bMS 706

Ware, Massachusetts. First Unitarian Church of Ware. Records, 1846-1998.

Summary Information:

  • Call Number: bMS 706
  • Title: Ware, Massachusetts. First Unitarian Church of Ware. Records, 1846-1998.
  • Repository: Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1911
  • Quantity: 11 boxes

Administrative Information:

  • Acquisition Information: Gift of the Unitarian Universalist Association, 2006-07.
  • Processing Information: This collection was processed by Jessica Suarez in 2010.
  • Access: There are no restrictions on access to this collection.

Historical Note:

The First Unitarian Church of Ware was founded in 1845 and incorporated on October 7, 1846. Following the death of the church's third minister, the Rev. Samuel Fulton Clarke, in March 1861, services were temporarily suspended and the church was closed until April 1862. The church closed permanently in 1996.

Arrangement:

  • Series I. General church records
  • Series II. Financial records
  • Series III. Pew records
  • Series IV. Church groups and organizations
  • Series V. General AUA and UUA material
  • Series VI. Miscellaneous

Scope and Content:

This collection contains general church records that include deeds, correspondence, membership records, by-laws and constitution, minister records, clippings, and photographs. There are also financial records that include treasurer's record books; pew records; and material related to church groups and organizations such as the Women's Alliance and the Young People's Religious Union. These records also consist of several miscellaneous items that include a Bible, a commemorative plate, and papers related to the Town of Ware. There are no birth, death, or marriage records.

Note: Oversized material is included in box 6, mostly consisting of pew records.

Container List:

Series I. General church records

  • bMS 706/1 (1) Original building contract (with Daniel Colter), July 13, 1846
  • bMS 706/1 (2) Deeds, includes survey of church land, 1850-1967
  • bMS 706/1 (3) Lease between First Unitarian Church of Ware and Weymss Scott, 1958
  • bMS 706/1 (4) Insurance policies, 1948
  • bMS 706/1 (5) Insurance policies, 1949
  • bMS 706/1 (6) Insurance policies, 1950
  • bMS 706/1 (7) Insurance policies, 1951
  • bMS 706/1 (8) Insurance policies, 1953
  • bMS 706/1 (9) Insurance policies, 1994-1995
  • bMS 706/1 (10) Insurance policies, 1995-1996
  • bMS 706/1 (11) Insurance policies, 1996-1997
  • bMS 706/1 (12) Insurance policies, 1998-1999
  • bMS 706/1 (13) Insurance inspection, 1976
  • bMS 706/1 (14) Insurance, 1989
  • bMS 706/1 (15) Tax exemption records, 1978-1986
  • bMS 706/2 (1) Constitution and by-laws, 1945
  • bMS 706/2 (2) Correspondence, 1854-1968
  • bMS 706/2 (3) Correspondence, 1970-1993
  • bMS 706/2 (4) Correspondence and contracts between Newberry Company and First Unitarian Church of Ware, 1927-1959
  • bMS 706/2 (5) E. W. McGlenen minister reports, 1938-1946
  • bMS 706/2 (6) Rev. Daniel W. Weck, n.d.
  • bMS 706/2 (7) Rev. Myles D. Blanchard, 1975
  • bMS 706/2 (8) William A. Towlson, 1968-1979
  • bMS 706/2 (9) Orders of service, 1856-1979
  • bMS 706/2 (10) Membership, 1888; 1941-1946; 1959; 1961; 1979
  • bMS 706/2 (11) Membership, 1992; n.d.
  • bMS 706/2 (12) Guest book, 1952-1992
  • bMS 706/3 (1) Annual meeting minutes, 1945
  • bMS 706/3 (2) Presidential committee, 1855; 1893
  • bMS 706/3 (3) Newsletter, April 1962; n.d.
  • bMS 706/3 (4) Religious education, 1917; 1949-1952; 1976
  • bMS 706/3 (5) Singing School, n.d.
  • bMS 706/3 (6) Church organ records, 1908
  • bMS 706/3 (7) "Anniversary Yearbook, 1946-1921"
  • bMS 706/3 (8) Anniversary pamphlet, 1846-1946
  • bMS 706/3 (9) "Survey of the First Unitarian Church of Ware, Massachusetts," October 1944
  • bMS 706/3 (10) Church history, 1960-1964
  • bMS 706/3 (11) Church meeting notes, 1978; n.d.
  • bMS 706/3 (12) Notes, n.d.
  • bMS 706/3 (13) Church closing material, 1994-1998
  • bMS 706/3 (14) Clippings, 1966-1980
  • bMS 706/3 (15) Photographs, n.d.
  • bMS 706/3 (16) General church record book, 1917-1969
  • bMS 706/4 (1) Church Council record book, 1945-1960
  • bMS 706/4 (2) General Alliance record book, 1948-1957
  • bMS 706/6 (1) Announcement of church services, n.d.

Series II. Financial records

  • bMS 706/5 (1) Financial records, 1863-1982
  • bMS 706/5 (2) Financial notebook, n.d.
  • bMS 706/5 (3) Annual fund, 1975-1979
  • bMS 706/5 (4) Treasurer's book, November 23, 1847-1875
  • bMS 706/5 (5) Treasurer's book, 1905-1907
  • bMS 706/5 (6) Treasurer's book, 1970-1979

Series III. Pew records

  • bMS 706/6 (2) Pew plans, 1850; 1853; 1857; 1869-1871; 1876-1879; 1884; n.d.
  • bMS 706/6 (3) Pew records, 1855; 1872
  • bMS 706/6 (4) Blank pew announcements, n.d.

Series IV. Church groups and organizations

  • bMS 706/7 (1) Ladies Alliance treasurer's account book, 1903-1911
  • bMS 706/7 (2) Ladies Guild record book, 1895-1907
  • bMS 706/7 (3) Women's Alliance record book, 1912-1920
  • bMS 706/7 (4) Women's Alliance record book, 1926-1940
  • bMS 706/7 (5) Women's Alliance record book, 1938-1958
  • bMS 706/7 (6) Women's Alliance record books, 1959-1961; 1984
  • bMS 706/8 (1) Young People's Religious Union record book, 1900-1936
  • bMS 706/8 (2) Young People's Religious Union record book, 1926
  • bMS 706/8 (3) Young People's Religious Union record book, 1936-1938

Series V. General AUA and UUA material

  • bMS 706/8 (4) Unitarian Universalist Connecticut Valley general information, 1978; n.d.
  • bMS 706/8 (5) Unitarian Universalist Connecticut Valley directories, 1977-1980; 1986-1987
  • bMS 706/8 (6) American Unitarian Association general records, 1924-1979
  • bMS 706/8 (7) Unitarian Year Book questionnaires, 1938-1941; 1943-1945
  • bMS 706/8 (8) Unitarian Universalist Association general records, 1972-1991

Series VI. Miscellaneous

  • bMS 706/8 (9) Town of Ware related materials, n.d.
  • bMS 706/8 (10) Miscellaneous, 1943; n.d.
  • bMS 706/9 Holy Bible, 1846. The Bible is inscribed as follows: "From the 'Ladies Channing Society' connected with Rev. Dr. Peabody's Church, Springfield, Mass. to the First Unitarian Church, Ware, Mass."
  • bMS 706/10 Small plate with Unitarian Church of Ware seal
  • bMS 706/11 Proclamation by Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew, July 27, 1863. This proclamation is in response to an earlier proclamation given by President Abraham Lincoln, July 15, 1863. Lincoln's proclamation called for a "Day of Thanksgiving, Praise and Prayer" in honor of recent Civil War victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

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