Rev. Aaron Putnam (1733-1813) graduated from Harvard in 1752 and was settled as the minister in Pomfret, Connecticut, in 1756, where he also served as an educator to the young townsmen. Putnam was forced to resign as minister in 1802 when he lost his ability to speak. He turned to publishing sermons and essays afterwards. This collection contains a commonplace book kept by Rev. Putnam, a small undated booklet of biblical notations, and a confession of faith.

The First Congregational Church of Abington, Massachusetts, was established in 1711. The First Church in Abington also housed a Sunday school that was established in 1818 and is thought to be one of the oldest Sunday schools in the country. The motto of the church is "None too old to study the word of God!" In 1968, the First Congregational and the North Congregational Churches in Abington merged and reformed as the Church of Christ in Abington. This collection contains church administrative records, parish records, and financial records.

Adonijah Bidwell (1716-1784) was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1716 to Thomas and Prudence Bidwell. He attended Yale, graduating in 1740. In 1750, he settled in Tyringham (now Monterey), Massachusetts, as the first pastor. Adonijah Bidwell died in 1784. The collection contains sermon notes and scriptural references for sermons preached by Bidwell at Tyringham.

The American Congregational Association was formed in 1851 as the Congregational Library Association. The Association was formally incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1854. In 1864, the organization changed its name to the American Congregational Association in recognition of its broader scope. In 1857 the Association moved from its rented rooms at the Tremont Temple to a house on Chauncy Street where it remained for ten years. In 1872 the Association purchased the Somerset Building and the library moved into that space in 1874. The Association built the Congregational House in 1898 and once again the library moved into the new building. In 2017 the American Congregational Association sold the Congregational House to Faros Properties and signed a long-term lease to keep the library within its historic home. This collection contains the list of the original 56 works donated to the Congregational Library.

The East Parish Church in Barnstable, Massachusetts, was gathered in 1723 after the town of Barnstable was split into East and West Parishes in 1717. In 1836, the original meeting house was replaced by a new structure. This meeting house was destroyed by fire in 1905; construction on the third and final meeting house was completed in 1907. During the nineteenth-century the church joined the Unitarian movement and became the Barnstable Unitarian Church. The church continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the earliest records of East Parish Church in Barnstable and includes meeting minutes, vital records, and records of church discipline.

The history of the West Parish Church in Barnstable, Massachusetts, dates to 1616 with the formation of the non-conformist Southwick Church. In 1639, they settled in the newly incorporated Barnstable where they formed the first church in Barnstable. In 1717 the town of Barnstable was split into a West and East Parish; the West Parish Church was the successor church to the earlier Barnstable church. Construction of the West Parish meeting house was started in 1717 and completed in 1719. It was renovated in 1852. It was completely restored to its original form between 1953 and 1958. The West Parish Church continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the earliest record book of the West Parish Church and some supplementary materials. These records include meeting minutes, ecclesiastical council results, vital records, and records of church discipline and controversies.

Rev. Benjamin Pomeroy (1704-1784), originally of Suffield, Connecticut, graduated from Yale in 1733. He was ordained in 1735 and installed at the First Congregational Church in Hebron, Connecticut. He became an admirer of the revivalist preacher George Whitefield. He encouraged revivalist movements without seeking permission from other pastors as mandated by state law, and was consequently deprived of his salary for 7 years. He married Abigail Sheelock of Windham with whom he had 7 children. He died in 1784. This collection contains relations of faith, disciplinary records, and other church records from Rev. Pomeroy’s time as minister of the First Congregational Church in Hebron.

Rev. Benjamin Wadsworth (1670–1737) graduated from Harvard in 1690 and began to preach at the First Church in Boston in 1693. He was ordained as minister of the First Church on September 8, 1696. He remained pastor of the First Church until 1725, when he was elected to be the eighth president of Harvard College. He died in 1737 at the age of 67. During his life he was known for his unusual powers of recollection, often delivering sermons by memory. A large number of his sermons and treatises were published, including one of the first explicitly anti-abortion tracts in North America. This collection contains essay-style sermons on chapters from the Old Testament.

The First Church in Bennington, Vermont, also known as the Old First Church, originated in Massachussetts as a result of the congregational schisms induced by the Great Awakening. During the 1750s, a group of Separatists drawn from churches in Connecticut and western Massachusetts began meeting in Westfield Massachusetts, selecting Rev. Jedediah Dewey as their pastor in 1754. The group then moved to Bennington as it was being newly settled in 1761 and reorganized in 1762 as the First Church of Bennington. In 1937, the meeting house was extensively renovated; pew and wall plaques were installed to honor prominent Vermonters, including the poet Robert Frost, who was not a member of the church but who spoke at the rededication, and whose grave is in the churchyard. The records in this collection include a wide array of material relating to church administration and correspondence. Also included are extensive disciplinary records, many of which touch on the subject of temperance.

The First Church of Christ was first gathered in 1737 in the newly incorporated town of Berkley, Massachusetts. In 1737, the town agreed to settle Samuel Tobey, a young graduate of Cambridge. In 1788, Thomas Andros, a self-taught veteran of the American Revolutionary War, was settled in Berkley. The Berkley, Mass. Congregational Church records document the early history, administration, and life of the church and its members.

The Berkshire Association was formed in 1763. Due to its significant size, the association separated into two distinct organizations in October 1852 — Berkshire North Association and Berkshire South Association. The current iteration of the Association is still active and part of the Massachusetts Conference UCC Western region. This collection contains volumes of general Association records as well as ecclesiastical records, disciplinary records, and missionary correspondence.

The First Church of Bethlehem, Connecticut was organized in 1739 with the Rev. Joseph Bellamy as its minister. Bellamy, a student of Jonathan Edwards, served the church until his death in 1790. The First Church of Bethlehem is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). This collection contains two volumes of church records which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The First Church of Christ in Biddeford, Maine, was officially organized in April of 1730, with Rev. Samuel Willard as its first minister. After 1752, a meeting house was built in Saco “East” for which inhabitants there had petitioned. A new meeting house for the "West" side (now Biddeford) was constructed in 1758 by Nathaniel Perkins, a local master builder. This ecclesiastical division of East and West was the first step toward separation of municipal government. In 1762, the land northeast of the river was set off as Pepperellborough, which in 1805 was renamed Saco. In 1797, a second religious society was formed in Biddeford, which consisted of 50 defectors from the First Church. This collection comprises a single bound volume of the Church's earliest administrative records.

The Bolton Congregational Church in Bolton, Connecticut was organized in 1725 with the ordination of Rev. Thomas White. The Bolton Congregational Church is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains two volumes of church records which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and confessions.

The author of the manuscript sermon in this collection is unknown and there is no provenance information associated with the collection. The instigating incident behind the writing of the sermon was the Boston Massacre, also known as the Incident on King Street, which occurred on March 5, 1770. The event was widely reported on and further increased tensions between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain. This collection consists of a single manuscript sermon written and includes a historical account of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as well as a discussion on the cause of colonial strife.

The First Church of Boston was gathered in July 1630, and the church covenant was drawn up by John Winthrop and the passengers on the Arbella upon their arrival in Boston. It was the first Congregational church formed by English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Rev. John Wilson (1588-1667) was the first minister. Wilson shared ministerial duties in the church with John Cotton (1585-1652). Several congregations have merged with First Church over the course of its history, including the Fourth (1876), Fifth (1884), and Eighth (1925) Churches of Boston. In 1970, the First and Second Churches of Boston merged. Today, First Church is a Unitarian Universalist church. 

The Second Church of Boston was gathered in 1649, the second Congregational church formed by English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Ministers at the Second Church included several members of the Mather family: Increase Mather, Cotton Mather, and Samuel Mather. In 1714, members of the church left to form the New North Church. The meeting house of the Second Church was destroyed by the British during the War of Independence, which caused the congregation to merge with the New Brick Church. In 1970, the First and Second Churches of Boston merged, and today it is a Unitarian Universalist church. 

This collection consists of five volumes of Boston church records. Two of these volumes contain sermons and sermon notes for the Old South Church, Boston, preached in 1684 and 1772-1775 respectively. A third volume contains notes on sermons delivered in Boston and vicinity during 1690-1694. The fourth volume contains notes on sermons delivered in Boston in 1723. The fifth volume consists of records of pew rentals for the West Church on Lynde Street in Boston from 1777 to 1781.

The New North Church in Boston was established in 1712 in the North End of Boston and the first church building was completed in 1714. John Webb was ordained as the first pastor in 1714. A disagreement over ordaining Peter Thacher as the second minister in 1720 resulted in the formation of the New Brick Church in 1722. The second church building was designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1804. In 1862, the New North Church sold their church building to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boston. The church building was renamed St. Stephen’s Church and remains a Catholic church today. Around 1867, the New North Church merged with the Bulfinch Street Church and between 1884 and 1886 this merged church ceased to operate. This collection contains a single manuscript pamphlet that records information about various sermons delivered at the New North Church between August and November of 1722.

The Old South Church originated when twenty-eight members of the First Church in Boston separated in 1669 to found the Third Church of Boston. In 1670, the congregation met for the first time in a building known as the Cedar Meetinghouse, which soon became known as South Church due to its location in the south end of town. The "Old" moniker was added in 1717 to distinguish the church from a newly-formed New South congregation. During the Unitarian Movement of the early 19th century, Old South was the sole Congregational church in Boston to adhere to the doctrine of Trinitarianism. The current Old South Church is a member of the United Church of Christ. Records within this collection include extensive meeting minutes, copies of official correspondence, member lists, and financial records, admissions, baptismal records, marriage records, and member rolls.

The First Church of Boxford, Massachusetts, was formed in 1701 when the parishioners of Boxford were granted independent status from the church in Topsfield. A meeting house was built, in which all town meetings and civic gatherings were held until 1800. The meeting house building was replaced in 1742 and again in 1836. The current church, known as First Church Congregational Boxford, is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. This collection contains church meeting minutes, membership lists, financial records, and records relating to a dispute between parishioners Aaron Perley and Benjamin Spofford.

The First Church of Christ in Bradford, Massachusetts, (now a villiage within Haverhill) was established in 1682 with Rev. Zechariah Symmes Jr. as its minister. Meeting houses were constructed in 1670, 1706, 1751, 1834, and 1849. In 1810, the church hosted the meeting of the General Association and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions came from that meeting. This collection includes records of vital statistics, financial reports, church meeting minutes, and ecclesiastical council reports.

The Mount Wollaston Parish Meeting House was established in 1639 in the present-day Quincy Area, and by 1640 the town was renamed Braintree. This Meeting House was the site of the original church, which first gathered on September 10, 1707. In 1708, old Braintree was divided into the North Precinct (Quincy) and the South Precinct (Braintree). When Quincy became an official town in 1792, the 1707 church was designated as the First Church in Braintree. The records in this collection include the journal of Samuel Niles dating 1697 to 1777, a volume of church records dating from 1707-1871, a volume of the Braintree Precinct's Financial Records dating 1708 to 1796, and a volume of church records dating 1790 to 1825.

The township of Brunswick was incorporated on May 3, 1717. Until 1747, the town was served by temporary missionary ministers. In 1747, the First Parish Church was split into two buildings, one following Congregational polity and the other following Presbyterian polity. In 1772, both groups agreed to follow Congregational polity, and in 1808 both groups physically merged into a single meeting house. The church had close relations to Bowdoin College, and Harriet Beecher Stowe found inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin while attending the church. The church, now a member of the UCC, continues to serve the community. The collection includes the early administrative and vital membership records of the church including church and parish meeting minutes, vital statistics of members, and ministerial records for Asa Mead.

The Congregational Church of Burlington, Connecticut was organized in 1783. At that time, the church was located within the Parish of West Britain. West Britain became part of the town of Bristol, and in 1806 the portion of the town which had previously been West Britain separated and became the town of Burlington. The church building was constructed in 1804, then moved and enlarged in 1836, and is still in use today. The Congregational Church of Burlington is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). This collection contains two volumes of church records consisting of the Ecclesiastical Society’s meeting notes, and admissions and dismissions.

Byfield Parish Church (now located in Georgetown, Massachusetts) was founded circa 1702 by citizens from the western portions of both Rowley and Newbury who wished to establish their own church. By 1702 land had been purchased, a cemetery laid out, a meeting house built, and a pastor, Rev. Moses Hale, had been called. After Rev. Hale's death in 1744, the church called Rev. Moses Parsons to the ministry. Rev. Parsons pastored the church until 1787 when Rev. Elijah Parish was called. Rev. Parish served until 1825. New meeting houses were built after disasters in 1833 and 1930. This collection includes administrative records, meeting minutes, and membership records.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, originally called Newe Towne and then Newtowne until 1638, was fist settled in 1630. The first meeting house was erected in 1632. First Church was officially organized on February 1, 1636. By 1650, the first meeting house had fallen into disrepair and the second meeting house was erected in the College Yard. By 1703, the second meeting house had also fallen into disrepair and the town voted to begin construction on a third. Construction on the third meeting house was completed in 1706. In 1829, the congregation split over the widespread contemporary issue of Unitarianism. This resulted in the creation of the Unitarian "First Parish of Cambridge", while the Congregationalists retained the designation of "First Church of Cambridge". This collection contains a book of accounts and a number of manuscripts related to sermons preached there.

In 1725, citing the long distance required to attend worship services, a group of parishioners from the First Church of Christ in Cambridge requested that a precinct be formed in Menotomy village, now Arlington, Massachusetts. This request was granted in 1732 and the Second Church of Cambridge was formally gathered in 1739. This collection contains the original covenant of the Second Church in Cambridge which was created during the formation of the church.

The Congregational Church in Candia, New Hampshire was formed in 1771 with fourteen members and Rev. David Jewett as its first minister. The town of Candia built a meetinghouse in 1766. The Congregational Society was organized in 1831 to collect taxes and maintain ownership of real estate for the church. At that time, ownership of the meetinghouse was transferred from the town of Candia to the Congregational Society. Candia Congregational Church is active today and is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, baptisms, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The First Congregational Church of Canterbury, Connecticut was organized in 1711. The first settled minister was Rev. Samuel Estabrook, who was ordained in 1711 and served until his death in 1727. The church was without a minister for a few years during the Great Awakening until Rev. James Cogswell was called in 1744. A portion of the congregation did not approve of Cogswell and separated in 1744 to form the North Congregational Church in Canterbury. Another congregation was formed in 1770 in Canterbury as the Westminster Congregational Church. The first meetinghouse was built around the time the church was organized. A new meetinghouse was constructed in 1736, and another in 1805. That building was destroyed by fire in 1963 and rebuilt. The First Congregational Church of Canterbury is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records and one volume of society records, which include membership, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, financial records, and meeting notes.

Gathered in 1744, the Strict Congregational Church in Canterbury, Connecticut, was the first of its kind formed in the state. The Strict Church developed from schisms within the First Congregational Church as a result of the First Great Awakening. Issues over polity, such as infant baptism, and monetary issues, such as paying taxes to support the established church and ministers, became central to the arguments over the schism. At the time of the schism the Strict Church took a majority of the First Congregational Church's members. The Strict Congregational Church remained active throughout the 18th-century but was no longer active by around 1850. This collection contains meeting minutes, correspondence, disciplinary records, and records relating to the schism within the First Church which resulted in the formation of the Strict Congregational Church.

A church was established in Charlton, Massachusetts, in 1761, with Rev. Caleb Curtis as its first pastor. He was dismissed in 1776. The “Congregational Center Meeting House in Charlton” was opened in 1798. In 1826, in response to a Unitarian controversy, an Orthodox congregation split away to form the Congregational Calvinistic Church of Christ in Charlton. This collection contains the church record book for 1762-1836. The volume includes the church covenant, admissions of new members, records of baptisms, and marriage records.

The First Congregational Church in Cheshire, Connecticut was organized in 1724. The town separated from Wallingford in 1780. The first settled minister in Cheshire was Rev. Samuel Hall. Hall was ordained in 1724 and served as minister until his death in 1776. Rev. John Foot, the son-in-law of Rev. Hall, was ordained in Cheshire in 1767 to assist Hall and took over upon his death. Foot served as minister until his death in 1813. The current meetinghouse was built in 1826 in the Federal style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. First Congregational Church in Cheshire is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains two volumes of records which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, meeting notes, and sermon notes. One volume was kept by Rev. Hall and the other by Rev. Foot.

The Congregational Library was founded in 1853 with an initial donation of 56 books, pamphlets, periodicals, and manuscript materials. 170 years later, the Congregational Library & Archives holds some 225,000 items, both archival and published, covering Congregational Christian history and a broad array of related topics. This collection contains print materials which have been digitized by the Congregational Library & Archives.

The Council of Congregational Women of Connecticut was organized on October 2, 1928. The organization changed names numerous times over the course of its history but on May 13, 1997, became the Connecticut Women of the United Church of Christ. From the time of the organization’s founding in 1928, it divided itself into districts representing four geographical regions in Connecticut: the Eastern district, the Hartford district, the Litchfield district, and a fourth district called the New Haven district until 1973 when its name was changed to the Southwestern district. To communicate with and guide its members, the group has maintained an active program of writing and publishing a range of publications, and it has also planned a range of programs providing opportunities for its members to worship, study, and participate in service together. The digital portion of this collection contains photographs from meetings of the Connecticut Women of the United Church of Christ in 2006 and 2018.

Three generations of Cottons were Puritan ministers and leaders in early New England theological and political affairs. John Cotton (1585-1652) was born and educated in England. In 1633, he came to New England, was ordained at the First Church of Boston, and remained in Boston until his death. His son, John Cotton (1640-1699), graduated from Harvard in 1657 and was missionary to the Indians at Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, 1664-1667. He then settled in Plymouth where he was ordained and served as minister until 1697. Josiah Cotton (1680-1756) was the son of John Cotton (1640-1699) and graduated from Harvard in 1698. He was a school teacher in Marblehead and Plymouth, and Indian missionary, 1707-1744. Two volumes, dating to 1710 and 1711, contain five sermons by Josiah Cotton for delivery to local Native populations. The sermons are written in both English and Algonquian languages. The third volume includes a partial list of sermons attributed to the Cotton family, possibly penned by John Cotton Sr.

Rev. Cotton Mather (1663-1728), was born on February 12, 1663 in the city of Boston. He graduated from Harvard in 1678 and was ordained May 13, 1684 at the Second Church in Boston, also known as "Old North" Church, where he served with his father, Increase (1639-1723). He was a prolific author, publishing some 280 distinct items. He endorsed inoculation as a means of preventing smallpox, and was involved in prosecuting and advising on the Salem witchcraft trials. This collection includes a portion of Rev. Mather's diary entries from 1716, an essay directed at his son Samuel with advice on attending college, and a listing of marriages which Rev. Mather performed, dated 1717.

The Cumberland Association of Congregational Ministers was founded in 1788 and was initially comprised of 8 Congregational clergymen. Meetings were held quarterly in May, July, September, and November. In the May meeting of 1793, the Association explicitly incorporated charity and missions work into its operations. From 1811, the Association began granting clerical certifications. A modern version of the organization continues today as the Cumberland Association of Churches and Ministers and is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. This collection consists of a bound volume of Association records which are administrative in nature, and largely contains meeting minutes as well as lists of rules and regulations.

The Cumberland Conference was organized in Gorham, Maine, on December 24, 1822. Along with other Maine county conferences, the Cumberland Conference was part of the wider General Conference of the Congregational Churches of Maine. The Conference's annual meetings were held in June, with other single-day meetings in January and October. The Conference partook in fundraising and the supply of monetary aid to regional churches, and also published The Christian Mirror, an influential regional newspaper, from 1822 onwards. The Conference exists today as the Cumberland Association of Churches and Ministers. This collection consists of a single bound volume of administrative records including membership rolls, the constitution, by-laws, and meeting minutes.

Rev. Daniel Rogers (1707-1785) was ordained as an evangelist at York, Maine, in 1742. He was installed as the pastor of the Second Parish Church in Exeter, New Hampshire (established 1744) on August 31, 1748. He continued in office there until he died in 1785. He was converted to evangelism by the preaching of Rev. George Whitefield and was one of the pall bearers at Rev. Whitefield's funeral in 1770. This collection contains Rev. Rogers's sermons, encompassing his time at both York and Exeter, dating from 1741 to 1799.

The First Church of Danvers was founded in 1672 when a group of farmers who lived quite a distance from the Salem meetinghouse of which they were members petitioned for permission to erect a meetinghouse of their own. This collection contains the early records of the Danvers church, including records pertaining to membership, vital statistics, and church meetings. Of particular note are records pertaining to the confession and trial of Martha Corey (alternatively spelled Kory and Cory) in regards to the witchcraft controversy in Salem.

Rev. David Avery was born in Franklin, Connecticut, in 1746. He graduated from Yale in 1769, studied theology at Dartmouth College, and was ordained as a missionary to the Native Americans in 1771. In 1783 he became the minister of the First Church in Wrentham, Massachusetts. Due to theological differences over church discipline, he was dismissed in 1794. He died in 1817. This collection contains a manuscript volume prepared by Rev. David Avery about the strife that had grown between Avery and his congregation in Wrentham.

The Deerfield, New Hampshire Congregational Church was formed in 1766. Rev. Timothy Upham was ordained as its first minister in 1772. The first meeting house was constructed when the town was formed in 1766, and a new one was built in 1835 which is still standing. Today, the church is known as the Deerfield Community Church and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, marriages, baptisms, and meeting notes. 

Londonderry was originally divided into two parishes, East and West, and both were Presbyterian. In 1797, however, the state of New Hampshire approved the creation of a third parish, which would be the new Congregational poll parish, as well as the establishment of the Congregational Society of Londonderry. This was the beginning of the Third Parish Church, or the First Congregational Church of Londonderry. The First (East) Parish Church (Presbyterian) and the Third Parish Church (Congregational) united in 1810. The first minister ordained in the First Parish Church after uniting with the Congregationalists was Rev. Edward Parker in 1810. The former East Parish of Londonderry became part of the town of Derry in 1827, and the First Parish Church of Londonderry became the First Church of Derry. Today, this church is the First Parish Congregational Church of Derry, and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains three volumes of records which include the records for the Congregational Society of Londonderry, the First Congregational Church in Londonderry, and the Presbyterian and Congregational Society of Derry.

In 1631, a log cabin was built to serve as the first meeting house of the recently settled Dorchester Plantation. For its first five years of existence, the parish had two ministers, John Warham and John Maverick. They were followed by Rev. Richard Mather, who served from 1636 until 1669. The church evolved from a Trinitarian Congregational church, during the pastorate of Thaddeus Mason Harris (1793-1836), to the Unitarian denomination. The First Parish Dorchester Church, now a member of the Unitarian-Universalist denomination, continues to serve the local community. The collection contains notes on sermons, membership lists, and weekly records of church services.

Gathered in 1633, the First Parish Church in Dover is the oldest church in New Hampshire. Rev. Hanserd Knollys organized the First Parish Church as a religious organization in 1638. The church joined the United Church of Christ in 1961. Records include births, marriages, deaths, dismissals, disciplinary cases, meeting minutes, financial records, pew plans, and letters from Rev. Jeremy Belknap, Rev. Hubbard Winslow, and the church's clerk Asa A. Tufts.

Rev. Dudley Leavitt was the minister of the Tabernacle Church in Salem, Massachusetts, from 1745 until 1762. He succeeded the controversial minister Rev. Samuel Fisk who established the church. The collection consists of two volumes of Rev. Leavitt's sermons, delivered between 1740 and 1751.

Durham, Connecticut, built its first meeting house in 1709. In December of 1710, Rev. Nathaniel Chauncey was called to preach. In 1734, the town voted to build a second meeting house. Rev. Elizur Goodrich was approved as minister in 1755, followed by Rev. David Smith in 1799. A third meeting house was erected in 1735 but destroyed by fire in 1844, and a dispute arose over where the new meeting house would be located, which resulted in the formation of separate North Congregational and South Congregational churches. This collection contains administrative and legal documents largely relating to the dispute over the situation of the fourth meeting house, both before and after the decision was taken to split the congregation into two separate churches. There are also contemporaneous documents relating to church administration and financial matters.

Settlers built the first meetinghouse in Durham, New Hampshire in 1655. The Congregational Church in Durham was first organized in 1718. The first minister of the church was Rev. Hugh Adams, who also suggested the name of Durham for the town when it was incorporated in 1732. In 1792, the church built a new meetinghouse with a steeple and bell. The first Sunday school in Durham was established in 1819. A third meeting house was constructed in 1849. In 1923, the congregation renamed itself the Community Church of Durham. In 1961, the church voted to join the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, marriages, baptisms, deaths, and meeting notes.

The First Church of East Haddam was organized in 1704. The first settled minister in the church was Rev. Stephen Hosmer, who was ordained in 1704 and served until his death in 1749. Later ministers include Revs. Joseph Fowler, Elijah Parsons, Isaac Parsons, Silas Robbins, Salmon McCall, and John Kilbon. The current meetinghouse was built in 1794. First Church of East Haddam is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, baptisms, marriages, disciplinary records, confessions, and meeting notes.

The Second Parish Church of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, was established in 1742, and Rev. Ebenezer Morse was ordained as its first pastor in 1743. This parish remained a part of Shrewsbury until 1786, when it was established as the town of Boylston and its church became the First Congregational Church of Boylston, which is still active today. Rev. Morse was dismissed from the Second Parish in 1775 because he refused to halt public prayers for the British government. This collection contains records of church admissions, baptisms, and marriages.

Rev. Ebenezer Parkman (1703-1782) of Boston and Westborough, Massachusetts, is most historically notable for the detailed diaries which he kept throughout his life. He graduated from Harvard in 1721 and received a master’s degree in 1724, going on to become the first minister of the Congregational Church in Westborough. Rev. Parkman continued his ministry in Westborough until his death in 1782. He was a moderate New Light, associating with Rev. George Whitefield during the famous evangelist's first missionary journey to New England. Rev. Parkman was initially skeptical of American independence and characterized the Stamp Act riots of 1765 as "a melancholy occurrence." After the Battle of Lexington and Concord he signed a manifesto "for peace sake and to avoid a rupture among us." However, he increasingly warmed to the idea of independence, especially when his eldest son, Ebenezer Jr., joined the Continental Army. This collection contains both church records and personal papers and includes sermons, financial records, and a medical notebook kept by Rev. Parkman.

Ebenezer Storer (1729-1807) graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in 1747 and a master’s in 1750, along with an ad eundem degree from Yale in the same year. He married Elizabeth Green in 1751, was a merchant in Boston, and became the Treasurer of Harvard College in 1777. Storer was a member and deacon of the Church in Brattle Square, Cambridge, as well as an early member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel in North America, the American Academy of Arts and Science, and several other organizations. He kept a sporadic diary, found in this collection, consisting of long form entries detailing deaths in his family and providing meditations on death and other spiritual matters.

Rev. Ebenezer Turell (1701-1778) graduated from Harvard in 1721 and was subsequently ordained as the minister of the First Parish in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1724. He remained in Medford until his death. This collection contains Rev. Turell’s handwritten account and commentary on a witchcraft case at Littleton in 1720.

Rev. Edward Barnard (1720-1774) was the son of Rev. John Barnard of Andover. A classical scholar, he graduated at Harvard in 1736 and was ordained in 1743, ministering to the First Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Rev. Barnard's personal theology tended toward the doctrine known as Arminianism, which emphasized the importance of free will in personal salvation. This caused controversy within the Haverhill church, and a portion of the congregation consequently ceded and became Baptist. This collection contains manuscript sermons written by Rev. Barnard.

Eleazar Wheelock (1711-1779) was born in Windham, Connecticut. Wheelock was ordained as the minister at the Second Congregational Church of Lebanon in Columbia, Connecticut in 1735, not long after graduating from Yale. In 1754, Wheelock established a charity school in Columbia to educate and train Indigenous students to be missionaries. Wheelock left the church in Columbia in 1770 to establish Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Wheelock served as president of Dartmouth until his death in 1779. This collection contains three sermons preached by Wheelock during his time as minister in Columbia, Connecticut. 

The Epping, New Hampshire Congregational Church was founded in the early 1740s. The first minister called to the Epping church was Rev. Robert Cutler, ordained in 1747 and dismissed in 1755. The first meetinghouse was constructed in the 1750s, and was replaced with a new structure in 1803. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes baptisms, marriages, admissions, dismissions, deaths, meeting notes, and short biographies of Revs. Josiah Stearns and Peter Holt.

The Epsom, New Hampshire Congregational Church was organized in 1761. The first minister was Rev. John Tucke, ordained in 1761. The first meetinghouse was constructed by the town in 1764, a few years after Rev. Tucke was settled. The Congregational Society of Epsom was organized in 1815, and they built a new meetinghouse in 1845. Due to declining membership, in 1886, the church joined with the Christian Church in New Rye and formed the Union Congregational Church of New Rye. The church is active today and known as the New Rye Union Congregational Church, and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains four volumes, two of which are church records and include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and meeting notes. The other two volumes are the records of the Congregational Society, which include meeting notes and records of the sale of the meetinghouse.

The Essex Middle Association, which would later become the Essex North Association, was formed in Rowley, West Parish (now Georgetown), in 1761. The Essex North Association merged with the Essex South Association and later the Andover Association to become the Northeast Association. The Northeast Association continues today as part of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains a single volume of records which includes meeting minutes, the association's articles of agreement, and membership lists.

The church now known as the First Church in Essex, Mass. was originally a church within the parish of Ipswich called Chebacco, and was known as the Second Church in Ipswich or simply the "Chebacco Church". John Wise was officially ordained as the first pastor of the church in 1683. Beginning in approximately 1745 there was dissention between orthodox and revivalist elements in the Second Church. This caused a rift leading to the gathering of a Separatist Fourth Church in Ipswich which was pastored by Separatist leader Rev. John Cleaveland. In 1774 both churches voted to unite as the Second Church in Ipswich, under the leadership of Rev. Cleaveland. In 1819, the Chebacco Parish was incorporated as the town of Essex and the Second Church in Ipswich was renamed the First Congregational Church in Essex.

The First Church of Christ in Fairfield, Connecticut was founded in 1639. The first settled minister was Rev. John Jones, who served until his death in 1664. The first meetinghouse was constructed around 1640. By the time of the American Revolution, the First Church had built its fourth meetinghouse and seven Congregational churches had been established and new towns incorporated in and around Fairfield. In 1779, during the Revolutionary War, British forces burnt down the church. A fifth meetinghouse was constructed on the same site, until it too was destroyed by fire in 1890. The current church building, made of stone, was completed in 1892. The First Church of Fairfield is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, meeting notes, and records related to the construction of the church's various meetinghouses.

On October, 10, 1708, the First Congregational Church in Falmouth, Massachusetts, was gathered and Josiah Metcalf was ordained as the church's first minister. The first meeting house was probably built between 1690 and 1700 and was replaced by the second meeting house in 1717. The third meeting house was constructed in 1750 and the fourth, and final, meeting house was constructed in 1796. In 1821, 77 members withdrew to form the East End Church in Hatchville and in 1833, 9 members withdrew to form the North Falmouth Congregational Church. Now a member of the United Church of Christ, the First Congregational Church in Falmouth continues to serve the local community. The collection contains a single volume of church administrative records dating back to the founding of the church.

The Second Church of Wrentham, also known as the West Parish Church, was established in 1738. The West Precinct of Wrentham separated from Wrentham and was incorporated as Franklin, Massachusetts, in 1778. The West Parish Church was renamed the First Congregational Church of Franklin. In 1941, the First Baptist Church in Franklin merged with the First Congregational Church to form the Franklin Federated Church. The church continues to serve the local community today. Included within the collection are meeting minutes, committee reports, society records, and vital records.

The General Association of Connecticut was a collection of regional groups within Connecticut which formed to advocate and facilitate the communion of churches and ministers. The earliest meeting was held in Hartford County in 1709. The locations of their meetings would change yearly. At the turn of the 19th century, the General Association began to have its auxiliary units absorbed into the new Congregational Christian Conference of Connecticut. By 1867, the General Association also became a part of the Congregational Christian Conference. This conference became the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ in 1957. The Connecticut Conference, Massachusetts Conference, and Rhode Island Conferences merged in 2020 to form the Southern New England Conference. This collection consists of county-based record books dating from 1708-1952.

Rev. George Curwen was born in 1683 in Salem, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard College. While working toward his second degree, he also became a guest preacher at various churches. Upon completion of his second degree he married Mehitable Parkman. Rev. Nicholas Noyes accepted Curwen as an assistant at the First Church in Salem and he was ordained in 1714. Curwen died in 1717, followed soon after by his wife. This collection contains the personal papers of George Curwen and includes correspondence, financial and estate records, and two notebooks of manuscript sermons.

The First Congregational Church in Georgetown, Massachusetts, was established in 1731 as the Rowley West Parish. When the town of Georgetown was incorporated in 1838, the Rowley West Parish was renamed to the First Congregational Church of Georgetown. The collection includes meeting minutes, financial records and valuable vital records.

Rev. Gideon Hawley was born at Stratfield (Bridgeport), Connecticut. Hawley graduated from Yale College in 1749 and was licensed to preach by the Fairfield East Association May in 1750. Hawley accepted a position from the Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Indians to establish a mission among the Six Nations on the Susquehanna in 1754. In 1757, Hawley was sent on a temporary mission to the Mashpee and following a formal request by the Mashpee Hawley took up a permanent post among them on April 8, 1758. Hawley died in Mashpee in 1807. This collection contains four consecutive volumes spanning which include correspondence, journal entries, accounts, lists of births and deaths, a table of Indian statistics, and a map by Hawley of Onohoguage villages in New York.

The first settled minister of the First Church of Gloucester was Rev. Richard Blynman who arrived in Gloucester in 1642 along with a group of Welsh followers. Rev. John Emerson became the second minister of the First Church in 1661. In 1728, the majority of the First Parish moved to Gloucester’s harbor. In 1774, Rev. John Murray, a Universalist, arrived in Gloucester and in 1778, a group of parishioners broke away from the First Church to form the First Universalist Church in the United States. In 1729 a portion of the congregation split from the First Church to form the Evangelical Congregational Church of Gloucester. The First Church formally became a Unitarian Church around 1835. Due to declining membership, the First Church dissolved in 1950. This collection contains church records, such as meeting minutes, parish records, such as church financial records and records of votes, and town records, such as records related to the construction and support of gristmills.

Congregational ministers began preaching at the Isles of Shoals in the 1650s but it was not until after the establishment of the town of Gosport in 1715 and the formation of the Congregational Church of Gosport in 1729 that a permanent minister was settled on the island. Rev. John Tucke was ordained at the church in 1732 and he was the islands first and only settled minister. He died in 1773 and the War of Independence caused most f the residents to flee the island not long after his death. In the late nineteenth century, Star Island became the site of summer meetings for Congregationalists and Unitarians. The island was purchased in the early twentieth century by the United Church of Christ. This collection contains records of the church, and include baptisms, admissions, dismissions, marriages, meeting notes, and disciplinary records.

The Congregational Church of Grafton traces its roots back to a church established in 1671 in what was then known as Hassanamisco Plantation (now Hassanamesit Reservation). In 1731, the body that would become known as the Congregational Church of Grafton was gathered, and four years later the town of Grafton, Massachusetts, was incorporated. The collection contains records of vital statistics, church membership, ordination, ecclesiastical councils, church meetings, and correspondence.

Granville (originally called Bedford), Massachusetts, was settled by English colonists in 1736 and called its first minister, Moses Tuttle, in 1746. The first permanent meetinghouse was completed by 1750, and the town was officially incorporated in 1754. The town was divided into three parishes in the 1780s, and one group of parishioners joined with their neighbors from Suffield, Connecticut, and Westfield, Massachusetts, to form the Baptist Church of Granville. First Church and Granville Baptist Church agreed to share a church building once more in 1937 under the name Granville Federated Church. This collection contains church administrative records, relations of faith, church covenants and confessions of faith, correspondence, and church disciplinary records.

Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in Greenfield Hill, Connecticut was organized in 1726 with Rev. John Goodsell as its first settled minister. Greenfield Hill was part of Fairfield, Connecticut until 1725. The church records show that this was a congregation that included Black and Indigenous people, both free and enslaved, in the mid-eighteenth century. The first meetinghouse in Greenfield Hill was constructed in 1727. The current church was constructed in 1855. Greenfield Hill Congregational Church is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains two volumes of church records and one volume of society records, which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, financial records, and meeting notes.

The Congregational Church in Greenland, New Hampshire was organized in 1706 after the town separated from Portsmouth. The first settled minister was Rev. William Allen. A meetinghouse was built in 1756. In 1922, the Congregational Church in Greenland united with the local Methodist Church as the Federated Church until 1949. The church is active today and now known as the Community Congregational Church of Greenland and is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). This collection contains four volumes of church records which include baptisms, parish tax rates, admissions, and marriages.

The First Church of Christ in Groton, Connecticut was organized in 1705 when the town of Groton separated from New London. The community had already constructed a meetinghouse in 1703 and ordained their first minister, Rev. Ephraim Woodbridge, in 1704. Two iterations of meetinghouses replaced the 1703 structure--one in 1760 and the other in 1833--before the current church building was completed in 1902. The Groton Congregational Church is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains two volumes of church records and two volumes of society records, which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The First Congregational Church in Guilford, Connecticut was organized in 1643 with Rev. Henry Whitfield as its minister. The first meetinghouse was built around the time of the town’s founding in 1643. A new, larger meetinghouse was constructed in 1713, and the present church building was constructed in 1830. The First Church is still active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains three volumes of church records which include vital records, meeting minutes, financial records, and society records.

The North Guilford Congregational Church was organized in 1720. The first minister, Rev. Samuel Russell, was ordained in 1725 and served until his death in 1746. The first meetinghouse was constructed in 1723, and the current church building was completed in 1814. The North Guilford Congregational Church is still active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains five volumes of church records which include vital records and society records.

Some version of the Hampden Association of Congregational Ministers existed during the 18th century; however, the association is not listed by that name until 1814 in a Massachusetts General Association meeting. The Hampden Association was split into the East and West Hampden Associations in 1844. In 1850, the Hampden Conference of Churches was formed. The Hampden Association continues today as a part of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains administrative records for the conference as well as correspondence, ordination records, dismission records, and ecclesiastical council results.

The Hampshire Association of Churches and Ministers was started by Rev. Solomon Stoddard in 1714 based on the model of the Saybrook Platform. This collection contains a 1927 photostat copy of an original record book containing meeting minutes from the Association.

The town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire split off from Hampton and incorporated in 1718. The Hampton Falls community had already built its own meetinghouse and hired a minister a few years prior to incorporation. Rev. Theophilus Cotton was called as the first minister after having preached there for a couple of years and was ordained in 1712. The current meetinghouse, a Greek revival style church listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in 1838. The church is still active today as the First Congregational Society Unitarian Church. This collection includes one volume of records from the period of Rev. Theophilus Cotton and Rev. Joseph Whipple of church admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, meeting notes, and disciplinary records.

The First Congregation Church of Hanover, Massachusetts, was gathered on December 5, 1728, and the Rev. Benjamin Bass was ordained as the first minister on December 11. The first meeting house was completed in 1728. Construction on the second meeting house was completed in 1765. The third meeting house was constructed in 1826 and was destroyed by fire in 1863. The fourth and final meeting house was constructed in 1864. In 1961, the church joined with the United Church of Christ. The church continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the earliest church records and includes church meeting minutes, membership records, and vital records.

The First Church of Christ in Hartford, Connecticut was organized in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Rev. Thomas Hooker in 1633. Hooker and his congregation moved to Hartford in 1636. Rev. Edward Dorr was ordained in 1748 and continued as minister until his death in 1772. The first meetinghouse in Hartford was constructed in 1636. Three iterations of meetinghouses followed, constructed in 1640, 1739, and 1807. The fourth meetinghouse is still in use today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The First Church of Christ in Hartford, one of the oldest congregations in Connecticut, is active today as Center Church, and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records, one volume of society records, and two volumes of financial records, one from Rev. Edward Dorr and one from the First Society of the church. The records include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, meeting notes, financial records, and society records.  

The First Congregational Church of Harwich, Massachusetts, was founded in 1747 when the town of Harwich was split into the North and South Parishes. On April 8, 1747, the precinct voted to begin construction on a meeting house which was finally completed in 1748. In 1792, the second meetinghouse was completed after the first had been condemned a year earlier. The church became known as the First Congregational Church of Harwich when the church was incorporated in 1898 at the behest of the Rev. George Y. Washburn. The First Church of Harwich continues to serve the community today. The collection documents the history, administration, and life of the church and includes membership lists, church and parish records, and administrative/legal documents.

Haverhill was first settled by Puritans in 1640. Rev. John Ward was officially installed as the pastor of the First Parish in 1645 and the first meeting house was constructed in 1648. The second meeting house was completed in 1699 and the third was completed in 1766. In 1833, the First Parish became Unitarian and the Congregationalist dissenters formed the Independent Congregational Church and Society which was later renamed to the Centre Congregational Church and Society. In 1859, a large group of parishioners left the Centre Congregational Church to form the North Congregational Church. In 1940, the Centre and North Churches merged to form the First Congregational Church. In 1963, the North Parish Community Church merged into the First Congregational Church which simultaneously joined the United Church of Christ. In 2010 the First Congregational Church in Haverhill dissolved. This collection contains financial records for the First Church in Haverhill in addition to disciplinary records and relations of faith.

When the western part of Haverhill became too populous for one church in 1734, the West Parish of Haverhill was established with a petition to the General Court of Massachusetts. The church, initially known as the Third Church, was established in 1735. In the first half of the 19th century, the governance of the parish was controversially distributed between multiple denominations, but in 1852 it was relinquished again to the Congregationalists. This collection contains the earliest records of the West Congregational Church and contains administrative records until from the church’s establishment through 1900.

The church in Hingham was first gathered in 1635, under Rev. Peter Hobart. Hobart was minister at First Parish until 1678. During Rev. John Norton's ministry, the congregation outgrew their first meeting house and began construction on a larger one in July 1681; this church building is still in use today. It is the oldest surviving English church building in the United States that has been in continuous use. Also known as the Old Ship Meeting House or Old Ship Church, the building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. Today, First Parish is a Unitarian Universalist church.

The First Congregational Church of Holden, Massachusetts, was founded in 1742 when the Rev. Joseph Davis settled as its first minister. In 1774, Davis was dismissed at his own request following various accusations of improper conduct, and the Rev. Joseph Avery was settled in Holden. In 1809, the church ceased observing the Half-way Covenant baptismal system and returned to more rigid membership requirements. New articles of faith were adopted in 1824 when the Rev. Horatio Bardwell became minister. He was dismissed in 1833 in order to return to missionary work in India, whereupon the Rev. William Pomeroy Paine was installed as pastor and remained in that position until 1875. The church then entered a rather unsettled period during which it experienced a quick succession of ministers until 1892 when the Rev. Thomas Earle Babb came to Holden. He served as minister of the Congregational Church until 1912. This collection contains the church’s original church covenant, membership records, baptismal records, and meeting minutes.

The First Congregational Church in Hopkinton was organized in 1724, shortly after the establishment of the town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, by Harvard College, which had purchased the land from a local community of "praying Indians". Five versions of the meeting house have existed, two of which were destroyed, first by fire in 1882 and then by a hurricane in 1939. In 2011, the name of the church was officially changed to Faith Community Church. This collection includes the earliest records of the church and includes meeting minutes, financial reports, lists of marriages, baptisms, deaths, and dismissions, and relations of faith.

The First Congregational Church of Hopkinton, New Hampshire was organized in 1757. The garrison on Putney's Hill served as the meetinghouse until 1766, when the first church building was constructed. That meetinghouse was destroyed by fire in 1789 and a new, larger meetinghouse was built within four months. Rev. James Scales was called as the first minister of the church and he served as the minister until 1770. The church's third minister, Rev. Jacob Cram, was dismissed in 1792 over theological differences. The next minister, Rev. Ethan Smith, was installed several years later in 1800. He served until 1817. In 1818 Rev. Roger C. Hatch was installed and he served until 1832. An Ecclesiastical Society was incorporated in 1818 by the state legislature. In 1929, the church became the United Parish by joining with the Hopkinton Baptist Church. The church became a member of the United Church of Christ in 1969. This collection contains one volume of church records kept by the Hopkinton Congregational Society and more than 300 individual relations of faith from between 1792 and 1869. The majority of the relations come from the period when Ethan Smith and Roger C. Hatch served as ministers.

The First Church in Hull (formerly Nantasket) was founded in 1644. The first meeting house was erected in 1735. After 1772, there were no more settled Congregational ministers in Hull, Massachusetts, as there was not enough support by the town’s citizens to support a settled minister’s salary. In 1815, a vicious gale destroyed the 1735 meeting house; the building was never replaced. The volume in this collection comprises handwritten transcriptions from the First Church's records dating from 1725-1767.

Ipswich, Massachusetts, first known as Agawam, was settled by John Winthrop in 1633 and was incorporated the following year. The First Church in Ipswich was gathered on August 5, 1634, and the first meeting house was constructed the same year. Construction on the second meeting house was completed in 1647. In 1699, the third meeting house of the First Church was built on the north green. Members left to form new churches in 1681, 1714, 1747, and 1749. In 1749, the fourth meeting house was constructed. David T. Kimball was ordained as the fourteenth minister of the First Church in Ipswich on October 3, 1806. Construction on the fifth meeting house was completed by 1847. The South Church in Ipswich voted to reunite with the First Church in Ipswich in 1922. In 1965, the fifth meeting house was destroyed by a fire and the sixth meeting house was completed in 1971. Now a member of the United Church of Christ, the First Church in Ipswich continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains administrative and financial records and includes disciplinary records as well as a commentary on a treatise produced by Francisco Suarez.

The South Church in Ipswich, Massachusetts, was formally gathered in 1747 following ministerial angst between Ipswich's two ministers and a petition by parishioners in southern Ipswich who felt traveling to the First Church was too difficult. The first meeting house was completed in 1748 and construction on the second meeting house was completed in 1838. In 1922, the South Church rejoined the First Church to become the First and South Congregational Church. This collection contains the earliest administrative and financial records of the South Church.

Isaac Watts was born on July 17, 1674. Watts attended the Dissenting Academy in Stoke Newington due to his nonconformist beliefs. Watts was called to be a pastor at the independent chapel, Mark Lane Congregational Chapel, in London. Watts wrote many hundreds of hymns during his life, as well as works on theology and logic. He died on November 25, 1748. This collection contains a single letter written by Isaac Watts to a Mrs. Sewell on the occasion of the death of her infant.

Rev. Ivory Hovey (1714-1803) was born in Topsfield, Massachusetts, the son of Captain Ivory Hovey and Anne Pingree. He graduated from Harvard College in 1735. He was ordained as the minister at the Second (West) Parish of Rochester, later known as the First Congregational Church of Mattapoisett, in 1740. He served there for nearly three decades, but left in 1769 after theological disputes over his ministry formed. He then became minister at the Second Church of Plymouth at Manomet in 1770, and remained there until his death. He married Olive Jordan in 1739. The items in this collection include correspondence, sermons, ecclesiastical council decisions, church records, vital records, and other papers relating to family affairs and Rev. Hovey's congregations.

Rev. John Cleaveland (1722-1799) was an early leader in the "Separatist" Christian movement. He served as minister at a Separatist church in Ipswich, also known as the Fourth Church in Ipswich, at which he was ordained in 1747. In 1774, both the Second and Fourth Churches in Ipswich voted to reunite as the Second Parish Church in Ipswich. Cleaveland also served as a military chaplain between 1758 and 1759 at Ticonderoga and Louisburg during the French and Indian War. This collection includes both church records and personal records. Among the person records are extensive runs of correspondence with both clergy and family. The collection also contains the diary of Cleaveland's first wife, Mary Dodge.

John Davenport was born on April 9, 1597, to a wealthy family in England. After becoming an associate of John Preston, Davenport joined the Puritan movement. In 1637, he acquired a patent for a colony in Massachusetts and in 1638 he co-founded the colony of New Haven. In 1668, Davenport became the minister at the First Church in Boston. He died on March 15, 1670. This collection contains a single bound volume of manuscript sermons.

John Eliot (1604-1690) was born in Hertfordshire, England and came to Boston, Massachusetts in 1631. He settled in Roxbury and served as the minister at First Church in Roxbury until his death in 1690. In the 1640s, Eliot began learning the Algonquian language spoken by the Massachusett and preaching to them in “praying towns” established for their conversion to Christianity. By the 1660s, Eliot had translated and printed the Bible in Algonquian with the help of several Indigenous interpreters. During King Philip's War in 1675, Eliot petitioned the General Court to end the practice of selling captured Indigenous people into slavery in the Caribbean, arguing it was a cruel punishment that would hinder their conversion.

Rev. John Hooker (1728-1777) was born in Farmington, Connecticut, and graduated from Yale in 1751. He was ordained as the minister of the First Congregational Church of Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1753. He married Sarah Worthington in 1755, and continued as minister at Northampton until he died of smallpox in 1777. The materials in this collection consist of Rev. Hooker's sermons and sermon fragments spanning his entire career at Northampton.

This collection contains a single notebook kept by John Lake of Boston, Massachusetts. Lake’s notes include records of sermons which were delivered by various ministers in Boston.

John Marsh was born on November 2, 1742 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard in 1761. On January 12, 1774, John Marsh was ordained as the minister of the First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He remained the minister there until his death on September 13, 1821. This collection contains two sermons written and preached by Rev. Marsh.

Rev. George Moxon (1602-1687) was born in Yorkshire, England. He came to New England in 1637, settled first in Dorchester, and then went to Springfield where he became the new settlement's pastor. John Pynchon (1625?-1703), the son of Springfield founder, William Pynchon, was fourteen or fifteen when he recorded Moxon's sermons in 1640. This collection contains notes on Rev. Moxon's sermons, recorded by John Pynchon in "short writing".

Rev. John Richardson (1647-1696) graduated Harvard in 1666 and subsequently became a tutor, or Resident Fellow, of the College. In 1675, he was ordained as minister of the First Church of Newbury, Massachusetts, where he remained for twenty-one years. He married Mary Pierson of Woburn, with whom he had five children. He preached the Artillery Election Sermon at Boston in 1675 and 1681. This collection contains Rev. Richardson’s notes on sermons which he wrote and preached.

Rev. John Rogers (1666-1745) was born in 1666 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, to John Rogers (1630-1684), President of Harvard University. Rev. Rogers graduated from Harvard in 1684. From 1686 until 1689 Rogers assisted his uncle, William Hubbard, the minister at Ipswich. Ordained in October of 1692, Rev. Rogers took over for his sickly uncle in 1702 as minister. Rogers remained the pastor in Ipswich until his death from paralysis in 1745. The collection contains the personal papers of Rev. Rogers and includes manuscript sermons, a marriage proposal, and his final will.

In the early 1700s, Caleb Moody (b. 1666), the son of Sargent Caleb Moody Sr. of Newbury, Mass. was assaulted on the King's Highway by the soldier John Stockman (1681-1744), the son of Mr. John Stockman Sr. of Salisbury, Mass. The Moodys and Stockmans were both prominent families in the region. This collection contains testimony given by John Stockman for his assault on Caleb Moody.

Rev. John White (1677-1760) originally of Watertown, Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1698. He was ordained in 1703 and served as the minister to the First Church of Gloucester, Massachusetts, until his death. This collection contains Rev. White’s notes on sermons preached during his time at Gloucester.

Rev. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was born in East Windsor, Connecticut on October 5, 1703. He became pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1726. Jonathan Edwards was an influential revivalist minister and Stockbridge experienced a major revival between 1733 and 1734. Joseph Bellamy was one of Johnathan Edward’s protégés and learned theology from Edwards in Northampton before his ordination in 1740 as pastor of the Congregational Church in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Joseph Bellamy remained the minister in Bethlehem until his death in 1790. Bellamy remained a close friend of Johnathan Edwards throughout his life. This collection contains a single letter written by Johnathan Edwards, and dated February 12, 1757, for Joseph Bellamy.

Rev. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was born in East Windsor, Connecticut, on October 5, 1703 to Rev. Timothy and Esther Edwards. In 1727, he married Sarah Pierpont and together the couple raised 10 children. Their daughter Esther was born February 13, 1732. Esther married Rev. Aaron Burr Sr. (1715/6-1757), a Presbyterian pastor in Newark, New Jersey in 1752. This collection contains a single letter written by Rev. Jonathan Edwards that was sent from Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on November 20, 1757 to his daughter, Esther Burr.

Rev. Jonathan Parsons (1705-1776) graduated from Yale in 1729, and was the minister at the First Church in Lyme, Connecticut, from 1729/30 to 1745. He took up ministry at the Presbyterian Church of Newburyport, Massachusetts, from January 1745/6 until the end of his life. The volumes in this collection consist of notes for sermons delivered by Rev. Parsons. These include a variety of handwritten notes for sermons preached in his home parish of Newbury and a published print copy of a sermon originally delivered at the funeral of Rev. Whitefield, who died suddenly "of a fit of asthma" in Newburyport in 1770.

Rev. Joseph Green graduated from Harvard in 1695 and was ordained in 1698. He became minister of the Salem Village church, replacing the controversial Rev. Samuel Parris who had left in 1696. Rev. Green also presided over the congregation’s votes to rescind charges of witchcraft against those accused. The collection contains a diary kept by Rev. Green between 1700 and 1715.

Joshua Green (1731-1806) was a Boston merchant, the son of Joseph and Anna Pierce Green. In the notebooks within his collection Green summarizes local sermons he attended. It's not definite, but most likely Green regularly attended the Brattle Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts.

Joshua Moodey was born in England in 1633 and came with his family to Newbury, Massachusetts as a child. He served as the minister at the North Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire from 1658 until 1684. He served as a minister at First Church, Boston, until 1692. This collection consists of two volumes of sermons and notes on sermons from Boston-area churches. The first volume consists of sermon notes dated from 1685 and 1688 and includes notes on sermons given by many Boston ministers. The second volume consists of sermons and notes for sermons, likely written and delivered by Moodey.

The First Congregational Church in Kingston, New Hampshire was organized in 1725 with 23 members. Rev. Ward Clark was ordained as the first minister in September 1725. The original meetinghouse was constructed in 1732, but was replaced by a new meetinghouse in 1825 that is still in use today. The First Congregational Church of Kingston is currently active and is a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

Three local parishes were created by order of a town meeting held on July 17, 1660 in Kittery, Maine. In 1750, the middle parish of Kittery was separated from the lower parish, requiring the formation of a new church which would be known as the Third Church in Kittery, with Rev. Josiah Chase ordained as the first minister. His successor, Rev. Joseph Litchfield, served from 1782-1827, when, along with church members, he requested that he be replaced by a Methodist minister from the Maine Methodist Conference. The Rev. Paschal P. Morrill was selected and installed, and the church continued as a Methodist congregation. This bound volume contains administrative records of the Third Church in Kittery, spanning the pastorates of Rev. Josiah Chase and Rev. Joseph Litchfield. The records include baptisms, marriages, and names of people admitted to the church.

The town of Lancaster, Massachusetts, and the First Congregational Church in Lancaster were established on November 28, 1653. The first and second meeting houses were destroyed during Native American raids as part of larger geopolitical movements. The third meeting house was constructed in 1706 and the fourth in 1743. During Rev. Timothy Thayer’s time as minister, the church adopted Unitarian tenants and the fifth meeting house, designed by Charles Bulfinch, was constructed. In 1970, the church joined the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship. The First Church of Christ, Unitarian, in Lancaster continues to serve the local community. This collection contains the earliest extant records of the church and includes administrative records, vital records, financial records, pew records, and church covenants.

Like many congregations in early New England, people complained about the distance they had to travel to attend worship services. As settlements spread, more and more ecclesiastical societies sought to build their own churches and call their own ministers. The same was true in the town of Lebanon, Connecticut. This collection consists of petitions to create separate ecclesiastical societies within the town of Lebanon, discussions about location and fund raising for building meetinghouses, lists of ratable estates and taxes due, minutes of church meetings, and records of deeds, pew rentals, repairs to the meeting house, and society meeting minutes.

This document, dated 1694, was written by an unknown author and inserted into a repurposed manuscript volume. Addressed to his surviving sons, the manuscript consists of religious, moral, and general life advice.

The First Congregational Church of Litchfield, Connecticut was organized in 1721 and the First Ecclesiastical Society was established in 1768. The first settled minister, Rev. Timothy Collins, was ordained in 1723 and dismissed in 1752. The first meetinghouse in Litchfield was constructed in 1723. The current meetinghouse was built in 1829. The First Congregational Church of Litchfield is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of society records which includes financial records, meeting notes, and clergy correspondences.

In 1768, the South Farms Church was gathered in the recently designated South Farms Parish of Litchfield, Connecticut. In 1772, George Beckwith Jr. was installed as the first minister of the church. He was removed in 1781 after an ecclesiastical council found him guilty of adultery. The South Farms Church, now Morris Congregational Church, continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the records of the ecclesiastical council which removed Beckwith from his ministerial duties at the South Farms Church.

The Second Society of Lyme, Connecticut, became the First Congregational Church of East Lyme when the East Lyme residents petitioned to have their own church so they would not have to travel so far on the Sabbath. In 1767, there was some sort of schism in the church, prompting someone to write "The Last Will & Testament of the 2nd Scot of Lyme Sirnamed Niantic." The will is written with a great deal of sarcasm; the church bequeaths its ignorance, folly, knavery, and religion to various local congregations. The will is "witnessed" by Orange, Oswegotche and Spithead. The church is now known as the Niantic Community Church.

The organization which would become the Maine Missionary Society was originally founded in 1802 as the Lincoln and Kennebec Religious Tract Society. It was reorganized as the Maine Missionary Society in 1807. Annual meetings were held in June and hosted on a rotating basis in different towns across Maine. The Society predated, but became a part of, the American Home Missionary Society. This collection contains the first two Maine Missionary Society record books which include general administrative records and trustee records.

The First Congregational Church in Manchester-by the-Sea, Massachusetts, was formed on November 7, 1716 with 21 members. The first meeting house was constructed in 1656, the second in 1695, and the third in 1719. The fourth and final meeting house was constructed in 1809. The church name was changed to Orthodox Congregational Church in 1843. The church split in 1857 due to ecclesiastical differences and was reformed in 1869. The church, now known as the First Parish Congregational Church in Manchester-by-the-Sea, continues to serve the community today. The collection includes the earliest extant records of the church. Included within the records are administrative records, vital records, financial records and records relating to the 1857 ecclesiastical council that led to the church splitting.

The First Congregational Church in Manchester, Vermont, was organized in 1784 with Rev. Job Swift as the first minister. Three meeting houses have been constructed by the church, the first in 1779, the second in 1829, and the third in 1862. This collection contains the early administrative records of the church which include meeting minutes, vital records, and church governance records.

The First Church of Christ in Mansfield, Connecticut was organized in 1710. The first settled minister was Rev. Eleazar Williams, ordained in the same year as the church's organization. The first meetinghouse in Mansfield was built in 1706. The church building currently in use today was constructed in 1866. The First Church of Christ in Mansfield is active and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains two volumes of church records and one volume of society records, which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, clergy correspondences, and meeting notes.

The First Church of Christ of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was established on August 13, 1684, and Rev. Samuel Cheever was ordained the first minister. The first meeting house was built atop Old Burial Hill in 1638 and the second meeting house was constructed in 1695. The third, and final, meeting house, built of stone, was constructed in 1824. Disagreements over the appointment of ministers led to the establishment of the Second Church in 1716 and the Third Church in 1858. Now known as the Old North Church, the church continues to serve the local community. This collection contains the earliest administrative and financial record books for the church.

The Second church of Marblehead, Massachusetts, formed in 1714 after a conflict arose in the First Parish Church over the installation of clergy. A meetinghouse was erected on New Meetinghouse Lane (later renamed Mugford Street) in 1716. Rev. Edward Holyoke ministered to Second Church until 1737 when he became President of Harvard College. In the 1830s, the congregation adopted Unitarian thinking and became the Second Congregational Church (Unitarian). The collection contains the earliest administrative record books of the church and includes a notebook kept by Rev. Samuel Dana.

The Third Congregational Church of Marblehead, Massachusetts, also known as the South Church, was established in 1858 by 49 former members of the First Congregational Church in Marblehead. In 1860, the South Church building was dedicated and in 1864, the first minister of the Third Church, Rev. T. D. P. Stone, was installed. The church remained active until 1877 when a fire completely destroyed the church building. This collection contains the administrative records of the church.

The Marlborough Association of Congregational Ministers was formed, and first met, on June 5, 1725, in the house of Rev. Robert Breck. The association dealt with "cases of conscience, questions of difficulty in church discipline, or matters of disagreement, between the parties in a church, or between pastor and people." Due to declining membership, the ministers decided to dissolve the Marlborough Association on October 18, 1814. This collection contains two volumes of administrative records which cover the entire history of the organization.

The First Parish Church in Marlborough, Massachusetts, was organized in 1666. Shortly after the formation of the First Congregational Evangelical Society in 1833, members of the First Church voted to worship with this society, and in 1835 the First Parish and the First Evangelical Congregational Society were incorporated as the Union Society. The church was renamed the Union Church in Marlborough to reflect this new merger, and was most recently renamed in 1913 as First Church in Marlborough. This collection contains administrative, financial, and vital membership records for the church and includes covenants, ecclesiastical council records, meeting minutes, and church correspondence.

Mary Tilden (née Fowler) and her husband Stephen Tilden were members of the First Church in Lebanon, Connecticut. Their marriage was evidently not a happy one, and by 1732 Mary had separated herself along with her child and was staying with relatives in the area. Her perceived neglect of her marriage vows generated a public enquiry by the church and its minister Rev. Solomon Williams. This collection contains records and testimony related to Mary Tilden’s disciplinary case.

The Massachusetts Convention of Congregational Ministers began between 1692 and 1694 when ministers in Massachusetts Bay met to consider contemporary issues facing their parishes. By the middle of the 20th century, the convention became a center of religious dialogue for Massachusetts Congregational minister. The organization continues to meet today. The records in this collection contain meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, financial statements, photographs, and publications.

This collection comprises papers of the Mather family, beginning with the family patriarch, Rev. Richard Mather (1596-1669), the first to emigrate from England to North America. Materials include both records created by members of the family, as well as associated materials formerly in their keeping. They include an early draft of the "Cambridge Platform" and a defense of the platform's tenants entitled “An Answere of the Elders to certayne doubts” (circa 1651), both authored by the Rev. Richard Mather. There are also writings by his contemporaries, including Ralph Partridge's (1579-1658) "Modell of Church Discipline" and an essay by John Wilson (1588-1667).

The church was gathered in July of 1736 as the Second Church in Rochester, Massachusetts, and didn't become Mattapoisett Congregational Church until 1860 after the town of Mattapoisett was incorporated. The early years of the church were marked by much contention, most notably regarding pastoral appointments and policies on singing. The collection contains records relating to membership, vital statistics, ecclesiastical councils, meeting minutes, and financial records.

The First Parish Church was founded in 1751 shortly after the incorporation of the town of Medfield, Massachusetts. Rev. John Wilson was the first pastor. A second meeting house was constructed in 1706. The third and current meetinghouse was built in 1789. In 1813, the town and the parish were legally separated and the church was incorporated as the First Parish. In 1827, a group of members from the First Parish petitioned for permission to withdraw from the church, which was becoming increasingly Unitarian, in order to form an Orthodox church. The original First Parish church was subsequently known as the First Parish Unitarian church. The collection contains administrative and financial records as well as records relating to the formation of the Unitarian Parish and relations of faith.

Originally named Boggastow in Nipmuck Territory, then part of Medfield, Medway was settled in 1657 when an increasing number of colonists settled the land west of the Charles River. Medway, Massachusetts, was incorporated on October 25, 1713 and the decision to immediately build its own church was made at town meeting on November 23, 1713. The Church of Christ, later known as First Church of Christ, was organized on October 7, 1714. The section known as East Medway separated in 1885 to form the town of Millis; the First Church of Christ is physically located in modern day Millis, Massachusetts. This collection contains the early records of the church, including meeting minutes, sermons, disciplinary records, and ecclesiastical council proceedings.

This volume consists of handwritten notes on sermons by an unidentified individual in Boston, Massachusetts during 1723. Their notes include the names of the preachers, date of delivery, the sermon's verse text, and a detailed summary of each sermon. The sermons were likely delivered at the Old South Church, due to the predominance of those preached by resident ministers Rev. Joseph Sewall and Rev. Thomas Prince.

The formation of a second parish in Amesbury, Massachusetts, in 1725 resulted in the foundation of the Second Church of Christ in Amesbury in 1726. Merrimac separated from Amesbury in 1876 and in 1879 the Second Church became the First Congregational Church in Merrimac, popularly known as the Pilgrim Congregational Church. In 1879, the First Orthodox Congregational Society was incorporated, replacing the earlier West Parish Congregational Society. The First Orthodox Congregational Church of Merrimac was incorporated in 1894. The church adopted the name of Pilgrim Congregational Church in 1926. This collection consists of church and parish records and miscellaneous papers, including deeds, ordination papers, and printed materials.

The town of Middleboro (now Middleborough) was incorporated in 1669, settled by a group of men from Plymouth. The first meetinghouse was built in 1680, and the First Church of Christ (also called the "Church at the Green") was officially organized in 1694. This collection includes two volumes of church records, dating from 1707-1821 and 1745-1816 respectively, as well as a series of relations of faith and other documents related to individual parishioners (1724-1865). Also included are a large number of sermons preached by resident ministers Rev. Peter Thatcher and Rev. Sylvanus Conant between 1737 and 1779.

The Second Church in Sutton, Massachusetts, was organized in 1747. Rev. James Wellman was called to be the first minister. The early history of the church was marked by internal controversies and disturbances which also involved the First Parish in Sutton under the ministry of David Hall. Early in the 19th century the north part of Sutton began to be called Millbury and in June 1813 the Second Church in Sutton was incorporated into the town of Millbury and since that date has been called the First Congregational Church in Millbury. This collection includes early material relates to church controversies, lists of members, constitutions, transfers of membership, confessions, deeds, receipts, contracts, expenses, and treasurer's records.

Rev. Moses Parsons of Gloucester graduated from Harvard in 1736. He was ordained in 1744 as the minister of the Byfield Parish Church in what is now Newbury, Massachusetts. He served as the minister there until his death in 1783. This collection contains Rev. Parsons's handwritten notes for a sermon on Galatians 6:3, dated July 27, 1746.

Nathaniel Eells was the son of Rev. Nathaniel Eells, Sr. of Scituate, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard in 1728. He was ordained as the pastor of the East Congregational Church in Stonington, Connecticut, in 1733. He continued to serve as pastor at the East Congregational Church until his death in 1786. This collection contains a sermon written and preached by Rev. Eells.

Nathaniel Gookin (1656-1692) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Daniel Gookin. He attended Harvard and graduated in the class of 1675. Gookin was ordained as the minister of the First Church in Cambridge in 1682. He remained the minister at First Church until his death at the age of 35, and was survived by his wife Hannah and their two children. Samuel Sewall noted in his diary that “He was one of our best Ministers, and one of the best Friends I had left.”

First Congregational Church of Natick, Massachusetts, was established in 1651 by a group of English settlers and missionaries under the leadership of Rev. John Elliot. The church became home to many local Native Americans, also known as “Praying Indians,” and was the location of the writing of the “Eliot Bible:” a bible translated into phonetic Algonquian. This collection contains records of church covenants, meeting minutes, baptismal records, lists of deaths, disciplinary records, ordinations, and membership records.

The land around modern-day New Braintree was first settled by Europeans in 1709 and was officially incorporated in 1751 as New Braintree, Massachusetts. A Congregational Church was founded in 1754. Rev. Benjamin Ruggles was ordained as the first pastor. Rev. Daniel Foster was ordained as a colleague to Mr. Ruggles in 1778. Mr. Ruggles died suddenly in 1782. Rev. John Fiske, the successor of Mr. Foster, was ordained in 1796. The collection includes two record books for the Church of Christ, one kept the Rev. Daniel Foster (1750?-1795) between 1779 and 1783 and the other by Rev. John Fiske (1770-1855) between 1796 and 1811. They contain details of church meetings, business discussed and votes, and records of baptisms, admissions, marriages, and deaths, as well as a brief autobiography of Rev. Fiske.

The White Haven Church in New Haven, Connecticut was organized in 1742 after separating from the First Church in New Haven. The first minister at White Haven was Rev. Samuel Bird, ordained in 1751. The first meetinghouse was constructed in 1744. A new church, still in use today, was completed in 1815 on the New Haven Green. In 1771, the Fair Haven Church split off from White Haven Church. In 1796, White Haven and Fair Haven reunited and became known as the United Societies of White Haven and Fair Haven for a few years before changing the name again to North Church. The Third Church in New Haven united with the North Church in 1884 and became the United Church, which is their present name. The United Church on the Green is active and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records and two volumes of society records, which include admissions, dismissions, excommunications, baptisms, disciplinary records, financial records, and meeting notes.

The town of Newbury, Massachusetts, was first settled in 1635. The First Church was gathered in 1635 and construction on the first meeting house was completed the same year. In 1743, a group of parishioners left to form the First Episcopal Church. Between 1635 and 1806, five meeting houses were constructed. The fifth was destroyed in a fire in 1868. The sixth, and final, meeting house was constructed in 1869. The First Church joined the United Church of Christ in 1961. In 1967, the church was renamed to the First Parish Church in Newbury; this church continues to serve the Newbury community today. This collection contains the earliest church record book, ecclesiastical council records, church correspondence, and a ministers’ record book.

The Second Church of Newbury was organized in 1698, after the township of Newbury, Massachusetts, had expanded. The church records are subdivided into a bound volume of baptisms, member lists, and meeting minutes, as well as a bound volume of correspondence and a document containing the church's 1729 articles of agreement.

The First Church of Newbury, Massachusetts divided in 1695 when the Second Church of Newbury was established, followed by the Third Church in 1726. The Third Church itself experienced a denominational split in 1746, when a number of parishioners left to form the Newbury Presbyterian Church. In 1764 the Third Church became part of the parish of Newburyport, changing its name to the First Church of Newburyport. In 1794 the parish was incorporated as the "First Religious Society" of Newburyport. The church continues to serve the community today as a Unitarian Universalist congregation, the First Religious Society of Newburyport (UU). The collection contains the earliest administrative records of the church.

In 1664, the General Court of Massachusetts gave permission for forty men and forty women to establish the First Church of Cambridge Village. Before its establishment, settlers of Cambridge Village attended services and paid taxes to the city of Cambridge. Twenty-four years later, in 1688, the village seceded and became the city of Newtown, later spelled Newton. The First Church would see the construction of several meetinghouses, the last dedicated in 1904. It dissolved in 1972 after more than three hundred years of service to the Newton community. This collection contains two record books documenting the administration and finances of the church.

The Newtown Congregational Church in Newtown, Connecticut was organized in 1714. The first settled minister was Rev. Thomas Tousey. The first meetinghouse was constructed by 1723, and a steeple and bell were added in the 1760s. The meetinghouse was moved across the street in 1792. This collection contains one volume of church records which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and meeting notes, and one volume of ecclesiastical society records.

The First Parish Congregational Church in Brockton was originally founded as the Fourth Parish Church in Bridgewater in 1737 and formally gathered as such in 1740. The name of the church changed, in 1823, to First Parish Congregational Church to reflect the incorporation of the town of North Bridgewater. In 1827, a portion of the church's membership left to form the South Congregational Church and in 1850 another portion left to form the Porter Evangelical Congregational Church. In 1874, the town of North Bridgewater changed to Brockton. In 1980, the First Parish Congregational Church merged with the South Congregational Church, the Porter Congregational Church, and the Waldo Congregational Church to form the Christ Congregational Church which continues to operate today. This collection contains the administrative, legal, fiscal, and vital records of the church and includes meeting minutes, membership records, building records, and ministerial records.

The First Congregational Church in North Hampton, New Hampshire was formed in 1738 when the parish of North Hill was set off from the town of Hampton and hired their own minister. Rev. Nathaniel Gookin was the son of the minister in Hampton (also named Nathaniel Gookin) and was ordained in 1739. A meetinghouse was built in 1761 to replace an earlier structure from the 1730s. The North Hampton Congregational Society was formed in 1835. The church built a new meetinghouse in 1838 to replace the old structure owned by the town of North Hampton, who had declined to sell the property to the Congregational Society. The church is active today in North Hampton as the North Hill Parish and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains two volumes of church records which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and meeting notes.

The First Church of North Yarmough, Maine, was organized in 1730. The church became the First Church in Yarmouth in 1849 when Yarmouth was set off from North Yarmouth. The collection consists of three bound volume of church records, containing administrative information for the church from 1730 until 1849.

The First Church in Northampton, Massachusetts, was gathered on June 18, 1661. The Congregation was established with representatives from the Churches of Christ from Dorchester, Roxbury, Springfield, and Hadley. In 1833, the congregation had grown large enough to warrant a new church, resulting in the formation of the Edwards Church. The congregation joined the United Church of Christ in 1957. The congregation merged with Northampton's Baptist First Church in 1988 to form the First Churches of Northampton. This collection contains the earliest administrative record book for the church.

The town of Northbridge, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1772 and the First Church in Northbridge was established in 1782. The first meeting house was constructed in 1774. In 1834, a significant portion of the congregation withdrew to form the Congregational Church of Whitinsville (now the Village Congregational Church). The second meeting house was constructed in 1836. In 1879, another contingent of the church's members withdrew to form the Rockdale Congregational Church, though both churches shared a minister until 1897. Around the turn of the century the name for the First Congregational Church in Northbridge was changed to Centre Congregational Church. The second meeting house was destroyed by a fire on February 12, 1932. The Centre Congregational Church joined the United Church of Christ in the early 1960s. The church dissolved in 2011. This collection contains the earliest volume of church administrative records.

The First Parish of Norwell traces its origins to the First Parish of Scituate, Massachusetts, which was established in 1634. In 1641, the congregation split during the ministry of Rev. Charles Chauncy over a disagreement on whether baptism should consist of full submersion or mere "sprinkling". The Second Parish's first minister was Rev. William Wetherell of Duxbury, who was ordained in 1645. In 1830, the fifth, and current, meeting house was built. The area encompassing the current church and town was incorporated as South Scituate in 1849, and changed again to Norwell in 1888. The First Parish of Norwell, a Unitarian Universalist affiliated church, continues to serve the community today. This collection contains church administrative records, financial records, society records, and a record book kept by Rev. Samuel Deane.

The Old Lyme Congregational Church in Old Lyme, Connecticut was organized in 1693. The church, however, had already constructed their first meetinghouse in 1665 and hired their first minister, Rev. Moses Noyes, in 1666. Old Lyme was originally a part of Lyme, later known as South Lyme, and in 1857 the name changed to Old Lyme. The original 1665 meetinghouse was replaced four separate times in 1689, 1738, 1816, and 1910. The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of society records and four volumes of church records, which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The First Congregational Church in Orford, New Hampshire, was originally founded as a Presbyterian church in 1770. In 1789, the church voted to adopt articles of faith in line with Congregational tradition. In 1820, the Orford Union Congregational Society was created. Today, the church is known as the United Congregational Church of Orford and is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

On May 18, 1826, 14 members of Orono, Maine, organized a church society. The new church was served by supply ministers, some of them from the Bangor Theological Seminary. The First Congregational Society of Orono was incorporated on March 19, 1831. In 1832, Rev. Josiah Fisher was installed as the first settled pastor, and religious services were held variously in a schoolhouse or in homes until a church was constructed on Bennoch street in 1834. The digitized collection consists of a single church record book, containing meeting minutes and member lists.

The First Congregational Church of Oxford, Massachusetts, was established in the house of Rev. John Campbell on January 18, 1721 and construction of the first meetinghouse followed. The second meetinghouse was completed in 1748. The church split in 1813 with some members forming a Universalist church in the South Meetinghouse. The Third and final meetinghouse was constructed in 1829. The church joined the United Church of Christ in 1961 and continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the earliest extant records of the church and includes vital records, administrative records, records of the church library, and financial records related to unpaid ministerial salary.

Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, son of William Parkman, a shipwright, was born in Boston on September 5, 1703. Soon after graduating from Harvard College in 1721, he became the first settled minister in the town of Westborough, in central Massachusetts, serving the community from the day of his ordination, October 28, 1724, until his death on December 9, 1782. Parkman married Mary Champney (1699-1735/6), daughter of Samuel and Hannah Champney of Cambridge, in 1724, and Hannah Breck (1717-1801), daughter of the Rev. Robert Breck of Marlborough, in 1737. Through his own marriages, those of his numerous brothers and sisters in the area, and those of his sixteen children who were married, Parkman's family relations extended throughout much of New England. The collection consists primarily of the diaries, sermons, essays, ecclesiastical papers, and correspondence of the Rev. Parkman.

The First Church in Pembroke, Massachusetts, was organized October 22, 1712 and its first minister, Daniel Lewis, was ordained December 3, 1712. Under Lewis, the parish flourished and in 1727 a larger meeting house was built. The third meeting house was erected by the end of 1837. In 1841, the church became Unitarian and in 1964 the church rejoined the Congregational denomination. The First Church in Pembroke continues to serve the community today. This collection documents the history and life of the church and includes membership lists, administrative records, financial records, and church correspondence.

In 1765, several members of the Presbyterian Church at Fort Noble, on Fiddler's Reach, withdrew from that church and gathered a Congregational Church at a meetinghouse beside what is now the Newtown Cemetery on Arrowsic Island. The new church was known as the First Church of Georgetown until 1814, and its first pastor was the Rev. Ezekiel Emerson of Uxbridge. As more church members began to live on the mainland, a new church building was completed there in 1802. In 1814, Phippsburg, Maine, was set off from Georgetown and incorporated, and the name of the church changed to the Congregational Church of Phippsburg. From circa 1844-1850, the church was known as the Phippsburg Congregational Society, after which the current name, Phippsburg Congregational Church, was adopted. The collection includes two record books which include administrative records such as meeting minutes, covenants and articles of faith, and vital records.

The First Church of Christ in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was first organized in February 1764. Thomas Allen was called to be the first minister of the church and he was ordained as pastor on April 18, 1764. Construction on the first meeting house was completed in 1770 and construction on the second meeting house was completed in 1793. Thomas Allen’s political beliefs resulted in a schism in 1809 which resulted in the formation of the Second Union Church. The churches reunited in 1818 under the pastorate of Dr. Heman Humphrey. In 1846, black members of the church withdrew to form the Second Congregational Church and in 1850 another group of members withdrew to form the South Congregational Church. The second meeting house was partially destroyed in 1851 and construction was completed on the third meeting house in 1853. In 1952 the church underwent a major renovation. The First Church of Christ continues to serve the Pittsfield community today. This collection contains administrative and vital records for the church and includes vital member records as well as church meeting minutes and ministerial records. The collection also contains ministerial records relating to the last decades of Thomas Allen’s pastorate, including records related to the political schism of the church. 

The Abyssinian Congregational Church, formed in 1831, is most notable for its role as an early African-American cultural nexus, as well as one of the northernmost stops on the Underground Railroad. The original meeting house, which still stands today, is Maine's oldest African-American church building and third oldest in the USA. The records include a church book and Society record book, largely kept simultaneously to one another. Both volumes include extensive meeting minutes. Church records include member listings, vital records and baptisms, and a chronicle of liturgical occasions. The Society's book records financial transactions in addition to the organization's meeting minutes.

The Third Congregational Church of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, also known as the Independent English Church or the Independent Congregational Society in Portsmouth, was organized in 1758. Rev. Samuel Drowne was ordained as the first minister of this church in 1761 and served until his death in 1770. The small congregation seems to have dissolved by the 1830s. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, baptisms, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The Second Church of Christ in Reading, Massachusetts, was gathered on June 29, 1720 with 39 founding members. The first pastor was Rev. Daniel Putnam who served until his death on June 20, 1759. He was followed by Rev. Eliab Stone who became the pastor in 1761 and also served until his death in 1822. Religious disagreements led to a split during the 1830s and in 1892 the Congregationalists and Methodists merged to form the Union Congregational Church of North Reading. This church continues to serve the community today. The collection contains the oldest church record book which includes administrative records, meeting minutes, and vital membership records.

The First Church of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, was established in 1643 with Rev. Samuel Newman as the first minister. The first meeting house was constructed in 1646. The second meeting house was completed in 1678 after being delayed due to King Phillip's War. The third meeting house was constructed in 1718. The fourth, and final, meeting house was completed in 1810. In 1812, the western precinct of Rehoboth became the town of Seekonk. In 1862, the town of Seekonk was further divided and the church became a part of East Providence, Rhode Island. In 1886, the church was renamed to Newman Congregational Church. The church continues to serve the East Providence community today. This collection contains the church’s 1785 articles of faith.

The First Congregational Church in Rindge, New Hampshire was organized in 1765. Also in 1765, Rev. Seth Dean was ordained as the first minister and the first meetinghouse was constructed. In 1796, a new meetinghouse was completed which is still in use today and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. The First Congregational Church of Rindge is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of death records and one volume of church records which includes admissions, baptisms, and meeting notes.

Robert Keayne was born in Windsor, England, to John Keayne in 1595. Robert married Anne Mansfield in 1617 and they had a son, Benjamin Keayne, in 1619. Robert Keayne became a successful merchant in London where he also became a Puritan. He and his family moved to Boston in 1635. Once in Boston, he opened a tailoring shop on State Street and became a member of the First Church. Robert Keayne became a successful merchant in Boston and took part in Boston’s, and Massachusetts’s, civic life. Robert Keayne died in 1658 and is buried in the King’s Chapel Burying Ground. This collection contains notes on sermons preached in London and Boston which were kept by Robert Keayne.

Robert Wood (1923-2018) was ordained as a minister of the United Church of Christ and was a pioneer in the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) rights movement. Wood wrote the book, "Christ and the Homosexual," which was published under his own name in 1960. Robert Wood created a family with his life partner, artist Hugh "Buck" Coulter, whom he met in 1962. The couple remained devoted to each other until Coulter’s death in 1989. This collection of audio records includes multiple interviews between Steven Law and Robert Wood and cover the whole biography or Wood's life from his childhood to shortly after Hugh Coulter's death. The collection also contains interviews with friends of Robert Wood, as well as recordings of lectures, sermons, and important events led by Wood.

The Rocky Hill Congregational Church in Rocky Hill, Connecticut was organized in 1727. Also in 1727, the first minister at Rocky Hill, Rev. Daniel Russell, was ordained and the first meetinghouse was constructed. The present meetinghouse was completed in 1808. Rocky Hill was at one time also known as Stepney Parish and was part of Wethersfield, Connecticut until 1843. Rocky Hill Congregational Church is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of parish records and one volume of church records which include admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The First Church of Rowley, Mass. was founded in 1639 by Rev. Ezekiel Rogers and his followers, who had departed their Anglican church in Rowley, Yorkshire, UK in protest over lax Sabbath laws. Rev. Rogers was a notable Puritan whose conservative zeal influenced the governance of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The church continues to serve the community today as a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains the earliest church, parish, and financial records of the church.

The Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society (SFASS) was formed in 1834. The preamble to the SFASS's constitution stated its three principles: that slavery should be immediately abolished; that African Americans, enslaved or free, have a right to a home in the country without fear of intimidation, and that society should be ready to acknowledge people of color as friends and equals. Early activities of the society included distributing clothes to free African American residents in the area, supporting the National Anti-Slavery Bazaar at Faneuil Hall, organizing a sewing school for Black girls, and aiding fugitive slaves in Canada. With its primary goal, the abolition of slavery, accomplished during the Civil War, the Society voted to dissolve on January 3, 1866. This collection contains both administrative record books and correspondence from 1839.

The Salem Witchcraft Trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. Despite being generally known as the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the preliminary hearings in 1692 were conducted in various towns across the province: Salem Village (now Danvers), Ipswich, Andover, and Salem Town. The best-known trials were conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 in Salem Town. This collection contains testimony, confessions, and other case documents related to the Salem Witchcraft Trials.

The East Church in Salem, Massachusetts, was officially formed in 1718, after parishioners living on the east side of the town broke away from the First Church of Salem and built a more conveniently located meetinghouse in 1717. By November 1718, the parish had invited Robert Stanton to be the first minister. A new church building was erected in 1845. In 1897, the East Church united with the Barton Square Church and changed its name to the Second Unitarian Church. The church reunited with the First Church in 1956, and the former East Church building of 1844-1846 is now the Salem Witch Museum. This collection contains the oldest administrative record books for the church as well as lists of officers and financial records.

The First Church of Salem, Massachusetts, founded in 1629, was one of the first churches organized in New England. Salem's church was the first truly Congregational parish with governance by church members. The population of Salem grew rapidly during the 18th century, resulting in the peaceful division of the First Church's congregation to form the East Church in 1719. After Rev. Samuel Fisk was ousted from him ministerial roll, Fisk led his supporters to form another First Church in 1735, which was compelled to change its name to the Third Church in 1762. The original First Church split again over ministerial preference in 1772, leading to the creation of the North Church of Salem. The First Church and North Church reunited in 1923. The East Church reunited with the First Church in 1956. The reunited church continues to serve the community today as the First Church in Salem, Unitarian Universalist. This collection contains the earliest administrative records of the church as well as church correspondence, pew sale records, and a copy of the 1780 church covenant.

In 1770, the minister of the First Church in Salem, Massachusetts, Rev. Thomas Barnard (1748-1814), became paralyzed and unable to work. The church became divided on the issue of who to call as their next minister, resulting in the formation of the North Church. The first meeting house opened in August of 1772 and remained in use until 1836, when a new meeting house was built. The First Church and North Church reunited in 1923. The unified church continues to serve the community today as the First Church in Salem, Unitarian Universalist. This collection consists of a copy of the 1629 covenant from Salem First (intended to serve as a model for the North Church), an 1802 Act of Incorporation, and a report on pew payments by treasurer Thomas West.

The South Church in Salem, Massachusetts, was founded in 1775 by parishioners separating from the Tabernacle Church of Salem after a disagreement with the pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Whitaker. This society was initially known as the Third Church, but changed its name to South Church in 1805. The church re-merged with the Tabernacle Church in 1924. This collection contains a bound volume of the earliest records of the Third Church of Salem, later known as the South Church, and includes meeting minutes, records of votes, pew assignments, and pew tax records.

The Tabernacle Church in Salem, Massachusetts, traces its historical roots back to 1629 with the founding of First Church of Salem. In 1735, First Church’s pastor, Samuel Fisk, was dismissed from his position by an ecclesiastical council. A group of parishioners followed Fisk from First Church, built a new meeting house, and met also under the name First Church until 1762 when they were compelled by the colonial legislature to change their name to "Third Church of Christ in Salem". In 1774, the great fire of Salem burned the Third Church meeting house to the ground. A replacement meeting house was built in 1777 and was copied from the Tabernacle in Moorfields (London) made famous by its association with George Whitefield, leading to the nickname "Tabernacle Church". The church continues to serve the community today as the Tabernacle Congregational Church. This collection contains the earliest records of the church and includes financial records, meeting minutes and records of votes, ecclesiastical records, and pew records.

The First Congregational Church of Salem, New Hampshire was organized in 1740, ten years before the town of Salem was established. Prior to 1750, this area was part of Methuen, Massachusetts and known as the North Parish. The first settled minister, Rev. Abner Bayley, served from 1740 until 1796. The first meetinghouse, built in 1738, is extant but owned by the town. A new church building was constructed in 1840 and is still in use today. The First Congregational Church of Salem is currently active and has been a member of the United Church of Christ since 1957. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The First Church in Salisbury, Massachusetts, was gathered in 1638 and the first meeting house was completed in 1640. In 1714, the town voted to maintain two churches and the First Church also became known as the East Church. In 1725, the second meetinghouse was constructed. Beginning in 1802, Methodists were allowed to use the meeting house for worship and in 1833 the Congregationalists voted to join the Methodists and form the East Parish United Methodist Church. In 1834 the third and final meetinghouse was constructed. This collection contains a legal testimonial regarding a conflict between Rev. Caleb Cushing and former parishioner Daniel Worster.

The First Congregational Church in Salisbury, New Hampshire was organized in 1773 when the first minister, Rev. Jonathan Searle, was ordained. The Salisbury Congregational Community Church is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, baptisms, marriages, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

Samuel Fisk, the son of Rev. Moses Fisk of Braintree, graduated from Harvard in 1708. He was ordained as minister of the First Church in Salem in 1718. A dispute began between Fisk and the congregation over his refusal to deliver a traditional annual lecture and his tampering with the church meeting records. Fisk received ecclesiastical censure and was dismissed in 1735. After Fisk's dismissal, he led a group of parishioners in building a new meetinghouse, also named First Church. The name of the church was compelled to change to the Third Church of Christ in Salem in 1762. Rev. Fisk resigned from his pastorate on July 30, 1745, but continued to reside in Salem until he died in 1770. This collection contains numerous items of correspondence to and from Rev. Fisk. These relate almost entirely to the dispute between the minister and his congregation, specifically the breakaway group referred to as the "aggrieved brethren".

Rev. Samuel Hopkins (1721-1803) was a Congregational minister in the New England area. Hopkins preached in Sheffield (now Great Barrington), Massachusetts, from 1743 until 1769 and then preached at the First Congregational Church in Newport, Rhode Island, from 1770 until his death in 1803. He is best known for his theological work that formed part of the theology known as New Divinity, or Hopkinsianism. This collection contains three letters written by Samuel Hopkins; two thank a family friend for their hospitality while Hopkins travelled and the third includes some of Hopkins’ theological arguments.

Samuel Perley (1742-1831) was a Presbyterian and Congregational minister, representative of the General Court, Justice of the Peace, doctor, and school teacher. Rev. Perley settled in Gray, Maine, on September 8, 1784. During his pastorate at Gray, the church changed from Congregational to Presbyterian, and he was dismissed by the town in 1791. This collection contains 4 volumes of Rev. Perley's papers. These consist of personal, ministerial, and legal records, marriage, birth, and death records, depositions charging Rev. Perley with adultery, and an account book reflecting fees charged for preaching, teaching, legal, and medical services.

Rev. Samuel Phillips (1625-1696) was born in England and accompanied his father, Rev. George Phillips of Watertown, to America at the age of five. He graduated from Harvard in 1650 and was ordained the following year as the minister of the Congregational Church of Rowley. He served as the minister there until his death in 1696. This collection contains Rev. Phillips’ manuscript sermons, sermon notes, church membership records, and the proceedings of a 1723 ecclesiastical council.

The First Congregational Church in Sandown, New Hampshire was organized in 1759 when the first minister, Rev. Josiah Cotton was ordained. The church saw only two other ministers settled, Rev. Samuel Collins from 1780 to 1788 and Rev. John Webber from 1795 to 1800. Services at the Congregational Church ceased in the 1830s. While this church is no longer active, the meetinghouse built in 1774 still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This collection contains one volume of church records, copied from the original book, which includes admissions, baptisms, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

Sandwich's First Church was founded in 1638 as part of the original Plymouth Colony. A Second Church was briefly formed in 1734 when some parishioners left due to a dispute over church admissions, but the congregation was reabsorbed into the First Church in 1749. The church continues to serve the community today as the First Church Sandwich, UCC. The collection includes two bound volumes of church records, containing administrative records, admissions, dismissions, baptisms, deaths, and meeting minutes for the first precinct in the town of Sandwich.

The town of Sanford, Maine, originally in Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1768 and the Congregational Church in Sanford was gathered on March 28, 1786. Construction on the first meeting house was completed in 1792. The second meeting house was constructed in the northern half of Sanford in 1831. The Congregational Church became the North Congregational Church in 1847 after 14 members left to form the South Congregational Church. The second meeting house was destroyed in a fire in 1878 and replaced the following year. In 1911, the church and parish society were incorporated as one entity called the North Parish Congregational Church. In 1960, the church joined the United Church of Christ and it continues to serve the community today. The collection includes the administrative records of the early church and parish society as well as vital membership records.

On June 26, 1728, sixteen men covenanted together to officially form the First Church in Scarborough. In 1731, the first of four meeting houses were constructed. In 1744, a Second Parish was formed at Dunstan. The church is still active today as the First Congregational Church of Scarborough, Maine. The collection consists of two record books, one containing the church’s administrative records and the other containing the parish records.

The First Church in Scarborough, Maine, was formed in 1728 and a meeting house was constructed in 1731. In 1744, a Second Parish located in Dunstan, later known as West Scarborough, was set aside from the First Parish. The Second Church was gathered in 1744 within the Second Parish. The Second Church's first minister, Rev. Richard Elvins, was formerly a baker in Salem, Massachusetts, but was converted by the preaching of evangelist George Whitefield. The church appears to have become extinct after about 1830. The digitized collections include a bound volume of parish records from the Second Parish of Scarborough, which contains minutes of parish meetings and other records pertaining to the operation of the parish.

This manuscript volume, penned by at least one anonymous author, contains notes on sermons preached mainly at the First Church in Cambridge between 1660 and 1694. Most of the initial sermons were delivered by the Church’s resident minister Rev. Nathaniel Gookin, whose untimely illness and death in the summer of 1692 necessitated supply preaching by numerous others. These included some of the most well-known ministers in New England at the time, such as Reverends Samuel Angier, Samuel Moody, Benjamin Wadsworth, Samuel Willard, William Brattle, and Increase Mather.

This collection comprises notes on sermons preached at the First Church of Cambridge between 1679 and 1681, by an unidentified author. Detailed notes on the sermons are recorded in a combination of English text and shorthand. The sermons were delivered by notable ministers of the time, including resident Cambridge First ministers Rev. Urian Oakes and Rev. Nathaniel Gookin, as well as a variety of guest preachers.

In 1743, the Second North Housatonic Parish of Sheffield was gathered with Rev. Samuel Hopkins as the first minister. The first meeting house was completed by 1743. In 1761, the North Parish of Sheffield was incorporated as the town of Great Barrington and the church was renamed the First Congregational Church of Great Barrington. In 1769, Rev. Hopkins was dismissed after both financial and religious difficulties formed between him and the parish community. The second meeting house was constructed in 1813 and the third in 1860. In 1882, the church was destroyed by fire and the fourth, and final, meeting house was constructed on the third's foundation. In 1955, the church joined the United Church of Christ. The First Congregational Church continues to serve the Great Barrington community today. This collection contains copies of the 1743 church covenant and confession of faith.

The First Congregational Church in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, was organized by sixteen male members in 1723. Rev. Job Cushing, a Harvard graduate, was ordained as the church’s first minister and he held the office of pastor until his death on August 6, 1760. During his ministry, a new church was organized from this church in the North Parish of Shrewsbury, now Boylston, Massachusetts. The First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury was incorporated on 11 January 1957. This collection contains the earliest administrative records of the church and parish records.

Shutesbury, Massachusetts, was settled in 1735, when it was called Road Town. Road Town was officially incorporated as Shutesbury in 1761. A Congregational church was organized on October 17, 1742, and a meeting house appears to have been built by 1740. The first minister, Rev. Abraham Hill, was installed as pastor in 1742. A Loyalist, Rev. Hill was eventually barred from the town pulpit, then dismissed in 1778. He moved to Oxford, Massachusetts, refused to pay taxes as a layman, and won a lawsuit against Shutesbury for his back salary. This collection contains the church records relating to the case against Rev. Hill.

A religious society was formed in the new settlement of Simsbury, Connecticut, in 1670, with Rev. Samuel Stone appointed minister on May 30, 1673. The first meeting house was built in 1683, after a lengthy location dispute. A new and larger second meeting house was eventually constructed on Drake’s Hill in 1777. This was replaced by the current church building, at the same location, in 1830. The First Church of Christ Simsbury continues to serve the community today. This collection includes loose manuscript pages containing administrative information for the early years of the church.

The First Christian Union Church and Society was formed in the Pottersville, Somerset area as early as 1838 by a "Christian Band" comprising thirty members, though the church was not officially incorporated until 1911. In 1939, the name was changed to the Congregational Christian Church of Somerset Centre and it continues to serve the community today. This collection contains the earliest administrative record books for the church as well as a record book maintained by the church’s Ladies Industrial Association.

The Church of Christ in South Hampton, New Hampshire was organized in 1743 with fifteen members, shortly after the town was incorporated by separating from Massachusetts. The first minister ordained in the South Hampton church was Rev. William Parsons, who served from 1743 until he was dismissed in 1762. The congregation was dissolved in 1827 when the last member of the church died. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The first religious organization in Standish, Maine, was formed in 1769 with only seven members. A meeting house was built on the site of the old fort at Standish Corner and Rev. John Tompson, ordained in 1768, was settled as the first pastor. The church's meeting house was damaged beyond repair by an intoxicated group of soldiers prior to 1805. A new church building, known as the "Old Red Church" was built in 1805. In 1834, the church split into a Unitarian church and an "Evangelical Congregationalist" church. The Congregational church is still active today as the Standish Congregational Church. This collection includes a single volume of church records which contain administrative information and vital statistical information for the Church of Christ in Standish. The church book was retained by the Unitarians after the 1834 schism, and this change in denomination is reflected in the records.

Rev. Stephen Williams grew up in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and was captured by French and Indigenous allies during their raid on the town in 1704. He was liberated after almost two years in captivity, and both he and his father, Rev. John Williams, wrote accounts of their experiences. Stephen Williams went on to graduate from Yale College in 1713 and subsequently ministered to the Congregational Church of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. This collection contains a diary, kept by Rev. Williams, which focuses heavily on ecclesiastical matters.

The town of Stoneham, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1725. A vote in 1726 provided for the building of a meetinghouse and the First Congregational Church was organized in 1729. The first pastor was Rev. James Osgood who was ordained in 1729. Rev. John Cleaveland was pastor from 1785 until an ecclesiastical council dissolved his relationship with the town in 1894. The second meeting house was constructed in 1803 and the third in 1840. The First Congregational Church in Stoneham, UCC, continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the oldest administrative records of the church as well as financial records, records from James Osgood, parish records, and manuscript sermons.

The First Congregational Church of Stonington, Connecticut was organized in 1674. Rev. James Noyes was ordained as the first minister that same year and served as minister until his death in 1719. The first meetinghouse was built in Stonington in 1661. The present meetinghouse was constructed in 1829. The First Congregational Church of Stonington is active today and is a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. This collection contains five volumes of church records which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The Congregational Church in Stratham was organized in 1718, two years after the town was incorporated. The first minister ordained in the Stratham church was Rev. Henry Rust, who served from 1718 until his death in 1749. The first meetinghouse was built in 1718 and replaced with a larger building in 1768. Another church was constructed in 1838. In the 1960s, the church purchased the Baptist Society’s church building after they dissolved and moved it next to the Congregational meetinghouse. In 1998, they joined the two buildings. This church is active today as the Stratham Community Church and is a member of the United Church of Christ. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and meeting notes.

These records mainly comprise the proceedings of the convention, or general meeting, of the Strict Congregational Churches of Connecticut, 1782-1811, and correspondence between individual Separate churches and the conventions. Local churches writing to the convention include Preston, Plainfield, Killingly, Canterbury, Lyme, Canaan, South Groton, North Groton, Waterbury, Stonington, New Milford, Enfield, Montville, Voluntown, and the Second Church at Middletown in Connecticut, and the Presbytery of Morris County, N.J., as well as the Strict Congregational Church in the Oblong, and in Southhold, L.I. The collection also includes financial records of the Second Strict Congregational Church of Middletown, where Benjamin Graves served as pastor or elder, 1804-1812. Also included are personal financial records of Benjamin Graves. Some items appear to be in his hand.

The Congregational Church of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, (then New Medfield) was founded in 1736. In 1749, a group of fifteen "Separates" left the church and established the Baptist Church of Sturbridge. Both churches continue to serve the community today as part of the Federated Church of Sturbridge and Fiskdale. This collection contains the earliest administrative records of the church as well as vital membership records, church correspondence, relations of faith, and disciplinary records.

The Separatist Church in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, was formed in 1747 after 15 members of the Congregational Church in Sturbridge left the church. The separatists refused to pay ministerial taxes and in response the town aggressively attempted to collect the taxes by forcibly taking possessions, livestock, and imprisoning at least 5 of the separatists. In 1749, the Separatist Church was reformed as the Baptist Church in Fiskdale. This collection includes records relating to the separation and the personal reasons the separatists either left the Congregational Church, or wished to rejoin it.

Susan Counce Hunt was born in 1779 to Mary Counce Hunt (1735-1801) and Daniel Hunt who spent at least some of their lives in Boston during the American Revolution. At one time a Baptist, Susan later became Congregationalist and attended Old South Church, Boston, Massachusetts. In 1836, she switched again to Salem Street Church, Boston, MA, at age 57. Her collection contains diaries (journals), extracts from sermons, readings, and letters to and from various family members from 1756-1837.

Swampscott was first settled by English colonists in 1629; it was originally a part of the large Saugus land grant and later the eastern part of Lynn’s Ward One. The first Congregational church built in Swampscott was constructed in 1846 and was formally organized as the Second Church in Lynn the same year. Jonas B. Clarke was the first minister of the church. The church was renamed as the First Church in Swampscott in 1852 when the town was formally set off from Lynn and incorporated. The church has moved locations twice and its current sanctuary was built in 1967. Now associated with the United Church of Christ, the First Church in Swampscott continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains a Memorial book, written by Arthur F. Clarke, son of Jonas Clarke, which includes extensive genealogical and biographical information about Arthur’s parents and their ancestors.

The Congregational Church in Tamworth, New Hampshire was organized with nineteen members in 1792 when Rev. Samuel Hidden was ordained as the first settled minister. The Tamworth Congregational Church is active today and is independent. This collection contains one volume of church records which includes admissions, dismissions, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.

The Image Collection is an intentional collection of images, prints, portraits, postcards, engravings and other visual materials broadly related to Congregationalists, Congregational churches, and Congregational institutions. The collection contains more than 1,300 unique items and the vast majority of the images in the collection are within the public domain.

Thomas Josselyn (1702-1782) of Hanover and Hingham, Massachusetts was a deacon of the First Church of Hingham and the proprietor of a forge. This collection contains a diary kept by Josselyn between 1743 and 1775.

Thomas Prince (1687-1758) graduated from Harvard in 1707. He was ordained at Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts in 1718. Prince remained a minister at Old South until his death in 1758. This collection contains an astronomical diary; two sermons written by Prince; notes on sermons Prince heard in Boston churches; and a part of a manuscript from his A Chronological History of New England.

Rev. Thomas Weld was born in November, 1702, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University in 1723. Weld first became a teacher at the Roxbury Latin School before moving to Southborough to preach. In 1735 he was invited to preach at the newly gathered Congregational Church in Upton, Massachusetts, and he was ordained as the first minister of the church on January 4, 1738. In 1744, Weld was called to preach in Middleboro, Massachusetts. During Rev. Weld’s ministry, the congregation shrank significantly and he was dismissed. In the following years Ward likely became an itinerant preacher before joining the British Army as a chaplain during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). He died during the war, probably between 1756 and 1758. This collection contains a commonplace book, kept by Rev. Weld, that was created during his time at Harvard University.

Timothy Dickinson was born on June 25, 1761 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dickinson joined the Continental Army in 1777 and was discharged in 1779. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1785 and was ordained as the minister at Holliston, Massachusetts on February 18, 1789. He remained minister there until his death on July 6, 1813. This collection contains two items written by Timothy Dickinson. The first is a short biography which recounts his time in the Continental Army and the second is a commonplace book which contains various religious writings.

The Congregational church in Topsfield, Massachusetts, was founded in 1663 under the ministry of Rev. Thomas Gilbert. The earliest extant records of the church were kept by Rev. Joseph Capen beginning in 1684. Congregants constructed a meeting house on the Topsfield common in 1703. New meeting houses were constructed in 1759 and 1842. The church continues to serve the community today as the Congregational Church of Topsfield, a member of the United Church of Christ. The collection contains two bound volumes of church records. These include meeting minutes, membership records, and lists of baptisms, marriages, and deaths.

The town of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1727. The first religious institution in the town, the Church of Christ, was gathered by Reverend Joseph Dorr in 1730. It was also in 1730 that the first church building was erected in the town. This building was replaced by a second meeting house in 1773, and the First Congregation Society was incorporated soon after, in 1797. The parish was divided into two separate societies in 1832: the more liberal division of the church became the First Congregational Society, Unitarian, and the more orthodox division formed the First Evangelical Society of Uxbridge. This collection contains a single volume of church administrative records dating from 1730-1829.

A flurry of correspondence, kept and recorded by Ward Cotton, was incited by the suspension of Boylston parishioner Betsy Flagg over her vocal criticism of the church's minister, Rev. Ward Cotton. Flagg sought support from Rev. Samuel Austin, minister of the nearby Church of Christ in Worcester. Rev. Austin began a correspondence with Rev. Cotton, which quickly escalated into mutual accusations. Ultimately an ecclesiastical council was formed which ruled in favor of Rev. Cotton.

In 1696, the residents of the town of Watertown, Massachusetts, voted to support two meeting houses; the West Precinct Church, was established in 1696 to serve the western section of the town. The first meeting house, a repurposed building from Newton, was assembled in 1722. In 1738, the town of Waltham was incorporated from the West Precinct of Watertown and the church was renamed the First Parish in Waltham. In 1838, the First Parish merged with the Second Religious Society. In 1958, the First Parish merged with the First Unitarian Church to form the First Parish Church in Waltham, Universalist-Unitarian. This collection contains a copy of the 1709 church covenant.

The formal organization of the First Church in Wells, Maine, occurred in 1701, with Rev. Samuel Emery ordained as minister. The Second Church in Wells was organized, owing to doctrinal differences, on August 23, 1831. The First and Second churches reunited in 1963, and the church is still active today as the Congregational Church of Wells, a member of the United Church of Christ. The digitized collection consists of a single-volume church record book, containing administrative information and vital statistical information for the First Church.

The Congregational Church of Wendell, Massachusetts, was formed on November 29, 1774. The first meetinghouse was built in 1783, and a second in 1846. The Congregational Church of Wendell joined the United Church of Christ in 1964 and closed in 2004. This collection contains both church administrative records and financial records.

In 1642, the first meeting house was constructed in Wenham, Massachusetts, and the First Congregational Church was established in 1644 with the Rev. John Fiske as its first minister. The Congregational Parish and Society was established in 1833 and remained active until the church was incorporated in 1925. The congregation is still active today as First Church in Wenham. This collection includes meeting minutes, vital records, ecclesiastical council results, and early town records.

The town of Brookfield, Massachusetts, was first settled during the 1660s. The first meeting house in Brookfield was built atop Foster's Hill. The First Church was organized in 1717. West Brookfield split from Brookfield in 1848 and the First Church became known simply as the Congregational Church. The church joined the United Church of Christ in 1964. The First Congregational Church of West Brookfield, UCC, continues to serve its community today. The records in this collection include membership lists, church correspondence, church and parish meeting minutes, and vital records.

The First Congregational Church in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 1789, along with the town itself. The meeting house was shared with a local Baptist congregation until 1793. The first meeting house of the First Congregational Church, then also known as the West Centre Church, was destroyed by a fire in 1956. In 1962, the West Center Church and Village Congregational Church formally merged to form the Congregational Church of West Stockbridge. The church continues to serve the community today. This collection contains the oldest administrative records of the church as well as membership records and church correspondence.

The Church of Christ in Westborough, Massachusetts, was gathered on October 28, 1724. Rev. Ebenezer Parkman was the church’s first minister and he served until his death in 1783. In 1825, the church reformed as the First Congregational Society. The church continues to serve the community today as the Congregational Church of Westborough. This collection contains the oldest administrative records of the church and includes baptismal records, marriage records, and church meeting minutes.

In 1698, the area of Watertown that would later be named Weston, Massachusetts, was set off as the "Farmers' Precinct" based around the newly established “Church of Christ”. In 1713, the town of Weston was incorporated and the church became known as the First Parish Church. The first four ministers of the church were considered progressive and by the 1830s the theology of the church was beginning to shift towards Unitarianism. In 1867, a new church covenant was adopted that established the church as a Unitarian church. The First Parish Church in Weston remains active today and is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The collection includes vital records, meeting minutes, a daily ministerial journal, and early manuscript writings from Edmund Hamilton Sears.

The Second Church in Weymouth, Massachusetts, also known as the South Church, was gathered in 1723 with James Bayley ordained as the first minister. The first meeting house was constructed in 1722 and the second in 1785. The ordination of a Universalist minister in 1834 resulted in a rift in the church membership with the orthodox members forming the Union Church in 1842. The third meeting house was constructed in 1854. In 1892, the Second Church was incorporated as the Old South Church in Weymouth. In 1918, the Old South Church and Union Church merged to form the Old South Union Church. The church continues to serve the Weymouth community today. This collection contains the oldest administrative records of the church as well as financial ledgers and parish records.

Rev. Michael Wigglesworth (1631-1705) was born in Lincolnshire, England, and moved with his family to New Haven, Connecticut in 1638. He graduated from Harvard College in 1651 and subsequently worked there as a tutor for several years. He became a minister at Malden in 1654, was ordained in 1656, and remained in the parish until his death. Michael's son Edward Wigglesworth, Sr. (ca. 1693-1765) also became a Congregational minister. Edward Wigglesworth, Jr. (1732-1794) was a merchant in Boston. Both Edwards were professors of divinity at Harvard College.

Rev. William Homes was a Scotch-Irishman who first traveled to New England from Ulster in 1686. He taught school in Chilmark, Massachusetts, for three years, returning temporarily to Ireland in 1689, where he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in Strabane. In 1714, he came again to America and was invited to be the first minister of the Congregational Church in Chilmark, where he served until his death in 1746. This collection contains Rev. Homes’ diary which covers the entirety of his tenure as minister of the Chilmark Congregational Church.

Rev. William Rand was the minister at Sunderland, Mass. from 1722 until 1745, when he was dismissed due to his opposition to the Great Awakening. He subsequently replaced the Rev. Thaddeus McCarty as minister at Kingston, Mass. when the latter was dismissed for inviting the evangelist George Whitefield to preach there. Rev. Rand remained at Kingston from 1745 until his death in 1779. The volumes below contain a large number of Rev. Rand's sermons preached after his move to Kingston.

The First Congregational Church of Windham, Massachusetts, was established at the founding of New Marblehead in 1737, by order of the General Court. The church was unable to call a minister until 1743 when Rev. John Wight came to serve the seven church members. The New Marblehead Plantation was incorporated on June 12, 1762 as Windham. The second pastor was Rev. Peter Thacher Smith, ordained September 22, 1762. Rev. Smith served for 28 years and was dismissed in 1790. During his pastorate the township struggled to finalize the construction of a meeting house, with failed building projects attempted in 1768 and 1783. The town was able to erect a substantial meeting house in 1795. Rev. Nathaniel Stone was ordained as the third pastor in 1798. The church is still active today as the Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Congregational. This collection contains two volumes of church administrative records which cover the pastorates of Rev. Wight and Rev. Smith.

The First Church of Worcester, Massachusetts, was organized in 1716. The first meetinghouse was erected in 1719, and the Rev. Andrew Gardner was installed as the first minister. After the death of Rev. Maccarty in 1784, the church split due to the opposition of some church members to the election of Rev. Aaron Bancroft. The church was incorporated as the First Church, Old South in 1908 and was called that until 1965 when it merged with the Tatnuck Congregational Church to form the First Congregational Church in Worcester. The church continues to serve the Worcester community today. The digitized records are mainly administrative and concentrate on the ministries of Rev. Austin and Rev. Goodrich, 1790 to 1820.

The First Church of Worcester, Massachusetts, was organized in 1716. The first meetinghouse was erected in 1719, and Rev. Andrew Gardner was installed as the first minister. In 1785, a segment of the membership broke away due to a dispute over the selection of Rev. Dr. Aaron Bancroft as minister. The new church was incorporated in 1787 as the Second Congregational Church, or Second Parish, in Worcester under the ministry of Rev. Bancroft. Later, it became known as the First Unitarian Church. The original meetinghouse, built in 1791, was destroyed by fire in 1849 and rebuilt in 1851. The First Unitarian Church continues to serve the Worcester community today. This collection contains church administrative records and parish records.

The First Congregational Church in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was likely established in 1639. The first minister of the church was Marmaduke Matthews and the first meeting house was located in what is today known as Ancient Cemetery. In 1716, the second meeting house was constructed close to the location of the first. The third meeting house was constructed in 1830 and the fourth, and present, edifice was constructed in 1870. Members were dismissed from the First Congregational Church in 1727 and 1840 to form the East Second Church of Yarmouth and the South Congregational Church respectively. This collection contains both vital records and administrative records. The records include church meeting minutes, financial records, ordination and installation records, membership records, baptismal records, marriage records, and records of deaths.

The First Parish Church in York, Maine was established at some point between 1662 and 1673 with Shubael Drummer ordained as the first minister. Rev. Drummer was killed during a Native American raid in 1692 and was followed by Samuel Moody in 1698. Rev. Moody's pastorate ended in 1747 with his death. He was followed by Samuel Lyman in 1749 who served as minister until his death in 1810. The First Parish Church Congregational, United Church of Christ, in York Maine, continues to serve the community today. This collection includes church and parish records, financial records, and vital membership records.

The diary of Zaccheus Collins details a 43-year period of daily life in Lynn, Massachusetts. The diary contains details about agricultural concerns, notations on attendance at religious meetings, visits from his friends, and observations about the weather.