MHEP.Arch.Coll.WestSwampMennCh

Summary Information

Repository
Mennonite Heritage Center
Title
West Swamp Mennonite Church collection
ID
MHEP.Arch.Coll.WestSwampMennCh
Date
1790-current
Extent
11.0 Linear feet
Language
English

Return to Table of Contents »


Administrative Information

Publication Information

Mennonite Heritage Center 2015

565 Yoder Road
Harleysville, PA
215.256.3020
library@mhep.org

Return to Table of Contents »


Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • West Swamp Mennonite Church (Quakertown, Pa.).

Return to Table of Contents »


Collection Inventory

Box Folder

Record of items deposited with MHEP 1977, 1983 

1 1

Photographs 

Scope and Contents note

Photos of the interior and exterior of the meetinghouse, beginning circa 1890. Also a few photos of congregational social groups, early-to-mid 20th century. Oversize photos are in box 14, pictorial directories in box 4.

1 2

Historical articles and newspaper clippings 

1 3

Series 1. Early papers 

Box Folder

1790 deed--Preacher Michael Musselman et al. to congregation and trustees 

1 4

1815 bond--Abraham Stauffer to Valentine Huber 

1 5

1819 meetinghouse construction records 

Scope and Contents note

This "folder" is a white binder full of sleeve pages and folders containing papers and receipts related to the meetinghouse construction. Also included is Raymond Hollenbach's transcription of the papers. The papers are in the order in which they are given in Hollenbach's transcription, and this order should be maintained. The final account of construction manager David Gehman (dated 1832) is in Flat File drawer #9.

1 6

1830 and 1851 drafts of church land 

1 7

1832-1868 trustees' record book (photocopy--original at Bluffton University) 

1 8

1842 treasurer's account of meetinghouse remodeling 

1 9

1844 congregational constitution (handwritten and signed by male members of the congregation) 

1 10

1850 letter--establising congregational Poor Fund 

1 11

1863 broadside--"Ein Christliches Jugend-Fest [Christian Youth Festival" at the "old Swamp Meetinghouse" 

1 12

1874 account of new meetinghouse construction, deed, and fire insurance certificate 

1 13

1877 congregational constitution (published) 

1 14

Return to Table of Contents »


Series 2. Congregational records 

Box Folder

Membership record book (including East Swamp) 1848-1888 

1 15

Baptism certificates--Diana L. Schelly, 1848; Emma S. Schelly, 1875; Jacob Ackerman, 1877; Andrew S. Stauffer, 1884 

1 16
Volume

Membership record book 1888-1961 

loose on shelf
Box

Annual bulletins/directories 1902-2007 

2-4

Pictorial directories 1972, 1980, 1985, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2010 

4

Special occasions and programs 

4

Congregational and Council meeting minutes 1872-1960, 2000-current 

5

Weekly bulletins/newsletters 1915-1917, 1923-1955 

6
Volume

Worship bulletins (bound) 1957-1999 

loose on shelf
Box

Worship bulletins 2000- 

7-8

Newsletters 1957- 

9-11
Box Folder

Financial--Receipt books (2) 1859-1873 

12 1
Box Volume

Financial--Treasurer's record 1878-1888, 1916-1952 

12 1-4

Financial--Charity Fund 1864-1956 

12 5

Financial--Mission Account 1924-1961 

12 6

Return to Table of Contents »


Series 3. Sunday School records 

Box Volume

Minute books 1858-1870, 1878-1882 

13 1-3
Box

Attendance record books 1860s-1920s 

13-14
Box Volume

Board of Christian Education minute book 1951-1963 

14 8

Cradle roll book (birth and enrollment dates) 1913-1967 

14 9

Manuscript songbooks, early 20th century 

14 10-12

"Co-Workers with Christ" class minute book 1915-1919 

14 13

Women's class minute book 1951-1969 

14 14

Young men's/"Live Wire" class minute books (2) 1939-1958 

14 15-16
Box Folder

"Never Idle" class minute books (2) 1943-1950, correspondence, and birthday calendars published for the congregation, 1958-1971 

14 1-2

Souvenirs, certificates, early 20th century 

14 3

Oversize photos 

Box

Sunday School Treasurer's record books (3) 1891-1958 

15

Sunday School Library record books (4) 1875-1898 

16

Books with Sunday School Library bookplates, mid-to-late 19th century 

16

Return to Table of Contents »


Series 4. Youth, women's and men's organizations 

Box

Youth organization (Christian Endeavor) minute books (8) 1890-1891, 1902-1956 

17

Youth organization constitution booklets and program cards, early 20th century 

17
Box Volume

Youth--junior society minute books (8), 1901-1902, 1918-1962, 1966-1975 

18 1-8

Youth--intermediate society minute books (2), 1929-1949 

18 9-10

Youth--senior Christian Endeavor minute book 1964-1970 

18 11
Box

Youth--books with Christian Endeavor bookplates (3), early 20th century 

18

Women's organization (Ladies Aid Society) minute books (29), 1890-1910, 1912-1914, 1916-1943 

19-20
Box Folder

Women's org--Young Women's Missionary Society minute books (3), 1925-1961 

20 1-2

Women's org--Ladies Aid/Women's Missionary Society annual report book 1927-1952 

20 3

Women's org--Ladies Aid/Women's Missionary Society documents and correspondence 1893-1969 

20 4

Men's org--Mennonite Brotherhood of the Swamp Charge minute book 1944-1952 

20 5

Return to Table of Contents »


Series 5. History book project (Maynard Shelly files) 1991-2004 

Box Folder

"West Swamp Story/Preview" newsletters 1991-2004 

21 1

Correspondence 1991-2004 

21 2

Database of early members 

21 3

Timelines 

21 4

Bauman family of missionaries 

21 5

Brethren (Dunkards) in the Swamp community (info on John Frick) 

21 6

Broadsides (see also West Swamp folder in flat file drawer #9) 

21 7

Cemetery transcription (pre-1936, handwritten) 

21 8

Deeds (incl. original deeds from Ada Rosenberger, dated 1879-1912) 

21 9

Engelman, Esther Bauman--papers and photos 

21 10

Indians (Native Americans) 

21 11

Isaak, Art 

21 12

Keiser, Arthur--correspondence 1962-1963 

21 13

Kratz, Catherine (accused of affair with John H. Oberholtzer, 1858) 

21 14
Box Volume

Missionary scrapbook 

22 loose in box
Box Folder

Milford Township--early settlement 

22 1

Milford Township--tax list of 1798 

22 2

Moyer, Hannah B.--estate papers 1917 

22 3

Musselman, Christian--papers from family Bible 

22 4

Oberholtzer, John H. 

22 5

Obituary collection (photocopy--location of original unknown)--"Evangelisches Vergissmeinnicht" book (published 1884 by the Gen. Conf. Menn. Ch.) containing obituaries from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a few reproduced photographs 

22 6

Occupations of members, 1960-1990 

22 7

Palatine Mennonites with Swamp names 

22 8

Palatine poems about farming 

22 9

Richert, Irvin E. 

22 10

Rosenberger, Clarence--interview 1991 

22 11

Saucon Mennonite community 

22 12

Saucon "Incident", 1778 

22 13

Schantz, John--letter to Canada, 1859 

22 14

Schultz, Jonas Y. 

22 15

Shelly, Andrew B. 

22 16

Shelly, Andrew R. 

22 17

Shelly, Anthony S. 

22 18

Shelly, D.--spinning wheel (photos) 

22 19

Shelly, Elwood S. (incl. photos) 

22 20

Shelly, William N.--letter from "Baumansville", 1857 

22 21

Stauffer, John G. 

22 22

Wadsworth Seminary 

22 23

Wedding practices ("New Mennonite", 1869) 

22 24

Weiss, Henry L. (incl. photos) 

22 25

Women of West Swamp 

22 26

Return to Table of Contents »


Box

Audiocassettes of select worship services (15), 1981-1982 

23