WEST CONCORD UNION CHURCH RECORDS, 1878-1916

West Concord Union Church
West Concord Union Church, before 1910

Vault A30, Unit A5

EXTENT: .6 linear feet (2 boxes)

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT: Three series: Series I. Predecessors of the West Concord Union Church, 1878-1893; Series II.  West Concord Union Church, 1891-1916; Series III. Church organizations, 1894-1905

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY: Undenominational Protestant church in West Concord, Mass., incorporated in 1891 as the West Concord Union Religious Society.  The founding of the church had been preceded by the formation in West Concord of the Third Congregational Church and of the Westvale Chapel Society, both of which were essentially absorbed by the West Concord Union Church.  Many early members of the West Concord Union Church were staff members at the Massachusetts Reformatory in Concord.  The church’s first building was dedicated on February 6, 1894; the second on March 22, 1910.  The church buildings were later enlarged with a dedication on October 29, 1961.  In the early years of the church’s history, the Ladies’ Union worked to raise money, the Concord Junction Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor to “promote an earnest Christian life,” serving social purposes as well. 

SCOPE AND CONTENT:  Records, 1878-1916, consist of: records of predecessors of West Concord Union Church (4 volumes: Sabbath School records, 1878-1891; Westvale Union Society Treasurer’s records, 1887-1893; minutes of meetings, Westvale Chapel Society, 1890-1893); records of West Concord Union Religious Society and West Concord Union Church (3 volumes: Minutes of Meetings, 1891-1916, with list of donors for church building, formerly laid in, now separate; record book, 1891-1904, with church government, confession of faith, covenant, greeting, minutes of meetings, names of those baptized, attendance lists and lists of committee members; Treasurer’s records 1891-1895); records of the Ladies’ Union (2 volumes: 1894-1897 and 1897-1902, plus fourteen loose receipts, 1905); records of Concord Junction Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor (including constitution, by laws, “Our Pledge” and membership lists, 1894-1905).

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS:

Series I. Predecessors of the West Concord Union Church, 1878-1893:  includes records of the Westvale Chapel Society and Third Congregational Church (Westvale Chapel Society Sabbath School records, 1878-1891; Westvale Chapel Society Treasurer’s records, 1887-1893; Westvale Chapel Society and Third Congregational Church meeting minutes, 1890-1893).

Series II. West Concord Union Church, 1891-1916: includes records of West Concord Union Religious Society and West Concord Union Church (Minutes of Meetings, 1891-1916, list of donors for church building and plot; record book, 1891-1904, with church government, confession of faith, covenant, greeting, minutes of meetings, names of those baptized, attendance lists and lists of committee members; Treasurer’s records 1891-1895).

Series III. Church organizations, 1894-1905: includes records of the Ladies’ Union (1894-1897 and 1897-1902, plus fourteen loose receipts, 1905); and records of Concord Junction Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor (1894-1905).

SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Gift of West Concord Union Church, via William M. Bailey, November 28, 1992.

PROCESSED BY: Leslie Wilson, October 1995.  Finding aid prepared by Karen Chmielewski, April 2007.

 

CONTAINER LIST:

Series I. Predecessors of the West Concord Union Church, 1878-1893

Box 1:
Volumes:

Series II.  West Concord Union Church, 1891-1916

Box 2:
Volumes:
West Concord Union Religious Society / West Concord Union Church records

Box 2, Folder 1:
List of donors (and amounts donated) for Church lot and building (formerly laid into record book with minutes of meetings, 1891-1916)
 
Series III. Church organizations, 1894-1905
Volumes:

Box 2, Folder 2:
Ladies’ Union loose receipts, 1905

c2007 Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.
Not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the Curator of Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library.

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Mounted 5th May 2007.    rcwh.