Roger Williams Baptist Church records, 1877-2011

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2012

Collection Overview

Title:	Roger Williams Baptist Church records
Date range:	1877-2011
Creator:	Roger Williams Baptist Church.
Extent:	8.0 Linear feet
Abstract:	The administrative records, committee minutes, publications, photographs and historical information documenting the history and activities of this Baptist church in Providence, RI. This is part of the Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center collection.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	Ms.2012.009

Scope & content

This collection covers the entire history of the church from its incorporation in 1877 to the last service held on November 20, 2011. The collection contains administrative records, committee minutes, publications, photographs and historical information. Of particular note in Series 5. History are the contents of the time capsule installed in the corner stone of the the church in 1889. The time capsule was moved to a new cornerstone in 1906 when an addition to the church was constructed. See also the photographs of the 1906 dedication ceremony during which the time capsule was placed inside the new corner stone. This is part of the Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center collection.

Access Points

Subject Organizations

• Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center.

• Bible--Study and teaching--Baptists

Subject Topics

• Baptist church buildings--Rhode Island
• Baptists--Rhode Island
• Time capsules
• Women--Societies and clubs--Rhode Island

Document Types

• Administrative records
• Annual reports
• Financial records
• Minutes
• Newsletters
• Photographs
• Scrapbooks

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into the following series.

• Series 1. Administration
• Series 2. Organizations
• Series 3. Membership
• Series 4. Publications
• Series 5. History
• Series 6. Photographs and Ephemera

Historical Note

The Roger Williams Baptist Church had its origins in 1865 when Mrs. Amey Manton and Mrs. Helen A. Metcalf, wife of Jesse Metcalf, owner of the newly built Wanskuck Worsted Mill, started a Sunday school for the children of Wanskuck. It soon outgrew its space, and Mrs. Metcalf donated a triangle of land at Woodward Road and Veazie Street. On this site was erected the Roger Williams Chapel, dedicated February 10, 1867. In 1877 the church obtained a charter of incorporation of the Roger Williams Baptist Church. The church membership drew upon the mill workers, many of whom were immigrants from England. The Metcalf family and the Wanskuck Company continued to provide financial support well into the 20th century, helping to build a new addition in 1906 and a bell tower, given by Mrs. Sophia Metcalf Baker in memory of her parents. The church came to have over 400 members. In World War I, sixty-one men from the church served in the armed forces, including Leroy Miller, the first Rhode Islander to die in the war. In World War II, another ninety-two men and women entered the service.

Then came the post-war era which brought the closing of the Wanskuck Mill in the 1960s and a dramatic decrease in the population of Providence between 1950 and 1970. The membership rolls shrank by over 100 between December 1963 and December 1973 and continued falling decade by decade. By the 2000s, the church was in dire straits, with weekly attendance dwindling to less than twenty by 2010. Consequently, the remaining members voted to disband, and the closing service was held on November 20, 2011.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Roger Williams Baptist Church records, Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center collection, Ms.2012.009, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	This collection was donated by the Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center in April, 2012.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Karen Eberhart
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 31 May 2012
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:

This collection forms part of the Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center collection. See also: Rhode Island Baptist Heritage Center collection (Ms.2008.017) Homer Trickett papers (Ms.2011.031) Niantic Baptist Church records (Ms.2012.010) Meshanticut Park Community Baptist Church records (Ms.2012.007) Shawomet Baptist Church records (Ms.2011.018) West Exeter Baptist Church records (Ms.2012.018)

Inventory

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