusetts.
Manual of the Orthodox Congregational Church, Arlington, Mass., 1880.
One Hundredth Anniversary of the Orthodox Congregational Church, June 7-14, 1942.
Pleasant Street Congregational Church Directory, 150th Anniversary, 1842-1992.
Two Statements to the Church, December 31, 1944.
"The Web Unbroken" : Historical Episodes in Commemoration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Orthodox Congregational Church.
Other Print Material
Harold C. Knight Associates, Architects [Brochure].
The Small Church Study [1965?].
The Ten Laws : A Foundation of Human Society / by Edward Beecher Mason, 1897.
Appendix B: Items removed due to Duplication of Congregational Library Holdings
The following list of items were weeded from the Pleasant Street Congregational Church records because they duplicated material already available in the print collections.
Church History – Local
Manual of the Orthodox Congregational Church, Arlington, Mass., 1925.
Seventy-fifth anniversary, 1842-1917.
Two Statements to the Church, December 31, 1944.
Sermons and Religious Miscellany
All Sermons listed are by Samuel Clarke Bushnell.
The Mission and Message of the Church, 1918.
Easter sermon preached in Arlington, Mass. Sunday, April 12, 1914.
Missionary sermon : The World's need of Christianity, 1918.
Sermon on Abraham Lincoln preached in Arlington, Mass., February 7, 1909.
Sermon preached in Arlington, Mass. February 18, 1914.
Sermon preached in Arlington, Massachusetts, 1915.
Sermon preached in Madison, Conn. August 1, 1915.
Sermon Preached in Simsbury Conn. Sunday, February 6th, 1916 at the Westminster School, 1916.
Sermon, Thirtieth Anniversary, 1920.
Sermon : Twentieth Anniversary, 1910.
Why some Christians are Congregationalists, 1919.
Other Printed Material
The Pilgrim Hymnal, 1935.