St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, Providence (Mss. Gr. 94)

Series 1. Subject Files
The Subject Files consist of records documenting the administrative and religious activities of St. John's Cathedral from its founding a King's Church in 1722 through its incorporation as St. John's Cathedral, the religious and administrative center of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. The records in this series are extensive but not complete. For example, only scattered material remains from the King's Church era (1722-1794). Records from this period may have been lost or destroyed when the old St. John's (King's Church) was torn down and the present St. John's constructed on the site in 1811. The bulk of the records in this series thus relates to St. John's in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The records document the administration of church buildings and properties including the original construction of St. John's in 1811, parishioner services, and social services. Also represented are various organizations of the parish and cathedral, including the Cathedral Parish, the Cathedral Corporation, the Cathedral Vestry, the Development Committee, anniversary committees, the Sunday School, and the United Society of St John's.

The types of records represented include annual reports of the parish and its various organizations, parish yearbooks, minutes of meetings, Sunday School roll books, Registers of Church Services, printed programs and newspaper clippings relating to special events and services held at the cathedral, Sunday Bulletins, and The Record of St. John's, the weekly newsletter of the cathedral.

Among the more significant records are those documenting the establishment of King's Church in 1722 and the construction of St. John's in 1810-1811. An example of the former is a 1722 letter form Gabriel Bernon, one of the founders of King's Church, to his friend Francis Nicholson, the Royal Governor of South Carolina, describing the establishment of the new parish and requesting a donation from him to aid in the construction of King's Church. The construction of St. John's in 1810-11 is extensively documented in the correspondence and account books of George Olney who chaired the committee to superintend the construction of St. John's.

The records in this series are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of record and chronologically within folders.

Series 2. Histories
This series consists of printed and holograph histories of various aspects of the growth and development of King's Church/St. John's Cathedral and biographical sketches of individuals who played prominent roles in the founding and development of the parish. While Bishop John Seville Higgins is the author of several of the pieces, the authorship of many of the pieces is unknown.

Included are biographical sketches of Gabriel Bernon, one of the founders of King's Church, John Holden Green, the carpenter/builder who designed St. John's Church, and Rev. Charles A. L. Richards, longtime rector of St. John's. Also included are architectural histories of the cathedral, histories of the acquisitions of land and the construction of buildings, a history of the development of the Cathedral Close, histories of church finances, chronologies listing major events in the history of King's Church/St. John's, and several general histories of King's Church and St. John's Church/Cathedral.

The histories are arranged alphabetically by title or subject and chronologically within folders.

Series 3. Pew Records
This series contains records documenting the rental, ownership, and transfer of pews in King's Church and St. John's Cathedral. Well into the twentieth century, pews within the church were assigned to specific individuals and/or families who paid an annual fee to the church for their exclusive use. Pews could be sold, transferred by deed, or assigned in wills from one generation to the next.

Included are bound, ledger-style volumes in which pews are listed by number with the name(s) of their owners and the rental fee, ledgers and collection books documenting rents collected for pews, deed books and deeds for pews, an alphabetic index to pew transfers, records of pews sold at auction, a pew alteration plan, lists of unsold pews, and pew valuation lists. The records are significant in that they provide the most comprehensive parishioner lists for the time period covered in this series.

The materials in this series are arranged alphabetically by type of record and chronologically within folders.

Series 4. Financial Records
The Financial Records Series documents the financial activities of King's Church and St. John's Cathedral over a two hundred year period. Though the records are extensive, there are gaps in this series. There are no records, for example, for the first 60+ years of the parish. Included are account ledgers, bank notes, bank statements, cash receipt and disbursement ledgers, donor subscription lists, audit reports, financial statements, payroll account ledgers, promissory notes, subscription books, treasurer's accounts and reports, and treasurer's ledgers.

The records in this series are arranged alphabetically by type of record and chronologically within folders.

Series 5. Photographs
This series consists of photographs of people, places, and events in some way significant to the history and development of St. John's. Included are photographs of the following: the exterior and interior of the cathedral, various stages of the renovation of the cathedral, other buildings in the Cathedral Close area, prominent religious and lay members of the parish, church-sponsored dinners and other events and celebrations, and such church artifacts as chalices, flagons, and memorial plaques. Also included are two photo albums which have been placed at the end of the series.

The photographs are arranged alphabetically by the subject of the photograph.

Series 6. Girls' Friendly Society
Founded in England by Mary Elizabeth Townsend in 1875, the Girls' Friendly Society worked to offer Christian fellowship to young female mill workers separated from their families. The first American branch of the Girls' Friendly Society was established in
Lowell, Massachusetts at the Parish of St. Anne’s Church by Elizabeth Edson in 1877. The Rhode Island Diocean Organization of the Girls' Friendly Society in America was founded in Rhode Island ten years later in 1887 by Mrs. Frank E. Richmond. The organization was established to provide an opportunity for the young women of the parish to participate more fully in the spiritual, social, and cultural life of the parish. The organization sponsored a number of events (dinners, luncheons, fairs, etc.) to raise funds for a variety of charitable activities. The group voted to disband in June 1993 due to dwindling membership and attendance at its meetings.

The records in this series document the activities of the organization and include annual reports, correspondence, financial statements, ledgers, meeting attendance books, minutes of meetings, and treasurer's reports. The minutes of the Society's meetings are particularly informative about its programs and activities.

The records are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of record and chronologically within folders.

Series 7. The Record
Series VII, The Record, was the church bulletin for St. John’s Cathedral from 1895-2007. Some of the bulletins also contain church announcements, and there are special bulletins for holidays, dedications, anniversaries, and ordinations. In the early years of publication, The Record was published monthly. By the early 20th century, it was published weekly.

The series is arranged chronologically within each folder.