Middle Street Baptist Church Collection, 1826-2019 – MS141
Provenance: Placed on Deposit by the Middle Street Baptist Church in 2020
Citation: Middle Street Baptist Church Collection (MS141), Manuscript Collections, Portsmouth Athenaeum
Size: 1 Hollinger Box, 1 Record Box and 10 bound volumes
Access: No restrictions
Processed by: Susan Stowe Kindstedt, 2020
Scope and Content
The Middle Street Baptist Church Collection consists primarily of bound volumes of church meeting minutes and membership lists. Meeting minutes date to the formation of the Calvinistic Baptist Church in 1826, which changed its name to the Middle Street Baptist Church in 1828. Church membership records are extensive and include lists of individuals, their birthdates, sometimes address, town or parish relocating from or to and sometimes date of death. Records include financial information including donations from individuals. There is a narrative of church history written on the occasion of the 125th anniversary that provides a valuable historical summary of the church and congregation.
Historical Note
The Middle Street Baptist Church was originally incorporated in 1826 with the name The 1st Calvinistic Baptist Church. On September 28, 1828 the Church changed its name to Middle Street Baptist Church and on October 30, 1828 it merged with the Portsmouth Baptist Association. For more information about general church history see Box 1 Folder 9.
Nineteenth Century Minister Timeline
1826-1828 Duncan Dunbar
1827-1832 Baron Stow
1833-1835 Luther Crawford
1836-1839 John George Naylor
1840-1843 Freeman G. Brown
1843-1848 Silas Ilsley
1848-1859 William Lamson
1860-1863 Edwin B. Eddy
1864-1867 Henry F. Lane
1868-1888 William H. Alden
1889-1892 Rush Rhees
1893- William E. Schliemann
Folder Listing:
Volume 1 “Records Vol I 1826-1873”
Title page: “Records of The 1st Calvinistic Baptist Church now called Middle Street B. Church (name changed Sept. 28, 1828) In Portsmouth, NH Constituted August 10th 1826.”
Volume begins with Articles of Incorporation dated August 10, 1826 and includes meeting notices and minutes (including notes about ministers and members, limited information about church expenditures). In the rear is a list of church members beginning with those admitted August 10, 1826 and continuing through 1879.
Volume 2 “Records Vol II 1873-1940”
Title page: “Records of the First Calvinistic Baptist Church now called Middle Street Baptist Church in Portsmouth N.H. Constituted August 10, 1826. Second Volume Commenced 1873”
Volume includes meeting minutes, including discussion of leadership roles, ministers, admission of new members and church activities. Later entries include statistics about attendance, baptisms and Sunday School.
Volume 3 “Records of the Middle Street Baptist Society 1828-1923”
Title page: “Records of the third or Independent Congregational Meeting House or such a part of them as relate to the Middle Street Society.”
Volume 4 “Records of the Middle Street Baptist Church” “Council May 1940-Apr 1981”
Contains incorporation seal and bylaws as well as meeting notices and minutes.
Volume 5 “Records of the Middle Street Baptist Church” “Council Jun 1981- Jan 1997”
Includes meeting notices and minutes.
Volume 6 Membership Records, ca. 1829-1987
Inscription in front: “Prepared by Lewis W. Brewster, Church Clerk, 1858.” Records date from about 1829 to 1987 and include name, date of birth, date of admission, baptism, dismissal and sometimes death.
Volume 7 Records of the Middle Street Baptist Society 1923-1964
Includes meeting notices and minutes.
Volume 8 Record of donations, 1917-1946
Includes lists of individuals, address and amount of donation or pew purchased.
Volume 9 Middle Street Baptist Church Book of Remembrance
History recorded on the occasion of the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the Middle Street Baptist Church by Mrs. Albert Gailey and Mrs. Ronald S. Hall. “In loving memory of Mr. and Mrs. Hanson M. Seavey. The Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harold R. Phipps and Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Phipps.”
Volume 10 Middle Street Baptist 175th Anniversary Celebration
“Prepared for the Church Archives: Containing the List of Events that went from March 25th to September 30, 2001 Pictures, Programs, Drama, Hymnsings, Preaching and Music”
Box 1
Folder 1 Scrapbooks Materials, 1808-1900 – removed August 2020 from magnetic scrapbook pages, photographs were separated to photo collection
1808 Herald of Gospel Liberty Facsimile [could not be safely removed from magnetic scrapbook page]
1830 An Address Delivered Before the Portsmouth Temperance Society by Baron Stow
1840 A Summary Declaration of the Faith and Practice of the Middle Street Baptist Church of Christ, Portsmouth, NH
1843 Minutes of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Portsmouth Baptist Association
1847 Membership transfer letter for Rev. Albert Dunbar and wife from Knox
1856 Centennial Discourse for the Formation of the Baptist Church, Newton, NH
1868 Minutes of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Portsmouth Baptist Sabbath School Convention
1870 Minutes of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Portsmouth Baptist Sabbath School Convention
1871 Minutes of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Portsmouth Baptist Sabbath School Convention
1874 Deed from F.E. Parker, trustee, to Calvin Page
1878 Catalogue of Middle Street Baptist Sabbath School Library
1889 The Declaration of Faith and the Covenant of the Middle Street Baptist Church
1895 Constitution of the Christian Endeavor Society of the Baptist Church, Portsmouth, NH
1896 Pastors Letter by M.V.McDuffie
1898 Middle Street Baptist Church Re-Dedication, 1828-1898
Folder 2 Scrapbooks Materials, 1901-2019 – removed August 2020 from magnetic scrapbook pages, photographs were separated to photo collection
1897 Statement of the Standing Committee
1907 The Declaration of Faith and the Covenant of the Middle Street Baptist Church (2)
1915 Receipt for water for the Pearl Street Society
1923 Directory of Members of the Middle Street Baptist Church
1926 By-Laws of the Middle Street Baptist Church (2)
1926 Program for the 100th Anniversary Service (2)
1929 Program for Sunday Service
1933 Program for Christmas Sunday
1934 Program for Christmas Sunday
1942 Program for Dedication Service
1951 Program for the 125th Anniversary Service
1951 Brochure for the Building Addition Plan (2)
1954 Program for the Installation Service of Rev. Gordon A. Gilbert
1956 Clipping biographical introduction of of Kathleen Smith, Director of Christian Education
1956 Clipping and typed report about the “Servicemen’s Center” at Middle Street Baptist Church
1956 Program for the Dedication of the new Middle Street Baptist Church Building (3)
1961 Program for the Installation Service of Rev. Cornelius W. Vandenbergh
1975 Program for “The Burning of the Mortgage” Service
2019 Program for Sunday Service
undated Printed sketch images of the Middle Street Baptist Church
undated Church resolution by Deacon Lewis E. Smith on the departure of Rev. Rush Rhees to accept a professorship at Newton Theological Society
undated A Brief Text Book for the Pastor’s Training Class
undated Program for Sunday Service
undated Pamphlet Financial Proposal for Churches
undated Pamphlet Elias Smith, Reformer, Preacher, Journalist, Doctor Horace Mann Christian Statesman and Educator, book 5
Folder 3 Notebook kept by C.E. Hodgdon, 1908-1917 – Contains records of sermons, membership, weddings and baptisms
Folder 4 Notice of Dedication, 1851
Folder 5 Zeta Alpha Club History
Folder 6 Copies of Deeds and Trust to City of Portsmouth from Peirce Family
Folder 7 Peirce Mansion Open House
Folder 8 Correspondence, 1966-1971
Folder 9 History of Middle Street Baptist Church
Folder 10 Financial, Deeds, Stocks and Warrenty
Folder 11 Newspaper Clippings – photocopies
Folder 12 Newspaper Clippings – originals
Box 2 Middle Street Baptist Church Annual Reports to American Baptist Society, 1940-1971