Founded in 1853. A public research library and archives preserving the history of Congregationalism.
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Congratulations to Wellington First Congregational UCC in Wellington, Ohio who celebrated their 200th anniversary earlier this summer!
Our collections at 14 Beacon include a few pieces of their story, including this lovely illustration of the church and a church history published in 1892 by Pastor W.E. Barton.
We’re excited to be featured in Kiernan P. Schmitt’s new book, “Secret Boston: An Unusual Guide,” which is available TODAY from Jonglez Publishing ( https://jonglezpublishing.com/product/secret-boston-an-unusual-guide/ ) or your local seller of good books. 📚 🎉
Last week we were pleased to host students from the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches' Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies and guests from the Congregational Federation at 14 Beacon.
We enjoyed a wonderful two days of workshops, conversation, and fellowship with these Congregationalists from around the US and across the pond in the UK.
Please come back and visit again soon!
Congratulations to our Executive Director, Dr. Kyle Roberts, who recently had a co-authored book chapter published in “American Revolutions in the Digital Age” by Cornell University Press.
You can find and download an open access edition of the book on the publisher's website: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771859/american-revolutions-in-the-digital-age/ =1
“Haynes does not easily fit into categories like Black religion for Black church. Even so, Haynes deserves as much entry into that amorphous and evolving area of Black religion as Mays or others.”
Learn much more about Dr. George Edmund Haynes and his work with the Federal Council of Churches in Dr. Curtis Evans’ full book talk, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/_2O5FMDsezs
We had a wonderful time at the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference's Annual Gathering this week in Rhode Island.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table or attended Zachary's presentation on archiving church records. We hope to see many of you again next year!
“But for those of us who wish to tell a more diverse, inclusive, and comprehensive history of American religion, we would do well to sing of other churches as well.”
Learn much more about the beloved Congregational hymn, “The Little Brown Church,” the Iowa congregation associated with it, and the fascinating relationship between the two in Dr. Christopher Cantwell’s full talk, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/TaMSaZV6nh8
Thanks to Jonathan Lane from Revolution250 for dropping by 14 Beacon last week to donate a collection of 18th-century sermon notes he found while cleaning out a family member’s house in Guilford, CT.
Do you have a piece of Congregational history you’d like to donate to the CLA? Learn more at https://congregationallibrary.org/donate-materials
We recently acquired this sermon, preached by Timothy Dwight (1752-1817) at Northampton, MA, on November 28, 1781, which puts news of the British surrender at Yorktown into a historical and religious context.
Interestingly, this copy has been inscribed by Ezra Stiles, who was president of Yale during the American Revolution (1778-1795). Dwight then succeeded Stiles as Yale's next president (1795-1817).
It's now catalogued and is available for patrons to view in our reading room at 14 Beacon.
Thanks to Bob Frishman, who returned our reading room clock to working order yesterday after cleaning and repairing its face and movement.
Be sure to take a look the next time you stop by 14 Beacon!
We had a fantastic time yesterday at our summer Archives Edit Workshop. Thanks to everyone who attended!
Are you looking for information on archiving your church's records? Find free videos and resources through our Church Stewardship Initiative at https://congregationallibrary.org/csi
“Every poem is about an act of communion. There is a way in which poetry can never exist in solitude. . . . Poetry is always about an ‘us’ and a ‘more.’”
Whether you love poetry or think it isn’t for you, Dr. Abram Van Engen’s recent book talk will challenge you to think differently about poetry’s value as a spiritual practice. Find the full video now on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/eL-SXHvrZ1I
We love welcoming researchers to 14 Beacon, and our Reading Room has been busy this summer! Have you been thinking about visiting us to learn more about the Congregational story?
Find everything you need to know about planning your trip at https://congregationallibrary.org/visit
We're excited to announce that we are accepting applications for an Administrative Assistant position at the CLA. Learn more on our website: https://congregationallibrary.org/jobs
Please share this information with anyone you think might make a great addition to our team at 14 Beacon.
“But what brings us together is the healing agent of music, the text of the hymns. . . . All of those things, whether it's done by Beethoven, Bach, from James Cleveland, to Rachmaninoff, to Aretha Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Kirk Franklin, they all unify us.”
Learn more about the power and diversity of music in Congregational worship from the full video of our “What Does Congregational Worship Sound Like Today?” program, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/GZ4U2IgXbXY
Sometimes history is found on the back of the least likely documents.
While processing the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ Women's Connection Collection, our archivists found notes about the group's history... written on the back of a guide for wearing panty hose!
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Diana Butler Bass and Rev. Dr. Carolyne Call to the CLA's Board of Directors this month.
Learn more at https://ow.ly/21rW50SxGrm
You might know us for our old books, but we regularly add new books (like these recent acquisitions) to our collections as well.
We'd love to welcome you to 14 Beacon to browse a few books... or better yet, become a member and you can check out books published in the last 35 years. Learn more at https://congregationallibrary.org/membership
Thanks to our good friend Charles Hambrick-Stowe, who donated 20 books, including theology texts and hymnals, to our collection this week.
Do you have items you've considered donating to us? Learn more about what we collect and our donation process at https://congregationallibrary.org/donate-materials
Historically speaking, we can’t think of a more Congregational way to celebrate the 4th of July than with a sermon (or two).
So here are a few from our significant collection of manuscript sermons that were given on the 4th of July in 1799 and 1810 to commemorate American independence.
Happy 4th! 🇺🇲
You might name a child for a family member, but what about to honor a war hero?
This 1781 baptism list from our collections includes a child named George General Washington Jones in Cheshire, CT, and is an example of the way many parents during this period celebrated victories.
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“Haynes does not easily fit into categories like Black religion for Black church. Even so, Haynes deserves as much entry into that amorphous and evolving area of Black religion as Mays or others.” Learn much more about Dr. George Edmund Haynes and his work with the Federal Council of Churches in Dr. Curtis Evans’ full book talk, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/_2O5FMDsezs
“But for those of us who wish to tell a more diverse, inclusive, and comprehensive history of American religion, we would do well to sing of other churches as well.” Learn much more about the beloved Congregational hymn, “The Little Brown Church,” the Iowa congregation associated with it, and the fascinating relationship between the two in Dr. Christopher Cantwell’s full talk, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/TaMSaZV6nh8
We recently acquired this sermon, preached by Timothy Dwight (1752-1817) at Northampton, MA, on November 28, 1781, which puts news of the British surrender at Yorktown into a historical and religious context. Interestingly, this copy has been inscribed by Ezra Stiles, who was president of Yale during the American Revolution (1778-1795). Dwight then succeeded Stiles as Yale's next president (1795-1817). It's now catalogued and is available for patrons to view in our reading room at 14 Beacon.
“Every poem is about an act of communion. There is a way in which poetry can never exist in solitude. . . . Poetry is always about an ‘us’ and a ‘more.’” Whether you love poetry or think it isn’t for you, Dr. Abram Van Engen’s recent book talk will challenge you to think differently about poetry’s value as a spiritual practice. Find the full video now on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/eL-SXHvrZ1I
“But what brings us together is the healing agent of music, the text of the hymns. . . . All of those things, whether it's done by Beethoven, Bach, from James Cleveland, to Rachmaninoff, to Aretha Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Kirk Franklin, they all unify us.” Learn more about the power and diversity of music in Congregational worship from the full video of our “What Does Congregational Worship Sound Like Today?” program, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/GZ4U2IgXbXY
You might know us for our old books, but we regularly add new books (like these recent acquisitions) to our collections as well. We'd love to welcome you to 14 Beacon to browse a few books... or better yet, become a member and you can check out books published in the last 35 years. Learn more at https://congregationallibrary.org/membership
“Missionaries are able, then, to position themselves as THE American experts on the regions of the world where they lived.” Learn much more about the role 19th century missionaries played in US foreign relations in Emily Conroy-Krutz’ “Missionary Diplomacy” book talk, now available at https://youtu.be/FHpm5wfbOJY
“For [18th-century New Englanders], singing equaled praise. In fact, singing was their only opportunity publicly to express their faith, their devotion to God.” Learn more about the sounds of 18th-century New England Congregationalism in the video of Dr. Nym Cooke’s fantastic program, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/k_9mMjNkBTY
Dr. Kacy Dowd Tillman’s book, “Stripped and Script,” contains fascinating stories of loyalist women writers from the Revolutionary era, many of which (like the one in this clip) she gathered from reading manuscripts—diaries and letters—written the women themselves. Hear more of these stories and learn about the importance of archival manuscripts to studying the past in the full video from her recent book talk, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/GypSnwv0_Pw
Happy 171st birthday to us! 🥳 🎂 To celebrate, our fantastic librarian gathered 171 items from the local church histories in our collection. We're thankful to have spent the past 171 years serving Congregational churches across the country and excited to begin another year. Want to learn more about our history? Explore the 56 books that began our collection in 1853 in our "Founding 56: The Congregational Library's Original Collection" digital exhibition, free to visit online at bit.ly/founding56
Church archival work is incredibly valuable. But it’s also challenging, which is why we’re here to support you in preserving your church’s memories and mission. Let the CLA’s archivists explain how a retention schedule can benefit your church archive in their full “To Keep or Not to Keep” program, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/Bt_InKKZwZA
Like the Congregational Library & Archives, our British sister institutions—Dr Williams’s Library and the Congregational Library, London—have changed over time in response to the needs of ministers, church communities, and researchers, as David Powell explains in this clip. Learn much more about the history of these British libraries in the full video from our “Preserving the History of British Congregationalism” program, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/EdymCP0iLoQ This program was part of the lecture series accompanying our “Founding 56: The Congregational Library’s Original Collection” digital exhibition, which remains free to visit anytime at bit.ly/founding56
What do archivists do when they don’t have a folder that’s the right size for an item? They make one of their own! Of course, if you decide to join in by having your own #archivesartday, don’t forget to check that the paper you’re using is archivally safe. 👍 (And in full transparency, we sped this video of Zachary up by 750%. 🤯 He makes the project look easy, but quality work takes time!)
We've added a number of fascinating items to our collections over the past few months. From histories of Congregational churches and denominations, to magazine issues, and books of faith and inspiration, there's something for everyone in the stacks at 14 Beacon. Find these books and thousands more in our catalog at https://ow.ly/WsK650Rln7Q Reach out and make your appointment to browse our collections at www.congregationallibrary.org/visit
“So if you’re thinking of donating your archives or your books, please know that this staff is incredibly helpful. And it’s lovely knowing that as I fade from this mortal coil, parts of me will live on as a heritage for the future.” Do you have questions about donating materials to the Congregational Library & Archives? Hear more of Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree’s experience in the “Acquisitions Afternoon” video now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/RBuwgId4TpU. And if we can help in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out via email at [email protected].
Women have played critical roles in the Congregational story throughout its 400+ year history. As we near the end of Women's History Month, we encourage you to learn more about women's impact on shaping religion in the early modern Atlantic world from our 2023 “Women & Sermons” program. Find the video on our YouTube channel at https://ow.ly/zy8u50R3wJq and the full transcript on our website at https://ow.ly/izhi50R3wJs
This week marks the end of our fiscal year, and what a year it's been! From hosting programs and workshops, to growing our collections, working with interns and fellows, giving tours of 14 Beacon, and celebrating our 170th birthday, it's been a fantastic year. If you've supported us this year by attending a program, transcribing documents, or donating your time or resources, thank you. And if you'd like to support our work to preserve and promote the Congregational story as we enter our 171st year, find all the information you need online at www.congregationallibrary.org/donate
On a cold Friday at the end of February, CLA staff members worked together to bring 145 boxes of materials from the historic Connecticut UCC Conference archives to 14 Beacon. Learn more in this recent article from the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ: https://ow.ly/t9IP50QY6cJ
“By drawing on such a diverse range of [library borrowing] records, we're able to challenge some of those misconceptions and shine a light on people who might have been a little bit neglected, or somehow got lost along the way.” Learn more about the many ways that studying library history can expand our view of the past in the full video from our “Why Study Library History” program, now available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xmAb21uQ77k
Phillis Wheatley Peters is widely remembered as a poet, but she was also a Congregationalist whose writings reveal new perspectives when put into conversation with other Black Congregationalists in the Calvinist tradition, such as Jupiter Hammon and Lemuel Haynes. Watch the video from our October 2023 program honoring Wheatley Peters on our YouTube channel at https://ow.ly/9RXV50QTUYZ and find the full transcript on our website at www.congregationallibrary.org/video/wheatley-peters-and-black-congregational-calvinist-tradition
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Muse
Columbia Point
Boston Street Railway Association
Huntington Avenue
The History Project: Documenting LGBTQ Boston
Boylston Street
