Congregational Library & Archives
@congrelib.bsky.social
The Congregational Library & Archives is an independent research library founded in 1853. We are dedicated to preserving and promoting the more than 400 year history of Congregationalism.
First Congregational Church & Parsonage, Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. 1882-6. These prints were sold for $1 to support “one of the most elevated (6240 ft.) parsonages in the US.” | 25 Days of Congregational history for Christmas 🎄
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
December 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
First Congregational Church & Parsonage, Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. 1882-6. These prints were sold for $1 to support “one of the most elevated (6240 ft.) parsonages in the US.” | 25 Days of Congregational history for Christmas 🎄
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
This Giving Tuesday, let Rev. Dr. Maxwell Grant, Chair of our Board of Directors, share how your support can help us preserve the Congregational story; amplify new voices; and inspire scholars, students, and history enthusiasts.
Partner with us today at congregationallibrary.org/donate
Partner with us today at congregationallibrary.org/donate
December 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM
This Giving Tuesday, let Rev. Dr. Maxwell Grant, Chair of our Board of Directors, share how your support can help us preserve the Congregational story; amplify new voices; and inspire scholars, students, and history enthusiasts.
Partner with us today at congregationallibrary.org/donate
Partner with us today at congregationallibrary.org/donate
Original Reading Room at Congregational House, early 1900s. You can see the largely unchanged room today on a visit to the Congregational Library & Archives. | 25 Days of Congregational history for Christmas 🎄
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
December 1, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Original Reading Room at Congregational House, early 1900s. You can see the largely unchanged room today on a visit to the Congregational Library & Archives. | 25 Days of Congregational history for Christmas 🎄
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
Explore our Image Catalog online anytime: https://ow.ly/A5LM50XzWXr
In this post-Thanksgiving letter sent 250 years ago today, Rev. John Cleaveland asked his son, Dr. Parker Cleaveland (who was serving as a surgeon in the Continental Army), to buy some rattan cloth and send it to him in Ipswich as soon as possible.
November 28, 2025 at 2:20 PM
In this post-Thanksgiving letter sent 250 years ago today, Rev. John Cleaveland asked his son, Dr. Parker Cleaveland (who was serving as a surgeon in the Continental Army), to buy some rattan cloth and send it to him in Ipswich as soon as possible.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving from 14 Beacon!
November 27, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving from 14 Beacon!
As our friends from the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches urge us in their 2025 Thanksgiving Proclamation, "let our hearts be filled with deep and abiding thankfulness."
November 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
As our friends from the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches urge us in their 2025 Thanksgiving Proclamation, "let our hearts be filled with deep and abiding thankfulness."
It’s been 6 months since Project Archivist Anne Woodrum began her work with the Historic Connecticut Collection. We hope you'll join us December 15th either in-person or via Zoom to hear Anne share some highlights from her work so far.
Learn more and register for free: https://ow.ly/9jTs50Xxszs
Learn more and register for free: https://ow.ly/9jTs50Xxszs
November 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
It’s been 6 months since Project Archivist Anne Woodrum began her work with the Historic Connecticut Collection. We hope you'll join us December 15th either in-person or via Zoom to hear Anne share some highlights from her work so far.
Learn more and register for free: https://ow.ly/9jTs50Xxszs
Learn more and register for free: https://ow.ly/9jTs50Xxszs
“There's something about the materiality of interacting with something that you know was held and created by the person whose words you're reading… It is a way of speaking with and interacting with a record from hundreds of years ago.”
November 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
“There's something about the materiality of interacting with something that you know was held and created by the person whose words you're reading… It is a way of speaking with and interacting with a record from hundreds of years ago.”
Tickets for our “Christmas with the Puritans” program are selling fast. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy an evening of festive, puritan-approved fun on December 10th or 11th. Find all the details at https://congregationallibrary.org/events/christmas-puritans
November 21, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Tickets for our “Christmas with the Puritans” program are selling fast. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy an evening of festive, puritan-approved fun on December 10th or 11th. Find all the details at https://congregationallibrary.org/events/christmas-puritans
Examining the past compels us to consider the voices documented in manuscripts alongside the many voices that were obscured. Learn more about investigating silent Indigenous voices in early American documents from Anthony Trujillo in our NEHH@20 exhibition: ow.ly/JrFV50XtCaE
November 18, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Examining the past compels us to consider the voices documented in manuscripts alongside the many voices that were obscured. Learn more about investigating silent Indigenous voices in early American documents from Anthony Trujillo in our NEHH@20 exhibition: ow.ly/JrFV50XtCaE
This recently catalogued rare book is a mid-17th century English history of the Crusades that includes wax seals and a manuscript letter. Most of the writing appears to be by Rev. John Dampier (1778-1841) of Somerset relating to the history of his family.
November 17, 2025 at 5:34 PM
This recently catalogued rare book is a mid-17th century English history of the Crusades that includes wax seals and a manuscript letter. Most of the writing appears to be by Rev. John Dampier (1778-1841) of Somerset relating to the history of his family.
Thanks to everyone who joined Zachary and Billy for their Archives Edit workshop last Friday. We loved having you with us at 14 Beacon for the day!
November 14, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Thanks to everyone who joined Zachary and Billy for their Archives Edit workshop last Friday. We loved having you with us at 14 Beacon for the day!
“There were other aspects of puritanism, especially Congregational polity, a love of freedom, that they thought was the real essence of puritanism, which is why they sincerely thought that they were the authentic heirs of puritanism.”
November 13, 2025 at 7:46 PM
“There were other aspects of puritanism, especially Congregational polity, a love of freedom, that they thought was the real essence of puritanism, which is why they sincerely thought that they were the authentic heirs of puritanism.”
The papers of the late Rev. John Mack were recently donated to the CLA by his wife, Barbara Gerlach. Materials in the collection chart his remarkable life and include dozens of his sermons and writings.
Explore the full collection at congregationallibrary.org/sites/defaul...
Explore the full collection at congregationallibrary.org/sites/defaul...
November 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The papers of the late Rev. John Mack were recently donated to the CLA by his wife, Barbara Gerlach. Materials in the collection chart his remarkable life and include dozens of his sermons and writings.
Explore the full collection at congregationallibrary.org/sites/defaul...
Explore the full collection at congregationallibrary.org/sites/defaul...
250 years ago today, Boston merchant Joshua Green took these notes from a sermon he attended on 1 Peter: “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
November 12, 2025 at 6:04 PM
250 years ago today, Boston merchant Joshua Green took these notes from a sermon he attended on 1 Peter: “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
In 1776, Israel Heald, a Minuteman from Acton, MA, wrote out this 44-word prayer on a small slip of paper and gave it to his Congregational church minister. It is one of only a few surviving “prayer bills” from a veteran of the American Revolution.
November 11, 2025 at 12:34 PM
In 1776, Israel Heald, a Minuteman from Acton, MA, wrote out this 44-word prayer on a small slip of paper and gave it to his Congregational church minister. It is one of only a few surviving “prayer bills” from a veteran of the American Revolution.
How much do you know about Squanto, the man behind the Thanksgiving myths? Take a new look at this old story in the video and transcript from our 2024 “Squanto: A Native Odyssey” book talk at congregationallibrary.org/video/squanto
November 10, 2025 at 5:33 PM
How much do you know about Squanto, the man behind the Thanksgiving myths? Take a new look at this old story in the video and transcript from our 2024 “Squanto: A Native Odyssey” book talk at congregationallibrary.org/video/squanto
Take a look a few of our new library acquisitions that are available for anyone to use in our reading room alongside our collection documenting the 400+ year history of Congregationalism.
Ready to make an appointment? Find all the info you need at https://congregationallibrary.org/visit
Ready to make an appointment? Find all the info you need at https://congregationallibrary.org/visit
November 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Take a look a few of our new library acquisitions that are available for anyone to use in our reading room alongside our collection documenting the 400+ year history of Congregationalism.
Ready to make an appointment? Find all the info you need at https://congregationallibrary.org/visit
Ready to make an appointment? Find all the info you need at https://congregationallibrary.org/visit
We hope you will make plans to join us December 3rd for a virtual book talk with former CLA Research Fellow Dr. Edward Andrews on the remarkable life of Occramer Marycoo, an enslaved African who became one of early America's most important Black leaders.
November 6, 2025 at 2:46 PM
We hope you will make plans to join us December 3rd for a virtual book talk with former CLA Research Fellow Dr. Edward Andrews on the remarkable life of Occramer Marycoo, an enslaved African who became one of early America's most important Black leaders.
Visit our new digital exhibition, "NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities," to commemorate the New England’s Hidden Histories project’s 20th anniversary and explore overlooked stories from Congregational church records: ow.ly/YXNY50Xn5ou
November 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Visit our new digital exhibition, "NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities," to commemorate the New England’s Hidden Histories project’s 20th anniversary and explore overlooked stories from Congregational church records: ow.ly/YXNY50Xn5ou
Early Congregational church records preserve stories that capture the rich complexity of community life, from the milestones of birth and death, to impassioned fights for justice, the anxieties of tragedy and war, and the many celebrations and controversies of everyday life.
November 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Early Congregational church records preserve stories that capture the rich complexity of community life, from the milestones of birth and death, to impassioned fights for justice, the anxieties of tragedy and war, and the many celebrations and controversies of everyday life.
Mark your calendars to join us at 14 Beacon or on Zoom for a lunch and learn program on December 15th with Project Archivist Anne Woodrum, who will share takeaways from her first six months of work with the Historic Connecticut Collection, given to the CLA by @sneucc.org.
November 3, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Mark your calendars to join us at 14 Beacon or on Zoom for a lunch and learn program on December 15th with Project Archivist Anne Woodrum, who will share takeaways from her first six months of work with the Historic Connecticut Collection, given to the CLA by @sneucc.org.
When you’re looking for a home for your church’s archive, will repositories want those digital copies you’ve made of your records? And what should you do with the original items once you’ve made digital copies? (Spoiler: Keep them!)
October 31, 2025 at 7:32 PM
When you’re looking for a home for your church’s archive, will repositories want those digital copies you’ve made of your records? And what should you do with the original items once you’ve made digital copies? (Spoiler: Keep them!)
A ghost story for Halloween that’s Cotton Mather approved. 👻
Looking for more Mather this spooky season? Explore our CLA Cotton Mather Bibliography at https://congregationallibrary.org/cotton-mather-bib
Looking for more Mather this spooky season? Explore our CLA Cotton Mather Bibliography at https://congregationallibrary.org/cotton-mather-bib
October 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
A ghost story for Halloween that’s Cotton Mather approved. 👻
Looking for more Mather this spooky season? Explore our CLA Cotton Mather Bibliography at https://congregationallibrary.org/cotton-mather-bib
Looking for more Mather this spooky season? Explore our CLA Cotton Mather Bibliography at https://congregationallibrary.org/cotton-mather-bib
This #archivesmonth we’re also celebrating the CLA's archives interns, who are a key part of our team. One of our current interns, Madison, says she enjoys her work because “each collection is different and brings something new and interesting to the table.”
Keep up the great work, interns! 👏
Keep up the great work, interns! 👏
October 30, 2025 at 7:05 PM
This #archivesmonth we’re also celebrating the CLA's archives interns, who are a key part of our team. One of our current interns, Madison, says she enjoys her work because “each collection is different and brings something new and interesting to the table.”
Keep up the great work, interns! 👏
Keep up the great work, interns! 👏