Archives

Welcome to the Archives homepage. As the one of the oldest churches in North America, we are frequently contacted by genealogists and researchers and consistently do our best to answer their queries.

It is stated elsewhere on this website, but bears repeating that the First Church generated several other churches; the first of which was founded in the early 1700s. All of the offshoot Churches eventually reunited with the First Church, with the exception of the Tabernacle Congregational Church, which today is a UCC Church located on Washington Street in Salem.

In the past, when Church branches re-joined with the First Church, they often brought their historical records and theological collections with them. The First Church has consistently collected its own records as well. The cumulative result has been a rich historical legacy. Today the First Church is the repository of records pertaining to and/or created by the First, North and Second Congregational Churches, as well as the Essex County Ministerial Conference. We also hold some records and artifacts from the East and Barton Square Churches, and other local ministerial groups.

Although the First Church has been conscious of its archives throughout, it is only in the last four years that we have been able to retain the services of a professional archivist. That archivist has made significant headway in organizing and cataloging the records, as well as caring for their physical needs.

This year is an exciting time for the First Church, since it is our 375th Anniversary. The Anniversary will be celebrated with a special series of exhibits at the Church. All are welcome. Contact us to see what we are placing on exhibit. Check back on this page from time to time for more information on the archives project, or contact us for a copy of The Herald. The First Church monthly newsletter features a regular column "From the Archives".

The Holdings:

The records of the First Church including, but not limited to: publications, orders of service, financial, membership, and vital records, by-laws and annual reports and ministers correspondence from the 1650s to 1978. There are also more than fifty ledgers and committee account books in these two collections. Photographs, scrapbooks and clippings are also included. Some of these records may be restricted, be sure to examine our use policies before planning a visit.

The Records of the North Church are housed in the First Church Archives. They are not quite as extensive as the First Church records, possibly because comparative longevity. The content of the North Church papers is somewhat similar to that of the First Church, with the exception of late twentieth century records and the addition of blueprints. The North Church Collection includes hymnals and sunday school instruction books that belonged to the North Church library. The records span 1772 to 1956.

The papers of the Second Church are also with us and comprise about 5 cubic feet of materials including roughly 20 record books and ledgers and one or two documents referring to or created by the East Church, with which it was administratively linked for a short time.

The Barton Square collection is slight. Some of the Second Church and East Church records are at the Peabody Essex Museum, and can be consulted there. In addition, many of the earliest of the First Church records were published in a volume put out by the Essex Institute in 1990. The Mass Historical Society and the American Antiquarian Society are other institutions that hold related materials.

Lastly, the Church Archives holds a large collection of ecclesiastical music (including music on lantern slides), drawings, theological monographs and sermons, and a small research collection of subject materials. The Church is currently establishing some rudimentary records management policies. For more, please see our page of policy statements.

Thanks for your interest in our project.

To contact us:

Archives at
The First Church in Salem
316 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-744-1551

Archives Policies

Email: archives@firstchurchinsalem.org