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Norris Square Methodist Church records

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Held at: Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church [Contact Us]235 N. Fourth Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Methodism is a protestant Christian faith based in the teachings of John Wesley (1703-1791), who preached "practical divinity," emphasis on Christian living, and putting faith and love into action. The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1784 in Baltimore, Maryland with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as its first bishops and held its first general conference in 1792. In May of 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and the Methodist Protestant Church united to form the Methodist Church (U.S.). In 1946 the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New constitution) and the Evangelical Church united to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968 the Methodist Church (U.S.) and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united, forming the United Methodist Church (U.S.).

Somerset Mission (City Missionary Society), located at Somerset and Front streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was organized in 1870. Later, Somerset Mission became the Lehigh Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Lehigh Avenue and Hancock streets. The successor to Somerset Mission and Lehigh Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, Norris Square Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated in 1874 and located on Mascher and Colona streets, above Susquehanna Avenue. Norris Square Methodist Church was discontinued in 1952.

This collection consists largely of membership and vital records (marriages: 1874-1890, 1881-1885, 1891-1909, 1901-1911, 1911-1922, 1922-1942, 1943-1950; baptisms: 1871-1891, 1881-1887, 1891-1901, 1901-1911, 1911-1922, 1931-1928, 1922-1943, 1943-1952). Also included are minutes of the Official Board, Quarterly Conference, and membership meetings; materials relating to the church's closing; property documents; charters; and various other documents. A folder-level inventory for the collection is available.

Some church records at the Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, particularly membership and vital records, are available in digital form through Ancestry.com or on microfilm at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and/or the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.

The Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church is the repository for records of member churches when they close.

Summary descriptive information on this collection was compiled in 2012-2014 as part of a project conducted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to make better known and more accessible the largely hidden collections of small, primarily volunteer run repositories in the Philadelphia area. The Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories (HCI-PSAR) was funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

This is a preliminary finding aid. No physical processing, rehousing, reorganizing, or folder listing was accomplished during the HCI-PSAR project.

In some cases, more detailed inventories or finding aids may be available on-site at the repository where this collection is held; please contact Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church directly for more information.

Publisher
Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories using data provided by the Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church
Sponsor
This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Access Restrictions

Contact Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church for information about accessing this collection.

Collection Inventory

Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1885-1899.
Box 1 Folder 1
Minutes, Meetings of Male Members, 1879, 1886.
Box 1 Folder 2
Official Board Minutes, 1928-1937.
Box 1 Folder 3
Official Board Minutes, 1928-1948.
Box 1 Folder 4
Minutes, Quarterly Conference, 1945-1952; Official Board, 1951; Members Meetings, 1948, 1951.
Box 1 Folder 5
Minutes relative to closing, 1948-1952.
Box 1 Folder 6
Certificates of Transfer, 1951-1953.
Box 2 Folder 1
Charter, 1874, 1887.
Box 2 Folder 2
Property Documents, 1879-1923.
Box 2 Folder 3
Church records, 1922-1943.
Volume 1
Church records, 1922-1930.
Volume 2
Church records, 1943-1953.
Volume 3
Church records, 1930-circa 1944.
Volume 4
Church records, 1943-1951.
Volume 5
Church records, 1871-1891.
Volume 6
Church records, 1881-1887.
Volume 7
Church records, 1901-1911.
Volume 8
Church records, 1911-1922.
Volume 9
Church records, 1891-1909.
Volume 10
History file.
File 1
History File Scope and Contents note

Memories 1952; 48th Anniversary 1918; Golden Anniversary 1871-1921; 61st Anniversary and Directory 1931; History 1942; History 1870-1951; Names and address list; Financial Report Jan.-Apr. 1952; Christmas Card 1923; Financial Report 1900; May 1951 bulletin; May 1952 bulletin; Dec. 1904 church newsletter; 1918 directory; 61st Anniversary and Directory 1931; Directory 1937

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