St. Ansgarius, Providence
University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632
email: archives@etal.uri.edu
Published in 2007
Collection Overview
| Title: | St. Ansgarius, Providence |
| Date range: | 1888-1974 |
| Creator: | St. Ansgarius, Providence |
| Extent: | 1 box (5 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | The records of St. Ansgarius Church consist of materials from 1888-1974, documenting the administrative activities and worship life of the church. The collection, which is divided into two series, consists of membership documents, and church registers. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections |
| Collection number: | Mss. Gr. 182 |
Scope & content
The records of St. Ansgarius Church in Providence documents the history of the church from 1888 to 1974, 15 years after the church had been razed. Records in the collection include membership documents, and church registers.Arrangement
After processing, the records were organized into two series as follows:
- 1. Membership
- 2. Registers
Historical Information
St. Ansgarius Church evolved from the Swedish Missionin
Providence. The parish was organized on Nov. 4, 1886, applied for admission into the union, and was admitted in 1891.
The Bishop's Address, 1891, from the Convention Journals of the Episcopal Diocese
of Rhode Island states "On the 6th of June, I laid the corner stone of the Swedish Church of St. Ansgarius. Addresses were delivered by the Rev. J. G. Hammarsköld, of
New York, the Rev. P.A. Almquist, of
Boston, and the Rev. Dr. Babcock, of
Providence. Portions of the musical services were sung in the Swedish tongue. It we be remembered that we are indebted to the munificence of one of our liberal churchman [sic] for the erection of this much needed church and it is likely to be filled with a devout and earnest congregation. The Swedish work is assuming a prominent and important place in the Diocese. Regular services are held in connection with Trinity Church, Newport
, and the services of a third clergyman are needed in order to carry on our Swedish mission in other places."
The Bishop's Address, 1892, from the Convention Journals of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island states "On the 9th of January I consecrated the Swedish St. Ansgarius Church, In Providence. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Charles H. Babcock. This beautiful and spacious church is the gift of one of our most liberal churchmen, whose praise is in all the churches, and it is already frequented by a large and most respectable congregation. The location of the church is admirable and the conformity of the architecture to the ancient type of Sweden gives it a special attractiveness. The Swedish movement in this Diocese bids fair to assume large proportions."
The Bishop's Address, 1894, from the Convention Journals of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island states "On the 28th of June I ordained to the Priesthood the Rev. Erik Forsberg, in St. Ansgarius' Church, Providence. He has now taken charge of this interesting Swedish work, with a fair prospect that the parish under his efficient and faith-auspices which arrested its progress in the beginning, and finds itself able to discharge at no distant day, the pecuniary obligations assumed by the vestry in order to secure thee timely consecration of the edifice."
The state of Rhode Island spent $16.5 million to purchase hundreds of homes and businesses, as well as two historic churches (First Swedish Baptist Church and St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church) that were located in an area slated for the construction of Route 95. St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church was razed in 1959.
Information for this historical note was taken from the Records of the Episcopal Diocese (1991) Collection, Series II, Box 21, Folders 76a and 78.
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | Open for research. |
| Use of the materials: | Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication. |
| Preferred citation: | St. Ansgarius, Mss. Gr. 182, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections. |
| Contact information: | University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | The records were deposited in the Special Collections unit in 2005. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Janet F. Long. |
| Encoding: | Finding aid encoded by Kate Freedman on 2007 June 13, updated by Margaret E. Brewer on 2010 October 18, updated by Mark Dionne on2020 May 04 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
Additional Information
Inventory
Inventory
Series 1. Membership, 1959-1974
1 boxes
(.5 linear feet)
This series consists of records documenting the transfer of a person's membership to St. Ansgarius or from St. Ansgarius to another congregation. The records include transfer of membership forms, acceptance of membership forms, and typed correspondence regarding transfers of membership.
Arrangement:
The records in this series are arranged in no apparent order.
| Container | Description | Date |
| Box 1, Folder 1 | Letters of Transfer |
1959-1964 |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | Letters of Transfer |
1965-1971, 1973-1974 |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | Parish Register |
1888-1947 |
Series 2. Registers, 1888-1974
1 box
(.5 linear feet)
The Register series contains bound Parish Registers of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, and burials for the years 1888 to 1974.
The Parish Registers are divided into sections by the type of service performed, i.e. baptisms, burials, confirmations, and marriages. The quantity and type of information recorded varies with each register. For baptisms, it may include the name and date of birth of the person baptized, the date of the ceremony, the names of his/her parents, and the name of the officiating clergy. The marriage records may include the date of the ceremony, the names and ages of the betrothed, their addresses, the names of the parents of both parties, and the name of the presiding clergy. Confirmation records may include the dates and names of those confirmed and the name of the presiding clergy. The burial records may include the name of the deceased, the date of death, the age at death, the cause of death, the date of the funeral, the place of burial, and the name of the presiding clergy. Individual entries within each section are arranged chronologically by the date of the service.
Arrangement:
Registers are arranged chronologically.
| Container | Description | Date |
| Box 1(Oversize), Folder 4 | Parish Register (Församlings Bok) |
1888?-1949? |
| Box 1(Oversize), Folder 5 | Parish Register (Canonical) |
1947-1974 |