First Congregational Church of Amherst Collection, 1735-2012

Historical Note

The First Congregational Church of Amherst was founded in 1739 as the Church of Christ in Hadley Third Precinct as an extension of the town of Hadley, MA when citizens began to move further east in pursuit of more land. These citizens wanted to build a meetinghouse that was closer to their homes. The first meetinghouse for the church was built in 1743. The meetinghouse was constructed where the Amherst College Octagon now stands. David Parsons was appointed the first minister.

Eventually the citizens wanted the church and their homes to be recognized as a separate town from Hadley, MA. By 1759, Amherst, MA was considered separate from Hadley, but did not receive representation in the Massachusetts legislature. The full status of being a town was achieved in 1770. In 1783, the church changed its name and was incorporated as the First Parish in Amherst, and a new meetinghouse was built in the same location as the original, located where the Amherst College Octagon is currently located. It was at this time of incorporation that some members of the church began to split from the original church. They formed the Second Church in Amherst. Due to this split, many people referred to the First Parish, as the First Church in relation to the Second Church. In 1829 a third meetinghouse was built, this time where College Hall of Amherst College is now located. In 1868, the First Parish built another new meetinghouse, this time located on Main Street, where the current church building is located.

The First Parish did eventually change names and became incorporated as the First Congregational Church of Amherst in 1904.

Scope and Contents

This collection documents 250 years in the life of the First Congregational Church of Amherst. The records held in the collection start from when the church was called the Church of Christ in Hadley Third Precinct, through the incorporation as the First Parish in Amherst, and past the incorporation as the First Congregational Church of Amherst. Materials include church records, meeting records, financial materials, hymnbooks, newspaper clippings and photographs.

The collection conveys the relationship and importance the church had in the lives of its members and the citizens of Amherst, MA, the church’s role in the establishing of Amherst in the 1730’s, and in the full recognition of Amherst as a town in the 1770’s.

Related Materials

For material relating to the ministers of First Congregational held in the Manuscript Collection (especially Rev. David Parsons, Jr.), please check the card catalog in the Reading Room.

A copy of 250 Years at First Church in Amherst, 1739-1989 is located in the Amherst section in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Published works by Rev. Oliver Huckel are located in the Amherst Authors section and are searchable through the library's online catalog.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into nine series:

Series 1: Church Records (1735-1941)
This series includes articles of faith, church bylaws, church record books, and legal cases between the church and its members.

Series 2: Financial Records (1784-1956)
This series makes up the bulk of the collection. It contains account books, annual reports, budgets, debt lists, bills and receipts, tax valuations, tax abatements, tax collections, credit bills, refunds, and record books kept by the treasurer and collector.

Series 3: Memberships and Vital Records (1787-1938)
Contains membership lists (loose and bound), membership certificates, statements of withdrawals, and meeting records.

Series 4: Meetinghouse (1785-2012)
Contains records pertaining to church meetings and the construction of the meetinghouses, including pew deeds.

Series 5: Ministers (1737-1984)
Contains materials on specific ministers and materials collected on the ministers in general.

Series 6: Church Clubs and Organizations (1826-1961)
This series contains information from a variety of First Church clubs and organizations.

Series 7: Church Publications (1834-1996)
This series contains church newsletters, directories, calendars and other materials published by the First Church.

Series 8: Subject Files (1791-1989)
Contains news clippings, church histories, celebrations, music and hymns, and some correspondence.

Series 9: Photographs and Drawings (circa 1740-1900)
Contains photographs of the First Congregational Church’s exterior and interior, members of the church, and portraits of ministers.

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Church Records (1735-1941)

Box	Title/Description	Date
1	Admission of Members	Undated
1	Articles of Faith, bound The articles of faith and government of the First Church in Amherst adopted on February 13, 1834.	1834-1923
1	Bylaws Amendments and explanations of church bylaws.	1856
1	Bylaws	1904, 1941
1	Covenant	Undated
1	Document Wrappers Scraps of labeled paper (mostly folded; some with sealing wax) that were used to organize the First Church documents (bills and receipts etc.).	1800-1860
1	First Church – Second Church Relationship	1788, 1819
1	Legal Cases – Boltwood, Samuel – Legal Case	1790
1	Legal Cases – Church, Giles	1796
1	Meeting Minutes and Votes	1783-1895
1	Memoranda of Votes, bound	1786-1789
1	Memoranda of Votes	1790-1799
1	Memoranda of Votes	1800-1809
1	Memoranda of Votes	1810-1819
1	Memoranda of Votes	1820-1833
1	Parsonage – Meetings and Deeds	1826-1862
1	Parsonage – Proprietor’s Records	1854-1861
2	Pew Deeds Includes mortgage deeds and records of the selling of personal property.	1834-1846
2	Prudential Committee Reports	1871-1882
2	Prudential Committee Reports, bound Bound book and photocopied duplicates.	1903-1906, 1907-1924
2	Record Book, bound Book of church records including births and communions.	1735-1819
2	Record Book, bound Book including records of members, minutes, meetinghouse, and the ministers.	1783-1840
3	Record Book, bound Book including records of members, baptisms, marriages, deaths, Articles of Faith, and ministers.	1820-1855
3	Record Book, bound Bound book including records of officers, members, meetinghouse, and ministers.	1840-1881
3	Record Book, bound Bound book including records of ministers, minutes, and meetinghouse.	1854-1890
4	Record Book, bound Bound book including records of Prudential Committee meetings, members, and ministers.	1891-1938
4	Records of Baptism, bound	1739-1843
4	Record of Members Bound book listing church members, pastors, and deacons.	1739-1920
5	Taxes – Officials – Oaths	1792-1861
5	Taxes – Officials – Summons Summons to specific men to “qualify for office” as assessors and collectors of the First Parish.	1791-1807
5	Votes The unanimous decision to authorize George Cutler, Jr., C. R. Elder, C. L. Nims, and H. T. Cowles to convey all real and personal estate of the parish.	1905
5	Votes – Church Union	1819
5	Warrants Notice of meetings and listing of articles to be voted on.	1868-1891
5	Warrants for Meetings	1784-1799
5	Warrants for Meetings	1787-1788
5	Warrants for Meetings	1789-1792
5	Warrants for Meetings	1800-1810
5	Warrants for Meetings	1811-1850
5	Warrants for Meetings	1816-1819
5	Warrants for Meetings	1820-1829
5	Warrants for Meetings	1829-1833
5	Warrants for Meetings	1834-1837
5	Warrants for Meetings	1851-1905
5	Warrants for Meetings	1905

Series 2: Financial Records (1784-1956)

Box	Title/Description	Date
6	Account Book, bound	1833-1852
6	Annual Budget Comparisons	1906-1939
6	Annual Reports	1826-1947
6	Assessor’s Book	1864-1867
6	Assessor’s Correspondence	1864-1867
6	Assessors Reports	1883-1893
6	Bank Loan Receipts	1869-1874
6	Bills and Receipts	Circa 1780s
6	Bills and Receipts	Circa 1790s
6	Bills and Receipts	1791-1799
6	Bills and Receipts (fragments)	1793-1820
6	Bills and Receipts	1802-1809
6	Bills and Receipts	1811-1819
6	Bills and Receipts	Circa 1820s
6	Bills and Receipts	1828-1829
6	Bills and Receipts	1830-1831
6	Bills and Receipts	1832-1833
6	Bills and Receipts	1834-1835
6	Bills and Receipts	1834-1838
7	Bills and Receipts	1836-1837
7	Bills and Receipts	1838-1839
7	Bills and Receipts	1840-1841
7	Bills and Receipts	1842-1843
7	Bills and Receipts	1844-1849
7	Bills and Receipts	Circa 1850s
7	Bills and Receipts	1860s-1870s
7	Bills and Receipts	1871
7	Bills and Receipts	1872
7	Bills and Receipts	1873
7	Bills and Receipts	1874
7	Bills and Receipts	1875
7	Bills and Receipts	1889
7	Bills and Receipts	1910
7	Bills and Receipts	Undated
7	Bills and Receipts – Councils For providing food, drink (including alcohol) and other material goods to councils convened to dismiss or call ministers.	1819-1840
7	Budget	1892-1950
7	Checks and Vouchers	1856-1878
7	Checks and Vouchers	1877-1881
7	Checks and Vouchers	1879-1880
7	Checks and Vouchers	1882-1883
7	Clerk’s Office Bills	1795-1814
7	Collectors Annual Reports	1877-1893
7	Credit Bills	1786-1789
7	Orders for Payment	1873-1875
7	Parish Committee	1850-1882
7	Parish Committee, bound	1870-1878
7	Reports	1892-1956
7	Sinking Fund Reports about the fund created in 1869 to liquidate the church debt.	1870, 1874
8	Subscription Lists	1832, 1834
8	Subscription Lists	1834-1870
8	Subscription Lists – Meetinghouse Subscription lists to pay off debt incurred by the church creation of Sinking Fund to pay off debt incurred by construction of fourth meetinghouse (on Main Street).	1869-1889
8	Tax Abatements	1785-1812
8	Tax Abatements	1813-1829
8	Tax Abatements	1830-1859
8	Tax Lists	1787
8	Tax Lists	1805
8	Tax Warrants	1801
8	Taxes – Assessors and Collectors – Bills Bills for collecting taxes and “making rates”.	1785-1814
8	Taxes – Assessors and Collectors – Bills Bills for collecting taxes and “making rates”.	1815-1861
8	Taxes – Credit Bills Notes listing parish members and the amount they owe in assessed taxes.	1784-1812, undated
8	Taxes – Miscellaneous Notes of accounts paid, owed, and other miscellaneous information related to Parish taxes.	1784-1861, undated
8	Taxes – Refunds	1787-1822
9	Taxes – Valuations	1786-1787, undated
9	Taxes – Valuations Assessor’s statements of total amount of Parish taxes.	1787-1861
9	Taxes – Valuations	1788-1789
9	Taxes – Valuations	1790-1791
9	Taxes – Valuations	1792
9	Taxes – Valuations	1793-1795
9	Taxes – Valuations	1796-1799
9	Taxes – Valuations	1800-1802
9	Taxes – Valuations	1803-1804
9	Taxes – Valuations	1805-1806
10	Taxes – Valuations	1807-1808
10	Taxes – Valuations	1809
10	Taxes – Valuations	1810-1811
10	Taxes – Valuations	1812-1814
10	Taxes – Valuations	1815-1817
10	Taxes – Valuations	1818-1819
11	Taxes – Valuations	1820-1822
11	Taxes – Valuations	1821-1823
11	Taxes – Valuations	1823-1830
11	Taxes – Valuations	1829-1837
11	Taxes – Valuations	1838-1841
11	Taxes – Valuations	1842-1845
11	Taxes – Valuations	1848-1853
11	Taxes – Valuations	1856, 1858, 1861
12	Treasurer – Record Book	1839-1862
12	Treasurer – Record Book	1864-1896
12	Treasurer – Reports	1830-1893, undated

Series 3: Memberships and Vital Records (1787-1938)

Box	Title/Description	Date
13	Admissions and Dismissals, bound book	1834-1855
13	Amherst College Students A subscription from John Leland of Amherst College for the students to attend the church. Signed by Leland and witnesses Samuel Fowler Dickinson and Elijah North.	1826 January 03
13	Marriage Certificates	1855-1856
13	Membership – Abby, Amos	1920
13	Membership – District Lists	1928
13	Membership Certificates – Second Congregational Church	1787-1824
13	Membership Certificates – South Congregational Church	1824-1829
14	Membership List	1891-1903
14	Membership Requests	1790-1861
14	Membership Requests	1951
14	Membership Withdrawals	1824-1891
14	Membership Withdrawals	1922-1938
14	Membership Withdrawals to Baptist Society	1832
14	Membership Withdrawals to Non-Amherst Churches	1828-1833
14	Membership Withdrawals to North Congregational	1824-1831
14	Membership Withdrawals to Second Parish	1788-1832
14	Membership Withdrawals to South Congregational	1828-1832
14	Mode of Admissions and Dismissals, bound book	1832-1869
14	Record Book Book of vital records compiled from records of the First and Second Churches.	1740s-1850s
15	Register of Communicants, bound book Includes list of the church Ministers (1739-1883).	1813-1881
15	Register of Communicants, bound book Includes list of Ministers (1729-1914), register of Deacons (1879-1926), register of Prudential Committee members (1879-1926), register of Sunday School Superintendents (1879-1926), and register of baptisms (1882-1925).	1831-1920
15	Register of Communicants, bound book	1901-1922
15	Register of Families, bound book	1830-1880

Series 4: Meetinghouse (1785-2012)

Box	Title/Description	Date
16	Agricultural Hall	1859, 1861
16	Alterations	1850, c.1861
16	Basement	c. 1860s
16	Belfry	1790
16	Bell – Correspondence	1829
16	Bell – Ringing – Subscriptions	1786-1842
16	Bell – Subscriptions	1790-1857
16	Bell – Subscription Lists	1868
16	Bell – Tax Receipts	1793-1794
16	Bell – Tax Valuation	1793
16	Bills and Receipts	1789-1815
16	Bills and Receipts	1816-1835
16	Bills and Receipts	1836- c.1880
16	Blowing of the Conch – Subscriptions	1785-1786
16	Board of Property – Minutes Minutes detailing work done on church property.	2001-2012
16	Clock – Subscription List	1847
16	Construction – Contract with Samuel Abbey	1789-1794
16	Construction – Legal Case against Samuel Abbey	1792-1794
16	Construction – Subscriptions	1789-1796
16	Debt Cancelled	1867-1872
16	Ephemera A brochure on the construction of the meetinghouse.	c.1950
16	Heating	1798-1861
16	Horseblock Five subscriptions for the building of the horseblock.	1796, 1805
16	Horse shed Plans for the construction of the horse shed.	c.1868
16	Lecture Proposals	1838
16	Lecture Room	1855
16	Lightning Rod Subscriptions	1790-1838
16	Painting – Subscriptions List	1804, 1888
16	Pews Deeds	1830-1845
16	Pews – Financing	1854-1914
16	Pews Meetings	1828-1830
OS	Pews Owners	1826
16	Pews Owners, bound book	1861-1867
16	Pews Surrendered to Church	1861-1867
16	Plan Subscriptions	1785
16	Pledge Drive	1956
OS	Property Deeds	1829-1889
16	Pulpit	1883-1932
16	Pulpit Subscriptions	1795-1842
16	Reports	1828-1879
16	Rugs and Roof	c. 1921
16	Steeple and Cupola Subscriptions	1816-1818
16	Subscription List	1867
16	Sweeping Subscriptions	1792-1829
16	Taxes	1788
16	Taxes	1789-1791
16	Vestry Subscriptions	1835-1860

Series 5: Ministers (1737-1984)

Box	Title/Description	Date
17	Adam, Rev. Matthew T.	1833-1835
17	Anderson, Rev. Wilbert L.	1907
17	Bent, Rev. Josiah	1837-1839
17	Bills for Payment	1793-1861
17	Blodgett, Rev. Barbara Jane	1988
17	Brown, Rev. Robert McAfee	1984
17	Clark, Rev. Daniel A.	1819-1825
17	Coe, Rev. Chalmers	1948-1984
17	Colton, Rev. Aaron	1840-1853
17	Councils Invitations from North Congregational, Amherst College Church, and Hatfield Congregational to First Church to participate in an ecclesiastical council convened for the purpose of dismissing or calling ministers.	1857
17	Dickerman, Rev. George S.	1883
17	Dwight, Rev. E. S.	1853-1860
17	Emerson, Rev. Forrest F.	1879
17	Farrell, Rev. Charles R.	1978-1979
17	Good, Rev. Jeannette A.	1984
17	Goodspeed, Rev. F. L.	1892
17	Hawley, Rev. John A.	1914-1939
17	Hubbell, Rev. Henry	1860-1861
17	Huckel, Rev. Oliver	1895-1897
17	Jenkins, Rev. J. L.	1868
17	Kingsbury, Rev. Howard	1877-1878
17	McCartney, Rev. Henry R.	1898-1900
17	Merrick, Rev. T. W.	1897
17	News clippings	1936-1954
17	Parsons, Rev. David, Jr.	1737-1819
17	Parsons, Rev. David, Jr. – Correspondence about portrait	1948-1954
17	Parsons, Rev. David, Jr. – Family History	1948
17	Pearson, Rev. Roy M.	1944
17	Retirement Funding	1938
17	Schapner, Rev. Donna	1980
17	Strong, Rev. William E.	1901
17	Waser, Rev. Raymond A.	1937
17	Washburn, Rev. Royal	1826-1833

Series 6: Church Clubs and Organizations (1826-1961)

Box	Title/Description	Date
18	Christian Endeavor Society	1912-1926
18	Hampshire County Alliance of Auxiliaries of Women’s Home Missionary	1920-1927
18	Hampshire County Alliance of Auxiliaries of Women’s Home Missionary – Correspondence	1909-1914
18	Hampshire County Branch of the Women’s Board of Missions – Miscellaneous	1876-1928
18	Hampshire County Branch of the Women’s Board of Missions – Minutes	1878-1921
18	Interfaith Service Council – Programs	1983
18	Junior Christian Endeavor Society	Circa 1895
18	Ladies Benevolent Society	1863-1931
19	Ladies Benevolent Society	1863-1931
19	Ladies Benevolent Society, bound records	1863-1884
19	Ladies Benevolent Society, bound records	1884-1921
19	Ladies Benevolent Society, bound records	1925-1937
19	Ladies Benevolent Society, Treasurer's Books	1871-1918
20	Lookout Committee Records Bound	1893-1905
20	Men’s Class	1919-1960
20	Missionaries Names of beneficiaries and correspondence about missionaries	1868-1936
20	Music Committee	1870-1893
20	Prudential Committee – Letters	1924-1936
20	Prudential Committee – Visioning Report	1961
20	Rouseaunnian Society – Miscellaneous	1835-1836
20	Rouseaunnian Society – Records	1835-1836
20	Sunday School – Miscellaneous	1848, 1897-1925
20	Sunday School Records	1826-1852
20	Trustees – Record Book	1904-1924
21	Women’s Foreign Missionary – Records	1905-1936
21	Women’s Home Missionary – Records	1880-1915
21	Women’s Home Missionary – Records	1880-1927
21	Women’s Missionary Society – Miscellaneous	1906-1936
21	Women’s Missionary Society – Reports	1934-1937
21	Women’s Union – Miscellaneous	1944-1961
21	Women’s Union – Yearbooks	1937-1967
21	Youth Program	1878-1880, 1889

Series 7: Church Publications (1834-1991)

Box	Title/Description	Date
22	Annual Reports	1947, 1949
22	Calendars Loose church calendars, marking church events, meetings, and services.	1892-1944
22	Calendars Loose church calendars, marking church events, meetings, and services.	1945-1951
22	Calendars Loose church calendars, marking church events, meetings, and services.	1952-1964
22	Calendars Loose church calendars, marking church events, meetings, and services.	1965-1989
23	Calendars, bound book	1914-1918
23	Calendars, bound book	1919-1923
23	Calendars, bound book	1924-1928
23	Calendars, bound book	1929-1933
23	Calendars, bound book	1934-1936
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1834
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1850
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1859
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1869
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1870
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1875
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1880
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1885
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1890
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	Circa 1895
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1910
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1923
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1950
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1951
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1952
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1955
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1956
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1957
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1958
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1963
24	Membership Directories and Manuals	1992
24	Newsletters, bound	1940-1942
25	Newsletters	1945-1947
25	Newsletters	1948-1949
25	Newsletters	1950-1951
25	Newsletters	1952-1953
25	Newsletters	1954-1955
25	Newsletters	1956-1957
25	Newsletters	1958-1959
26	Newsletters	1960-1961
26	Newsletters	1962-1966
26	Newsletters	1980-circa 1991
26	Program of Activities	1981
26	Programs – Events	1889-1996
26	Programs – Services Includes undated chapbook of Advent and Christmas family services, edited by Gene Kohler with woodcuts by Lorie Leininger.	1892-1991
26	Programs – Services – Sesquicentennial	1889

Series 8: Subject Files (1791-1989)

Box	Title/Description	Date
27	Celebrations – Christmas	1872-1940
27	Celebrations – Dedication The 1868 dedications to the new meetinghouse.	1868
27	Charles Green Correspondence	1923
27	Election – Ballots	1920-1948
27	Ephemera Church pamphlets.	Circa 1900
27	History – Essays Short essays on the history of the First Congregational Church of Amherst from the 19^th and 20^th centuries.	Undated
27	History – First Church of Christ, Amherst, Mass Two copies of the published history of The First Church, titled, “An Historical Review: The First Church in Amherst”.	1889 November 07
27	History – Hawley, John A. and Frank Prentice Rand Two copies of “Two Hundred Years of View and Review”.	1939 November 04-05
27	History – McClung, Robert M. Photocopies of the illustrations used in the 250^th anniversary book.	1989
27	History – Miscellaneous	Undated
27	History – Putney, Clifford W. A history titled, “A Twentieth-Century Intellectual History of First Church, Amherst”.	1985
27	History – Tyler, William S.	1897
27	Humor	1921
27	Manuscript Fragments	Circa 1800s
27	Memorial Gifts – Anderson	1916
27	Mission Statement	1932-1987
27	Music – Base Viol Subscriptions	1800-1850
27	Music – Hymnals	1833-1910
27	Music – Organ	1855-1937
28	Music – Organ Recitals	1909-1938
28	Music – Organ Subscription List	1862
28	Music – Singing	1805
28	Music – Singing Bills and Receipts	1791-1860
28	News clippings	1914-1984
28	Open and Affirming Sharing the journey: reflections on one church’s path towards becoming open and affirming: with covenant of openness and affirmation.	1995
28	Poetry – Koehler, Stanley	1974-1975
28	Services – Hours Letter from E. S. Dwight to First Society of Amherst about a change of hours for services.	1835
28	200^th Anniversary – Miscellaneous	1939
28	200^th Anniversary – Programs	1939
OS	200^th Anniversary Scrapbook	1939
28	250^th Anniversary	1989
28	World War II – Correspondence	1944-1946

Series 9: Photographs and Drawings (circa 1740-1900s)

Box	Title/Description	Date
29	Church Building Photographs and illustrations of the various meetinghouses belonging to the First Congregational Church.	1788-1900s
29	Church Members Photographs and news clippings of group portraits of members of the church.	Circa 1906
29	Ministers Photographs and drawings of ministers of the First Church.	Circa 1740-1890
OS	W. E. Strong portrait	1901-1906

First Congregational Church of Amherst Collection, 1735-2012

Table of Contents

First Congregational Church of Amherst Collection

Abstract

Historical Note

Scope and Contents

Extent

Access Restrictions

Provenance

Preferred Citation

Processing information

Related Materials

Arrangement

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Church Records (1735-1941)

Series 2: Financial Records (1784-1956)

Series 3: Memberships and Vital Records (1787-1938)

Series 4: Meetinghouse (1785-2012)

Series 5: Ministers (1737-1984)

Series 6: Church Clubs and Organizations (1826-1961)

Series 7: Church Publications (1834-1991)

Series 8: Subject Files (1791-1989)

Series 9: Photographs and Drawings (circa 1740-1900s)

Libraries & Hours

Jones Library

Munson Memorial Library

North Amherst Library

First Congregational Church of Amherst Collection, 1735-2012

Table of Contents

First Congregational Church of Amherst Collection

Abstract

Historical Note

Scope and Contents

Extent

Access Restrictions

Provenance​

Preferred Citation

Processing information

Related Materials

Arrangement

Collection Inventory Series 1: Church Records (1735-1941)

Series 2: Financial Records (1784-1956)

Series 3: Memberships and Vital Records (1787-1938)

Series 4: Meetinghouse (1785-2012)

Series 5: Ministers (1737-1984)

Series 6: Church Clubs and Organizations (1826-1961)

Series 7: Church Publications (1834-1991)

Series 8: Subject Files (1791-1989)

Series 9: Photographs and Drawings (circa 1740-1900s)

Jones Library

Munson Memorial Library

North Amherst Library

Provenance

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Church Records (1735-1941)