Preliminary Guide to the Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1914-2013

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Community Congregational Church (Pullman, Wash.)
Title
Preliminary Guide to the Pullman Community Congregational Church Records
Dates
1914-2013 (inclusive)
Quantity
7 Linear feet, (6 Boxes + 5 Tubes)
Collection Number
MSSM.038 (collection)
Summary
This collection contains materials created by the Pullman Community Congregational Church from 1914-2013.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Pullman Community Congregational Church was originally incorporated in 1886 as the First Congregational Church of Pullman. It was the first church formally organized in Pullman, although a loosely-organized Methodist congregation preceded it by four years. The Congregationalists located their church building at the corner of High and Paradise Streets on Pullman's Pioneer Hill, rebuilding at the same location when their structure burned in the fire which destroyed much of the town in 1890. The church entered into a federation with a Pullman Baptist congregation in 1913, after which a new building was constructed on the outskirts of the Washington State University campus. The federation, however, tended to be heavily dominated by the Congregationalist element; consequently the Baptist congregation lost the recognition of the Baptist conventions. This resulted in the creation of a new and separate Baptist congregation and virtual nullification of the federation. Recognizing that the Federated Church was in reality but another manifestation of the First Congregational Church, the pastor and officers reincorporated the organization as the Community Congregational Church in 1937. The Community Congregational Church continued to use the Federated Church buildings and facilities after 1937. In 1954, the old Federated Church building was converted to meeting rooms and a new church building was constructed in an adjacent location. In 1961, the church entered into the United Church of Christ, a national denomination encompassing Congregational and Reformed churches. In 1990, the church drafted a constitution and in 1999 the church underwent renovation. As early as 1954, the church's Women's Fellowship opened The Thrift Shop, which is still in business as of 2017. It is Pullman's oldest second hand clothing store.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains materials created by the Pullman Community Congregational Church from 1914-2013. The collection consists primarily of reports by the church and its committees, photographs, and church publications. This includes annual reports from 1958-1999, the church's constitution and by-laws, newsletters, event programs, documents related to the construction of a new church in 1954 and the 1999 remodel, the 100 year anniversary celebration, and photographs of church members and activities. The collection also contains oral histories recorded audio cassette tape and a video recording of the 100 year anniversary celebration in 1986.

MS 2014-35 contains a bound "source book" with historical records compiled by C.M. Brewster and others, church reports, newsletters, transcriptions of oral history interviews, historic photographs (including a slideshow of the church's history), committee and board minutes, and miscellaneous papers.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Preliminary Guide to the Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1914-2013 (MSSM.038)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This is an unprocessed collection. Arrangement reflects a pre-existing order from the records’ creators or previous custodians.

Location of Collection

(MASC STAFF USE) MS.1998.14: 2-8-24-3; MS.2001.05: 2-14-23-4; MS.2005.05: 2-13-27-5; MS.2008.28: 2-10-1-5; MS.2014.35: 2-5-25-7; MS.2017.03: 2-13-27-5 (boxed with MS.2005.05).

Acquisition Information

The Community Congregational Church donated these materials to the Washington State University Libraries in multiple installments beginning in 1998. Received from Ed and Margery Bennett and Monique Slipher (MS.1998.14, MS.2001.05, MS.2005.05, MS.2014.35, MS.2017.03). The acquisition of a portion of the collection was not documented (MS.2008.28).

Related Materials

Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1886-1974 (Cage 314)

Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1891-1978 (Cage 448)

Blackburn Collection of Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1961-1977 (Cage 480)

West, Otho. I Remember and the Congregationalists. Pullman, Wash.: Community Congregational Church, 1970

Community Congregational United Church of Christ. Centennial History, 1886-1986 : Community Congregational United Church of Christ, Pullman, Washington. [Community Congregational United Church]; 1986.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Church records and registers -- Washington (State) -- Pullman
  • Congregational churches -- Washington (State) -- Pullman -- Records and correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Community Congregational Church (Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence
  • Community Congregational United Church of Christ (Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Community Congregational United Church of Christ (Pullman, Wash.) (creator)