First Congregational Church in Amherst Records, 1829-1959 (Bulk: 1829-1939)
1 archives box (0.5 linear ft.)
Terms of Access and Use:
There is no restriction on access to the First Congregational Church in Amherst Records for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from the First Congregational Church in Amherst Records should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Chronology of the First Congregationalist Church in Amherst, 1781-1939
| 1734 | The Third Precinct of Hadley is organized by the General Court with a condition to "build a meeting house and settle a learned Orthodox Minister in three years." |
| 1735 | Rev. David Parsons is employed as the first Minister of the church |
| 1739 | First Church is organized with sixteen members on November 7; Rev. David Parsons is ordained as pastor |
| 1741 | The First Meeting House is built on the future site of the octagon building at Amherst College |
| 1753 | The First Meeting House is completed |
| 1759 | The Third Precinct of Hadley becomes the District of Amherst |
| 1781 | Rev. David Parsons dies |
| 1782 | Rev. David Parsons (son of first Minister) is ordained |
| 1783 | The First Church Parish is established to manage church financial business |
| 1784 | Political objections to Rev. David parsons lead a group to break from the church to form the Second Church of Amherst |
| 1785 | The Second Church of Amherst meeting house is completed |
| 1788 | The larger, Second Meeting House is erected on the site of the First |
| 1792 | A Paul Revere bell is installed in the church belfry, and the practice of blowing a "konk" to gather worshipers is discontinued |
| 1819 | Rev. David Parsons retires |
| 1820 | Rev. Daniel A. Clark is installed as Minister; Noah Webster writes a constitution for the newly established Sunday school; David Parsons lays cornerstone for Amherst College |
| 1822 | Amherst College holds its first commencement ceremony at the church |
| 1824 | Rev. Daniel A. Clark is dismissed; Samuel Hills and 16 other members unite with others to organize the South Congregational Church |
| 1826 | Rev. Royal Washburn is installed as Minister; Oliver Dickinson and others leave the church to form the North Church |
| 1828 | The Third Meeting House is built on the southwest corner of South Pleasant Street and Northampton Road |
| 1833 | Rev. Royal Washburn dies; Rev. Matthew T. Adam is installed as Minister |
| 1834 | Matthew T. Adam dismissed; Edward Hitchcock serves as one of the interim Ministers |
| 1837 | Josiah Bent is installed as Minister |
| 1839 | Josiah Bent dies |
| 1840 | Rev. Aaron M. Colton is ordained as Minister |
| 1853 | Aaron M. Colton is dismissed at his own request; Rev. Edward S. Wright becomes Acting Pastor |
| 1854 | Rev. Edward S. Wright in installed as Minister; meeting house is used for the inauguration of William A. Stearns, President of Amherst College |
| 1857 | Ralph Waldo Emerson delivers lecture in the meeting house, "The Beautiful in Rural Life" |
| 1860 | Edward S. Dwight is dismissed |
| 1861 | Rev. Henry L. Hubbell ordained as Minister |
| 1865 | Amherst voters gather in meeting house to vote on the establishment of the Massachusetts Agricultural College; Henry L. Hubbell resigns |
| 1867 | Rev. Jonathan L. Jenkins becomes Acting Pastor; Amherst College buys the meeting house (now known as College Hall) |
| 1868 | The Fourth Meeting House is built on the south side of Main Street; the pulpit, made of wood from the Lebanon Mountains in Syria, is donated by the Rev. Daniel Bliss; Rev. Jonathan L. Jenkins is installed as Pastor |
| 1877 | Rev. Jonathan L. Jenkins resigns; Rev. Howard Kingbury is installed as Minister |
| 1878 | Rev. Jonathan L. Jenkins dies |
| 1879 | Rev. Forrest F. Emerson is installed as Minister |
| 1883 | Rev. Forrest F. Emerson resigns; Rev. George S. Dickerman is installed as Minister |
| 1888 | Church bylaws are amended to give women voting power |
| 1891 | Rev. George S. Dickerman resigns |
| 1892 | Rev. Frank L. Goodspeed is installed as Minister |
| 1894 | Rev. Frank L. Goodspeed resigns |
| 1895 | Rev. Oliver Huckel is installed as Minister |
| 1897 | Rev. Oliver Huckel resigns |
| 1898 | Rev. Henry R. McCartney is installed as Minister |
| 1901 | Rev. Henry R. McCartney resigns; Rev. William E. Strong is installed as Minister |
| 1904 | The administrative parish is dissolved and the church incorporates |
| 1906 | Rev. William E. Strong resigns |
| 1907 | Rev. William I. Anderson is installed as Minister |
| 1909 | Organ is donated by Fidelia S. Gaylord |
| 1913 | Rev. William I. Anderson resigns |
| 1914 | Rev. John A. Hawley begins ministry |
| 1915 | Church is remodeled to increase space for social activities |
| 1936 | Ruth E. Sherburne is elected clerk of the church |
| 1937 | Rev. John A. Hawley resigns; Rev. Raymond A. Waser begins ministry |
| 1939 | Rev. Raymond A. Waser resigns |
This collection consists of sermon and anniversary celebration programs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and other records documenting activities of the First Congregational Church in Amherst, Massachusetts, chiefly 1829-1939.
This collection is organized into six series:
There is no restriction on access to the First Congregational Church in Amherst Records for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from the First Congregational Church in Amherst Records should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
[Identification of item], in First Congregational Church in Amherst Records [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library
Processed in November 2011 by Sara Smith.
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Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
PO Box 5000 Amherst, MA 01002-5000 Phone: (413) 542-2299 Fax: (413) 542-2692 Email Reference Form: http://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/askus URL: http://www.amherst.edu/library/archives |
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Series 1: HISTORIES AND ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATIONS
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Souvenir programs and booklets containing historical essays and information on the church, produced for anniversary celebrations held in 1889, 1939 and 1959. A pamphlet detailing the origin of the pulpit of the First Congregationalist Church and a program from the opening of Amherst College's College Hall are also included here. |
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Histories and anniversary programs and pamphlets
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1889, 1905, 1932-1959
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Box 1: folder 1
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Series 2: CHURCH TEXTS
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Contains "The Articles of Faith and Government, of the First Church in Amherst, Mass" (1834) and the "Manual of the First Congregationalist Church" (1923) as well as programs from services held and texts of sermons delivered from 1829-1904. |
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Articles of Faith and Government; Manual of the First Congregational Church
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1834, 1923
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Box 1: folder 2
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Sermons and programs from services and the installation of Forrest F. Emerson 1829-1904
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1829-1904
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Box 1: folder 3
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Series 3: CORRESPONDENCE
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Contains one letter from Aaron M. Cotton to Edward B. Marsh, 1885. |
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Letter from A[aron]. M. Colton to Edward B. Marsh
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1885
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Box 1: folder 4
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Series 4: CLIPPINGS
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Contains newspaper clippings related to anniversary services and celebrations. |
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Clippings
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1905, 1939, 1959
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Box 1: folder 5
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Series 5: PHOTOGRAPHS
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Contains two photographs of the church at Main Street, one exterior and one interior. |
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Photographs
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1920s, 1943
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Box 1: folder 6
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Series 6: RECORD BOOKS
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Contains two volumes made in 1891: a copy of the records of the First Church and of the Second Church from 1735-1819, made by Pastor G. S. Dickerman; and the Catalogue of the Pastors and Deacons of the First Church of Christ in Amherst, compiled by G.S. Dickerman, with Rev. D.W. Marsh D.D. and Mrs. Helen T. Magill. |
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Book-Copies of the records of the First Church and of the Second Church of Amherst, MA, covering 1735-1819. Copied by Pastor G. S. Dickerman, 1891. "The volume of original records of the first church of Amherst has been kept for better preservation in the vault of the first national Bank."
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1891
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Box 1: folder 7
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Catalogue of the Pastors and Deacons of the First Church of Christ in Amherst, Mass. Compiled by G.S. Dickerman, with Rev. D.W. Marsh D.D. and Mrs. Helen T. Magill, 1891.
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1891
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Box 1: folder 8
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