US-RUn-msg96 Guide to the Records of the Church of the Ascension, Cranston Finding aid prepared by Kevin J. Logan and Beth Ullucci. University of Rhode Island Library, Special Collections and Archives Unit 2007
University Library, Special Collections and Archives 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011Tel: 401-874-4632E-mail: archives@etal.uri.eduWebsite: http://www.uri.edu/library/special_collections/
 Finding aid encoded by Kate Freedman on 2007 June 4, updated by Hailie D. Posey on 2009 August 17, updated by Melinda D. Golembeske to include oversized box on 2012 October 31 English Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) Overview of the Collection Church of the Ascension (Cranston, RI) Records of the Church of the Ascension, Cranston, R.I. 1885-1990 24 boxes, 1 oversize (14 linear feet) The Records of the Church of the Ascension consist of materials from 1885-1990, documenting the history of the church from its founding to the end of the twentieth century. The collection, which is divided into five series, consists of adminstrative records, vestry minutes, annual reports, church registers, scrapbooks, and memorabilia. Special Collections and University Archives
15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu
 Mss. Gr. 96 The records are in English. Historical Information

The records contained herein document the history and the administrative, religious, and financial activities of the Church of the Ascension from its founding in 1885. Administrative records, with the exception of the vestry, are scattered for the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but comprehensive from the 1920's forward. Records documenting religious activities, i.e., Parish Registers and Registers of Church Services, apparently are lost for the first twenty-five years of the church's existence. The records in this collection are the inactive records of the parish.

Open for research.

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

Records of the Church of the Ascension, Cranston, Mss. Gr. 96, University of Rhode Island Special Collections

 Scope and Content Note

These records document the religious, administrative, and social activities of the Church of the Ascension, and include annual reports, minutes of meetings of parish organizations, blueprints, brochures, programs for parish anniversaries and celebrations, the constitution of the parish, newsletters, copies of pastoral letters, correspondence, photographs and photograph albums, Sunday Bulletins, registers, scrapbooks, financial records, and memorabilia.

Arrangement

After processing, the records were organized into five series as follows:

1. Subject File 2. The Vestry 3. Registers 4. Scrapbooks 5. Memorabilia

Open for research.

 Acquisitions Information

The records of the Church of the Ascension in Cranston, Rhode Island were deposited in the Special Collections Department of the University of Rhode Island Library in 1988 and 1990 by the church's rector, the Rev. Gardiner Shattuck.

Prior to their transfer the records had been housed in the offices of the church at Pontiac Avenue in Cranston.

This collection was processed in 1988 and 1990 by Beth Ullucci.

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.

Also transferred at the same time were the records of the Holy Nativity mission in the Thornton section of Cranston and St. Bartholomew's Church in Cranston. The two churches had closed in 1966 and 1970 respectively and their parishioners and records were transferred to the Church of the Ascension.

The records of Holy Nativity and St. Bartholomew's are housed in Manuscript Group 41, Records of the Episcopal Diocese, Series 11, Diocesan Parishes, which contains the records of disincorporated churches of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

No further materials are expected for this collection.

 Names Records, 1885-1990 Church of the Ascension (Cranston, RI) Subjects Episcopal Church -- Rhode Island -- History -- Sources Cranston (R.I.) -- Genealogy Cranston (R.I.) -- Church history -- Sources Church of the Ascension (Cranston, R.I.) -- Records and correspondence Church of the Ascension (Cranston, R.I.) -- Registers Registers of births, etc. -- Rhode Island -- Cranston Marriage records -- Rhode Island -- Cranston Confirmation records -- Rhode Island -- Cranston Baptismal records -- Rhode Island -- Cranston RIAMCO Browsing Terms Religion Inventory Series 1 Subject Files 1887-1990 8 boxes (4 linear feet) annual reports blueprints (reprographic copies) brochures minutes newsletters programs

The records contained in this series document the administrative activities of the Church of the Ascension. Topics include the Acolyte Guild, the Altar Guild, the construction and renovation of the church, parish anniversaries and celebrations, the consecration of the church, the dedication service for the church, the Episcopal Charities Fund, Episcopal Church Women, the Men's Club, the Parish Corporation, the Parish Guild, the Women's Auxiliary, and the financial status of the parish.

Records represented include annual reports of the parish, the parish newsletter entitled the Ascension Messenger, brochures, programs for various parish anniversaries and celebrations, blueprints and bids for the construction and renovation of the church, and minutes of meetings of such parish organizations as the Altar Guild, the Parish Corporation, the Episcopal Church Women, the Men's Club, the Parish Guild, and the Women's Auxiliary.

 Arrangement

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

 1 1 undated Acolyte Guild 1 2 undated Altar, Pencil Sketch of. See: Oversize 1 3 1954, undated Altar Guild: By-Laws and Manual 1 4 1952-1962 Altar Guild: Minutes of Meetings 1 5 1978 Altar Guild: Miscellaneous 1 6 1966 Annual Reports 1 7 1969-1973 Annual Reports 1 8 1967 Architect's Drawings: Addition to the Church. See: Oversize 2 9 1938-1944 Nov Ascension Messenger (Newsletter) 2 10 1945 Jan-1947 Ascension Messenger 2 11 1948-1949 Ascension Messenger 2 12 1950-1954 Jul Ascension Messenger 2 13 1954 Nov-1958 Apr Ascension Messenger 2 14 1959-1960 Ascension Messenger 3 15 1961-1962 Ascension Messenger 3 16 1963-1966 Ascension Messenger 3 17 1953-1957 Ascension Messenger: Annual 3 18 1963-1965 Ascension Messenger: Annual 3 19 1955 Blueprints of the Church 3 20 1943-1945 Book of Remembrance: Used at the War Shrine 4 21 1988 Brochure 4 22 1959-1960 Budget Committee 4 23 1990 Calendar 4 24 1985 Centennial Celebration 4 25 undated Children's Catechism 4 26 undated Church Dinners and Events, Preparations for 4 27 1966 Consecration of the Church, Program for 4 28 1982, 1988 Constitution 4 29 1903-1904, 1922, 1955 Construction and Renovation: Bids 4 30 1956-1958 Construction and Renovation: Bids 4 31 1962, 1967, 1971 Construction and Renovation: Bids 4 32 1887, undated Contributors to Church Building Fund: Lists 4 33 1967-1968 Corporation Meetings: Minutes of. See also: Vestry and Parish Meetings. 5 34 1956 Dedication Service: Program 5 35 1939, 1943-1967, 1955-1956 DeLong, Lensk, and DeLong: Correspondence 5 36 1965 "Eighty Years of Worship": Souvenir Program 5 37 1959, 1985-1987 Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island 5 38 1968-1985 Episcopal Church Women: Account Book 5 39 1962-1976 Minutes of Meetings 5 40 1986 Miscellaneous 5 41 1935 Fiftieth Anniversary Book, History of the Church with Documentation 5 42 1982 Foster Parents Plan, Inc. 5 43 1925 History of the Church, 1885-1925 (Holograph Mss.) 6 44 1966, 1969 Hulme, Rev. Kenneth E. 6 45 1974 Index to Parish Ledger 6 46 undated Landscaping and Grounds: Drawings and Sketches. See: Oversize 6 46a 1950 Letters of Transfer 6 47 1900 Mason, Edna Warren: Book of Prayer Presentation Copy from Elizabeth Warren) 6 48 undated Memorial Lists. See also: Oversize 6 49 1949-1957 Men's Club Meeting, Minutes of 6 50 1975-1979 Newsletter 6 51 1962 Operation Clean Up: Debt Reduction Fund Drive 6 52 1913-1919 Parish Guild Meetings, Minutes of 6 53 1948 Parochial Group, Proposal for 6 54 1980-1981, 1984 Pastoral Letters 6 55 undated Photograph Album 6 56 undated Photographs: Exterior of the Church 7 57 1986 Institution of Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr. as Rector 7 58 1899, 1953, 1985, undated Interior of the Church 7 59 undated Miscellaneous 7 60 1984 Profile of the Parish 7 61 1922 Special Finance Committee, Report of 7 62 1954 Specifications for Electric, Heating, and Plumbing in the Church 7 63 1950-1965 Sunday Bulletins: Christmas 7 64 1948-1965 Easter 7 65 1946-1964 Palm Sunday 7 66 1952-1974, scattered Miscellaneous 7 67 1959, 1965-1967, 1970 Window: Stained Glass Window 7 68 1919-1925 Women's Auxiliary: Attendance Records 7 69 undated Cookbook 8 70 1919 Oct 15-1925 Oct 13 Minutes of Meetings 8 71 1925 Oct 27-1928 Dec 11 Minutes of Meetings 8 72 1939 Dec 12-1954 Oct 5 Minutes of Meetings 8 73 1954 Oct 26-1970 Mar 10 Minutes of Meetings 8 74 1919-1927 Treasurer's Accounts 8 75 undated Wood, Rev. Arthur, Sketch of Plaque Honoring Him See:Oversize 8 76 1938, 1939, 1982, 1987, undated Miscellaneous Series 2 Vestry 1885-1988 2 boxes(1 linear foot) bylaws (administrative records) minutes reports

The vestry is a group of individuals elected by the members of the parish to manage the daily operation of the parish. The vestry is responsible for the administrative and financial operations of the parish, including the election of a rector, the hiring of employees, the management of real and personal property owned by the parish, and the management of the finances of the parish.

The records in this series document the activities of the vestry of the Church of the Ascension and include the by-laws of the vestry and the minutes of the meetings of the vestry. Also included are the minutes of the annual meeting of the Parish Corporation through 1971 and copies of monthly treasurer's reports beginning in 1972. The minutes are in bound volumes from 1885 to 1958 and in loose sheets from 1959 forward.

 Arrangement

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

 9 1 1984, 1988 By-Laws 9 2 1885 May 27-1904 Apr 13 Vestry and Annual Corporation Meetings: Minutes of. (Also contains Parish "Certificate of Organization" glued to front end paper (dated June 11, 1885) 9 3 1909 Jun 8-1931 Jan 31 Minutes of 9 4 1931 Jan 26-1951 Jan 9 Minutes of 9 5 1951 Jan 22-1958 Jun 3 Minutes of 9 6 1958 Sep 9-1965 Jun 8 Minutes of 9 7 1965 Jul 6-1969 Jan 27 Minutes of 10 8 1970 Jan-1970 Dec Minutes of 10 9 1971 Minutes of 10 10 1972 Minutes of (Monthly Treasurer's Reports) 10 11 1973 Minutes of (Monthly Treasurer's Reports) 10 12 1974-1975 Minutes of (Monthly Treasurer's Reports) 10 13 1976 Minutes of (Monthly Treasurer's Reports) 10 14 1977 Minutes of (Monthly Treasurer's Reports) Series 3 Registers 1910-1990 2 boxes(1 linear foot) baptismal registers burial registers confirmations marriage registers

The Registers Series contains bound Registers of Church Services for the years 1933 to 1990 and Parish Registers of Baptisms, Burials, Confirmations, and Marriages for the years 1910 to 1950.

The Registers of Church Services include the date, time, type of service, number of attendees, and the name of the celebrant for each service held in the parish. The volumes are arranged by the date of the service.

The Parish Registers are divided into sections by the type of service performed, i.e., baptisms, burials, confirmations, and marriages. The amount and type of information recorded varies with the type of service. For baptisms it includes the date of the service, the name and date of the person baptized, the name of his/her parents and the name of the officiating clergyman. The marriage records include the date of the ceremony, the names, ages, and residence(s) of the betrothed, the names of their parents, and the name of the presiding clergyman. Confirmation records include the dates and names of those confirmed and the name of the bishop performing the ceremony. The burial records include the name of the deceased, the date of death, the cause of death, the age at death, the date of the funeral, and the name of the presiding clergyman. Each section of the Parish Register is arranged by the date of the service.

 Arrangement

The registers are arranged alphabetically by type of register and chronologically by inclusive dates of each register.

 11 1 1933 Apr 23-1938 Dec 31 Church Services 11 2 1939-1951 Church Services 11 3 1952 Jan 1-1959 Mar 20 Church Services 11 4 1959 Mar 21-1962 Dec 31 Church Services 12 5 1963-1967 Church Services 12 6 1968-1975 Church Services 12 7 1976 Jan 1-1983 Mar 30 Church Services 12 8 1983 Mar 13 Church Services 12 9 1910-1933 Parish Register (Book 1): Baptisms, Apr 4, 1990. Burials, Communicants, Confirmations, Marriages. See: Oversize 12 10 1920-1950 Parish Register (Book 2): Baptisms, Burials, Communicants. Confirmations, Marriages. See: Oversize Series 4 Scrapbooks 1935-1967 11 boxes(5.5 linear feet) brochures clippings photographs programs

This series includes scrapbooks which contain photographs, programs, newspaper clippings, brochures, and other ephemera related to the history and development of the Church of the Ascension. The scrapbooks were apparently compiled by a variety of parish employees over the years.

 Arrangement

The scrapbooks are arranged chronologically, but there is no topical order within the scrapbooks.

 13 1 1935 May 28- 1938 Apr 19 Scrapbooks 13 2 1938 Apr 24-1940 Jan 22 Scrapbooks 14 3 1940 Jan 1- 1943 Jan 15 Scrapbooks 15 4 1943 Jan 21- 1946 Jun 2 Scrapbooks 16 5 1946 Jun 12- 1947 Dec 28 Scrapbooks 6 1948 Jan 15-1949 Dec 25 Scrapbooks 17 7 1950-1952 Scrapbooks 18 8 1953 Jan 4- 1955 Jan 9 Scrapbooks 19 9 1955 Jan 2-1957 Dec 29 Scrapbooks 20 10 1958 Jan 5-1960 Dec 24 Scrapbooks 21 11 1961 Scrapbooks 12 1962 Scrapbooks 22 13 1963 Scrapbooks 14 1964-1965 Scrapbooks 23 15 1966 Scrapbooks 23 16 1967 Scrapbooks 23 17 undated Basketball Scrapbook (removed from three ring binder) Series 5 Memorabilia 1940-1980 1 boxes(1 linear foot) realia

The Memorabilia Series contains articles and artifacts relating to the Church of the Ascension. Included are church calendars, plaques, trophies, youth basketball uniforms, centennial tee shirts, engravings, printers' blocks for illustrations on church publications, and a paper weight.

 Arrangement

There is no particular arrangement within this series.

 24 1 1940-1980 Memorabilia