Second Baptist Church Collection
Collection
Identifier: CHC074
Collection Description
The records in this collection divide into roughly three groups: by-laws and incorporation documents; financial records including some receipts; and business correspondence, mostly regarding candidates for pastor c. 1904-1905. The inclusive dates of these records are c. 1883-1908. This covers only a short period of the churches ninety-year history, but covers a range of business records and gives insight into the workings of the church at the time.
Dates
- 1993-1908
- Majority of material found within 1904-1905
Language of Materials
Material is in English.
Access
Collection is available for research under the CHC rules of use.
Copyright Notice
Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to understand and observe copyright law and to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyright. Questions concerning copyright and permission to publish should be directed to the Cambridge Historical Commission Archives.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to understand and observe copyright law and to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyright. Questions concerning copyright and permission to publish should be directed to the Cambridge Historical Commission Archives.
Biographical Note:
In 1824 a number of East Cambridge Baptists, most notably Enos Reed, tired of traveling to Charlestown or Boston for services, arranged to a Sunday school and preach one evening a week in the Putnam schoolhouse. In 1827, they decided to establish the Second Baptist Church in Cambridge with the Rev. John E. Weston as its first pastor. Almost immediately they erected a wooden meeting on the northeast corner of Cambridge and Fourth streets, the third church in East Cambridge. In 1837 the church burned to the ground. In January 1838, a new brick church was dedicated on the same site. It was constructed quickly with no architect and very little money, so the new building was plain but substantial and had 82 pews seating 500 people. In 1868 the building was renovated, and in 1890 Boston architect Walter T. Paine raised the building 3 feet to increase the capacity of the basement and built an addition with a parlor, study, robbing room, and baptistry. In 1917 the new Italian Catholic congregation of St. Francis of Assisi bought the church from the Baptists.
Extent
3 folders
Abstract
The records in this collection divide into roughly three groups: by-laws and incorporation documents; financial records including some receipts; and business correspondence, mostly regarding candidates for pastor c. 1904-1905. The inclusive dates of these records are c. 1883-1908. This covers only a short period of the churches ninety-year history, but covers a range of business records and gives insight into the workings of the church at the time.
Physical Location
Collection is stored onsite.
Provenance
Cambridge City Clerk transferred to the Cambridge Historical Commission in 2002.
Processing Information
Processing and finding aid completed by Molly Alexander.
- Title
- Inventory of the Second Baptist Church Collection, 1883-1908
- Author
- Processing and finding aid by Molly Alexander. Machine-readable finding aid by Brittany Fox, August 2021.
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Was Prepared Using Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Cambridge Historical Commission Archives Repository
Contact:
831 Massachusetts Avenue
2nd Floor
Cambridge Massachusetts 02139 US
617-349-4683
histcomm@cambridgema.gov
831 Massachusetts Avenue
2nd Floor
Cambridge Massachusetts 02139 US
617-349-4683
histcomm@cambridgema.gov