Finding aid for the Pilgrim Congregational Church Records


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Pilgrim Congregational Church
Title: Pilgrim Congregational Church Records
Dates: 1876-1961
Extent: 22.40 linear feet (20 containers)
Abstract: Pilgrim Congregational Church was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1854 as University Heights Congregational Church in the Near West Side neighborhood of Tremont, then known as University Heights.To accommodate the growing congregation, the current church located at 2592 West 14th Street was built in 1893-1894 by architect S.R. Badgeley, whose unique design combined worship space with the growing need for a community center, including a library and the first kindergarten in the city of Cleveland. By 1919 the building had expanded to include a gymnasium complete with shower rooms, a boxing ring, and bowling alleys. Pilgrim Congregational Church was also the first building on the West Side of Cleveland to be fitted with electricity, operating its own power plant for several years. Pilgrim Congregational Church is now (2014) affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The collection consists of church bulletins, correspondence, financial documents, historical records, histories, invoices, ledgers, marriage licenses, meeting minutes, membership applications, pledge cards, receipts, Sunday school records, and withdrawal cards.
MS Number MS 5247
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of Pilgrim Congregational Church

Congregationalists were among the first and most influential Christian denominations in Cleveland, Ohio. Many Congregational churches in early Cleveland were made up of both Congregationalists and Presbyterians, who had formed the Plan of Union in 1801 in order to more efficiently establish churches on the frontier, which the Western Reserve was considered at the time. When it was founded in the Near West Side neighborhood of University Heights (now Tremont) in 1854, Pilgrim Congregational Church (originally University Heights Congregational) joined an already thriving Congregationalist community, with First Congregational Society of Brooklyn (now Archwood United Church of Christ) and the Euclid Avenue Congregational Church on the East Side.

The congregation quickly outgrew the original brick church, which was built between 1865 and 1870, and moved into the current (2014) building located at 2592 West 14th Street in 1894. The design of the 1894 church building was unique, as architect S.R. Badgeley combined worship space with the growing need for a community center, which would include a library and the first kindergarten in the city of Cleveland. By 1919 the building had expanded to include a gymnasium complete with shower rooms, a boxing ring, and bowling alleys. The Congregationalists of early Cleveland were active in improving the lives and living conditions of the many immigrant communities who flocked to the city during its industrial heyday, and Pilgrim Congregational Church was especially well known for ministering to the local Czech community, teaching English classes and providing job training for recently arrived immigrants.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Cleveland was home to the largest number of Congregationalist churches outside of Boston and Chicago. Still a thriving congregation, Pilgrim Congregational Church, now Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, has been affiliated with the United Church of Christ since 1957.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ was instrumental in the revitalization of Tremont, which had fallen into disrepair alongside the industrial decline of the 1970s and 1980s. Pilgrim has fostered local theater companies such as Theatre Labyrinth in the 1990s and the Mamai Theatre Company in the 2010s, which have both used the church as rehearsal and performance space. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights and marriage equality have also been key issues for the church, which has been an active participant in the annual Cleveland Pride Parade and was a supporter of the 2014 International Gay Games held in Cleveland.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Pilgrim Congregational Church


Scope and Content

The Pilgrim Congregational Church Records, 1876-1961 and undated, consist of church bulletins, correspondence, financial documents, historical records, histories, invoices, ledgers, marriage licenses, meeting minutes, membership applications, pledge cards, receipts, Sunday school records, and withdrawal cards.

This collection is of value to genealogists, researchers studying nineteenth and early twentieth century Cleveland, Ohio, history, particularly of the Near West Side, and researchers studying the history of the Congregational church and United Church of Christ in the United States, particularly the Midwest. Those studying the history of religion in Cleveland, Ohio, will find this collection particularly useful.

Of most interest to those researching the history of the church, Cleveland, and/or Congregationalism are Series I: History, which consists of documents related to church construction and early days of the church, as well as information about early pastor Charles S. Mills; Series II: Organizational Files, which consists of meeting minutes and other documents pertaining to daily operations of various subgroups within the church; Series V: Financial records; and Series VII: Correspondence, which consists of chronologically arranged miscellaneous correspondence to and from Pilgrim Congregational Church. There is also a substantial amount of material in Series II regarding the Women's Association, which was renamed Pilgrim Women in 1913. This series will be useful to researchers studying the history of women and the role of women in the Congregational church in Cleveland.

Of most interest to genealogists are Series III: Membership, and Series IV: Marriage Licenses; in addition to membership applications, Series III contains unidentified lists of names which may or may not be prospective or absentee members. Series VI: Bulletins, which contains weekly church bulletins (later "messengers") that detail upcoming social activities, weddings, baptisms, and recent deaths, and would also be worthy of investigation.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in seven series.
Series I: History is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series II: Organizational Files is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series III: Membership is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.
Series IV: Marriage Licenses is arranged chronologically.
Series V: Financial Records is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.
Series VI: Bulletins is arranged chronologically.
Series VII: Correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Separated Material

Due to their fragile nature, several items in Series I: History and Series II: Organizational files have been removed to separate containers as noted in the detailed description of the collection. Oversized items in Series V: Financial records have likewise been removed and noted.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Congregational churches -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Congregationalists -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- History.
Pilgrim Congregational Church (Cleveland, Ohio)

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5247 Pilgrim Congregational Church Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of Pilgrim Congregational Church in 1993.

Processing Information

Processing of this collection was made possible by a gift from Gina Hamister. Processed by Christine Borne in 2014.

Detailed Description of The Collection

Series I: History 1883-1949 undated

Box Folder
1 1 Badgeley, S.R., architect's certificates 1893-1895
1 2 Baker, Mary, "A Victorian Scandal" 1904-1905
1 3 Building, miscellaneous 1891-1894 1942 undated
1 4 Building renovation 1951-1952
1 5 China missionaries 1900-1905 1920
1 6 Church construction 1892-1902
1 7 Directory of the Jennings Avenue Congregational Church 1889
1 8 "Forty Years in Pilgrim Church" 1899
1 9 "Historical Sketches of Our Twenty-Five Churches and Missions" 1896
1 10 Histories 1894-1895
1 11 Histories 1896-1903
1 12 Histories 1908-1916
1 13 Histories 1917-1926
1 14 Histories 1925-1930
1 15 Histories 1932-1942
1 16 Jubilee 1909
1 17 Manual of the Jennings Avenue Congregational Church 1883
1 18 Mills, Charles S. 1891-1905
1 19 Miscellaneous ca. 1890
1 20 Missionary work 1908-1948
1 21 Musical programs 1893
1 22 New building 1893
1 23 Olney, Charles F., memorial 1903
1 24 Pew cushions 1894
1 25 Pictures of old and new building undated
1 26 Programs 1896-1898
1 27 Proposal of Milton Grant 1946-1949
1 28 Radio program material 1929-1930
1 29 Records of Dan Bradley 1905-1912
1 30 Religious services, programs, and miscellaneous 1891-1896 undated
1 31 Seventieth Anniversary History and Yearbook 1929
1 32 Title abstract (material removed to Container 20, Folder 1) 1895

Series II: Organizational Files 1890-1960 undated

Box Folder
2 1 Annual meetings 1929-1949
2 2 Annual meetings 1953-1959
2 3 Board of Christian Education 1918-1960
2 4 Board of Trustees, Church Society, meeting minutes (material removed to Container 19, Folder 1) 1903-1918
2 5 Board of Trustees, Church Society, meeting minutes 1933-1943
2 6 Board of Trustees, Church Society, meeting minutes (material removed to Container 19, Folder 2) 1945-1947
2 7 Board of Trustees, meeting minutes 1955-1957
2 8 Board of Trustees, meeting minutes 1958-1960
2 9 Boys' Brigade 1892
2 10 Cabinet meeting minutes 1950-1951
2 11 Christian service committee 1953-1954
2 12 Church committee, minutes 1942-1948
2 13 Church committee, minutes 1949-1955
2 14 Clerk's journal 1891-1898
2 15 Clerk's journal (material removed to Container 20, Folder 2 and Folder 3) 1899-1911
2 16 Clerk's journal 1914-1924
2 17 Council minutes 1954-1960
2 18 Denominational strategy 1952
2 19 Directories 1902-1914
2 20 Event programs and schedules 1893-1950
2 21 Guest register 1908-1929
2 22 Guest book, 75th anniversary 1934
2 23 King's Daughters 1923-1929
2 24 Ledger, unidentified, with women's names 1892-1903
Box Folder
3 1 Miscellaneous 1895-1952
3 2 Mothers' Club 1900-1904
3 3 Mothers' Club 1904-1909
3 4 Mothers' Club 1909-1917
3 5 Mothers' Club 1917-1928
3 6 Musicians 1905-1909 1958 undated
3 7 Personnel 1929-1949 undated
3 8 Pilgrim Athletic Club 1920-1922
3 9-11 Pilgrim Institute 1894-1919
3 12 Pilgrim Institute 1919-1936
3 13 Pilgrim Institute, prospectus 1894-1897
3 14 Pilgrim Women, "Better Babies" report 1928-1929
3 15 Pilgrim Women, board minutes (material removed to Container 19, Folder 3) 1918-1928
3 16 Pilgrim Women, board minutes 1925-1938
3 17 Pilgrim Women, board minutes 1928-1940
3 18 Pilgrim Women, correspondence, including letter from Charles S. Mills 1902-1918
3 19 Pilgrim Women, correspondence and reports 1920-1923
Box Folder
4 1 Pilgrim Women, correspondence and reports 1922-1923
4 2 Pilgrim Women, correspondence and reports 1926-1927
4 3 Pilgrim Women, correspondence regarding missions (pages 6-22 only) ca. 1920s
4 4 Pilgrim Women, directories and yearbooks 1924-1945
4 5 Pilgrim Women, "Standards of Excellence" 1943-1944
4 6-7 Pilgrim Women, reports 1918-1939
4 8 Pilgrim Women, treasurer's reports 1933-1937
4 9 Publications and clippings 1950-1959 undated
4 10 Reports and meeting agendas, miscellaneous 1895-1954
4 11-13 Temple Circle 1890-1902
4 14 Temple Circle 1903-1909
4 15 Temple Circle 1910-1919
4 16 Visiting nurse report 1906-1910
4 17 Women's Association, correspondence and reports 1890-1910
4 18 Women's Association, executive board minutes 1893-1906
4 19 Women's Association, minutes 1892-1902
4 20 Women's Association, minutes 1902-1912
4 21-22 Women's Association, minutes 1912-1918
4 23 Women's Association, reports 1902-1909
Box Folder
5 1 Yearbook, Pilgrim Congregational Church, St. Louis 1911-1912
5 2 Yearbooks 1891-1892
5 3 Yearbooks 1893-1894
5 4 Yearbooks 1896-1898
5 5 Young Women's Guild 1915-1924

Series III: Membership 1876-1953 undated

Box Folder
5 6 Application forms 1890
5 7 Applications, A-D 1892-1905
5 8 Applications, E-H 1892-1905
5 9 Applications, J-M 1892-1905
5 10 Applications, N-Z 1892-1905
5 11 Applications, A-C 1905-1918
5 12 Applications, D-G 1905-1918
5 13 Applications, H-K 1905-1918
5 14 Applications, L-N 1905-1918
5 15 Applications, O-S 1905-1918
5 16 Applications, T-W 1905-1918
5 17 Applications, A-K 1918-1926
5 18 Applications, L-Z 1918-1926
5 19 Confirmation cards for Frank and Flora Fose 1896
5 20 Correspondence and addresses 1917-1922
5 21 Institute cards, A-F 1918-1919
Box Folder
6 1 Institute cards, G-L 1918-1919
6 2 Institute cards, M-R 1918-1919
6 3 Institute cards, S-Z 1918-1919
6 4 Letters of dismission, A-D 1892-1920s
6 5 Letters of dismission, E-L 1892-1920s
6 6 Letters of dismission, L-R 1892-1920s
6 7 Letters of dismission, S-Y 1892-1920s
6 8 Lists of baptized babies 1949 undated
6 9 Lists of weddings 1949 undated
6 10 Miscellaneous 1894-1948 undated
6 11 Names for directory 1910
6 12 Pledges 1902-1908
6 13-15 Pledges 1932
6 16-17 Pledges 1935
Box Folder
7 1-3 Pledges 1936
7 4-6 Pledges 1938
7 7-8 Pledges 1942
7 9-10 Pledges 1944
7 11 Pledges 1952-1953
7 12 Pledges - envelopes and excused cards 1940-1950
7 13 Removals and accessions ledger 1891-1933
7 14 Retired list 1893-1900
7 15 Sunday school records 1876-1886
Box Folder
8 1 Sunday school records 1890-1894
8 2 Sunday school records 1895
8 3 Sunday school records 1895-1899
8 4 Sunday school records 1905-1910
8 5 Sunday school records 1923-1925
8 6-7 Sunday school records 1925-1929
8 8 Sunday school records, removals 1925-1929
8 9 Withdrawals (death or transfer) 1893-1906
8 10 Withdrawals (death or transfer), A-B ca. 1910-1945
8 11 Withdrawals (death or transfer), C-E ca. 1910-1945
8 12 Withdrawals (death or transfer), F-H ca. 1910-1945
8 13 Withdrawals (death or transfer), I-K ca. 1910-1945
8 14 Withdrawals (death or transfer), L-Mo ca. 1910-1945
8 15 Withdrawals (death or transfer), Mr-R (S-Z missing) ca. 1910-1945
8 16 Withdrawals (death or transfer), dismission cards 1914-1935
8 17 Withdrawals, requests for letters of transfer 1894-1937

Series IV: Marriage Licenses 1902-1954

Box Folder
9 1 Marriage licenses 1902-1909
9 2 Marriage licenses 1910-1912
9 3 Marriage licenses 1913-1916
9 4 Marriage licenses 1917-1920
9 5 Marriage licenses 1921-1925
9 6 Marriage licenses 1926-1931
9 7 Marriage licenses 1932-1936
9 8 Marriage licenses 1937-1943
9 9 Marriage licenses 1944-1954

Series V: Financial Records 1891-1961 undated

Box Folder
9 10 Benevolent ledger (oversize material removed to Container 16, Folder 1) 1897-1910
9 11 Cash journal (oversize material removed to Container 16, Folder 2) 1909-1913
9 12 Cash journal (oversize material removed to Container 16, Folder 3 and Folder 4) 1914-1916
9 13 Cash journal (oversize material removed to Container 16 Folder 5) 1917-1918
9 14 Disbursements (oversize material removed to Container 16, Folder 6) 1924-1928
9 15 Financial reports 1892-1902
9 16 Financial reports 1909-1920
9 17 Financial reports 1920-1946
9 18 Financial reports 1948-1949
9 19 Financial reports 1950-1951
9 20 Financial reports 1952
9 21 Financial reports 1953
9 22 Financial reports 1954-1961
9 23 Hospitalization plan 1939-1953
Box Folder
10 1 Invoices 1890-1894
10 2 Invoices 1895-1896
10 3 Invoices 1897-1898
10 4 Invoices 1930-1950
10 5-6 Invoices and receipts 1953
10 7 Ledger (oversize material removed to Container 17, Folder 1) 1908-1912
10 8 Ledger (oversize material removed to Container 17, Folder 2) 1919-1924
10 9 Miscellaneous 1891-1916
10 10 Pilgrim Institute, financial lists and payments (oversize material removed to Container 17, Folder 3, Folder 4, and Folder 5) 1897-1910
10 11-13 Receipts 1954
10 14 Receipts and disbursements (oversize material removed to Container 18, Folder 1) 1930-1931
10 15 Receipts and disbursements (oversize material removed to Container 18, Folder 2) 1935-1944
10 16 Salary receipts, general 1894-1898
10 17 Salary receipts, Metcalf, Mills, MacInnes 1894-1898
10 18 Salary receipts, organist 1894-1898
10 19-20 Tax withholding statements 1945-1955
10 21 Treasurer's records (oversize material removed to Container 18, Folder 3) 1927
10 22 Treasurer's records (oversize material removed to Container 18, Folder 4) 1930-1932
10 23 Treasurer's records (oversize material removed to Container 18, Folder 5) 1933-1936
10 24 Treasurer's reports 1893-1923 undated
10 25 Workers' compensation 1937-1954

Series VI: Bulletins 1891-1950

[1905 is missing]
Box Folder
11 1 Bulletins 1891-1893
11 2 Bulletins 1893-1894
11 3 Bulletins 1895
11 4 Bulletins 1896-1897
11 5 Bulletins 1898-1899
11 6 Bulletins 1900-1901
11 7 Bulletins 1902-1903
11 8 Bulletins 1904 1906-1907
11 9 Bulletins 1908-1909
11 10 Bulletins 1910-1911
11 11 Bulletins 1913
11 12 Bulletins 1914-1915
11 13 Bulletins 1916-1917
11 14 Bulletins 1918
11 15 Bulletins 1919
11 16 Bulletins 1920
11 17 Bulletins 1921
11 18 Bulletins 1922
11 19 Bulletins 1923
11 20 Bulletins 1924
Box Folder
12 1 Bulletins 1925
12 2 Bulletins 1926
12 3 Bulletins/Messengers 1927
12 4 Bulletins/Messengers 1928
12 5 Bulletins/Messengers 1929
12 6 Bulletins/Messengers 1930
12 7 Bulletins/Messengers 1931
12 8 Bulletins/Messengers 1932
12 9 Bulletins/Messengers 1933
12 10 Bulletins/Messengers 1934
12 11 Bulletins/Messengers 1935
12 12 Bulletins/Messengers 1936
12 13 Bulletins/Messengers 1937
12 14 Bulletins/Messengers 1938
12 15 Bulletins/Messengers 1939
12 16 Bulletins/Messengers 1940
Box Folder
13 1 Bulletins/Messengers 1941
13 2 Bulletins/Messengers 1942
13 3 Bulletins/Messengers 1943
13 4 Bulletins/Messengers 1944
13 5 Bulletins/Messengers 1945
13 6 Bulletins/Messengers 1946
Box Folder
14 1 Bulletins/Messengers 1947
14 2 Bulletins/Messengers 1948
14 3 Bulletins/Messengers 1949
14 4 Bulletins/Messengers 1950

Series VII: Correspondence 1896-1961

Box Folder
15 1 Correspondence 1892-1895
15 2 Correspondence 1896-1897
15 3 Correspondence 1898-1900
15 4 Correspondence 1901-1903
15 5 Correspondence 1904
15 6 Correspondence 1905-1906
15 7 Correspondence 1907-1909
15 8 Correspondence 1910-1916
15 9 Correspondence 1917-1928
15 10 Correspondence 1929-1939
15 11 Correspondence 1940-1945
15 12 Correspondence 1946
15 13 Correspondence 1947
15 14 Correspondence 1948
15 15 Correspondence 1949
15 16 Correspondence 1950
15 17 Correspondence 1951
15 18 Correspondence 1952
15 19 Correspondence 1953-1961