Registration closes today for this Thursday’s “Shot Heard Round the World” Sacred Rebellion Virtual Tour. Learn more and save your (virtual) seat via our website: congregationallibrary.org/events/shot-...

TODAY: Join us at 1 pm EDT for a virtual book talk with Dr. Sonia Hazard, author of "Empire of Print,” and learn more about the evangelical power of the American Tract Society in the 19th century. Registration is free and open to all: congregationallibrary.org/events/empir...

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US at the Congregational Library & Archives this summer with a free visit to our Scared Rebellion exhibition during one of our open days in June, July, and August. Plan your trip or register for a Curator’s Tour: congregationallibrary.org/blog/sacred-...

Our Open House celebrating the 20th anniversary of our New England’s Hidden Histories project is only two weeks away, and we hope you’re making plans to celebrate with us at 14 Beacon on April 25th.

Save the date for our next Church Stewardship Initiative workshop on May 6th to learn about conducting ethical oral history interviews. Zachary and Billy will discuss critical topics such as copyright, consent, and how to record your interviews.

In all seriousness: this is the fellowship that changed my career/life. If you have questions/are considering and want to chat, hit me up, these are magnificent institutions filled with the best people.

Our ACA-BA Fellowship application deadline is April 15th. Don't miss your chance to come research with us and our neighbors at the Boston Athenaeum. Find all the information you need to apply at https://congregationallibrary.org/fellowships.

The CLA thanks Paul Stamatos for donating Ruth Williams’ diary and a homiletics notebook (c. 1893-5) by her father, Charles Henry Williams. In this entry from 1923, Ruth recounts celebrating her 17th birthday with the film "Silent Years" and a "beautiful cake and ice cream omelette."

NEHH is using early New England Congregational church records to uncover hidden stories of enslaved people and Indigenous history that our textbooks skipped.

Only a few seats remain in our “Shot Heard Round the World” Sacred Rebellion Virtual Tour on April 16th from 5:30-6:30 pm EDT. Learn more and register on our website at congregationallibrary.org/events/shot-...

Join us on April 29th from 1-2 pm EDT for a virtual book talk with Stephen Gammon, author of "About Biblical Church Governance," to explore Biblical blueprints for healthy leadership and thriving congregations. Registration is free and open to all: congregationallibrary.org/events/about...

Explore the power of 19th-century evangelical mass media in our virtual book talk with Dr. Sonia Hazard on April 14th from 1-2 pm EDT. Registration is free and open to all via our website: congregationallibrary.org/events/empir...

Please join us virtually or at 14 Beacon on Friday, April 10th for a lunch and learn from 12-1 pm EDT with CLA Research Fellow, Dr. Evelyn Sterne. Registration is free and open to all via our website: congregationallibrary.org/events/faith...

John Hancock: Patriot, Governor... and son of a minister? ⛪️ Explore the "religious bedrock" of the Hancock family and learn how you can support the CLA’s work through our Adopt-a-Book program in a new blog post from Dr. Jeffrey Griffith: https://ow.ly/VCNf50YzHMh

“So I think he would invite people to think about who that you can trust with your story… And I think he would be very zoned in on who it is that you allow to dictate the terms of, comment on your experience.”

We were excited to welcome students from First Congregational Church in Melrose, MA to 14 Beacon last weekend for a confirmation course tour. Would your like to bring a confirmation group from your church? Reply here or send us a message. We'd love to set up a visit for you!

Our fiscal year ends March 31st, and in these last few days of our annual appeal, we would appreciate your support of our work preserving and sharing the Congregational story. You can learn more and make a donation online at https://congregationallibrary.org/donate

If you will be in the greater Boston area on April 17th, please join Kyle Roberts at 14 Beacon for a lunchtime Architectural Tour of Congregational House, the home of the Congregational Library & Archives for over 125 years.

TODAY: Join us at 1 pm EDT for a fascinating conversation about the history and lasting impact of English and North American puritanism. Registration is free and open to all via our website at congregationallibrary.org/events/oxfor...

We hope those of you in the greater Boston area will join us at 14 Beacon this Friday for a lunchtime collections tour exploring the lives of women in early New England.

“Mather, I think, is unique in that he is the most prolific. So, of all of the colonial fellows [of the Royal Society of London], he certainly writes the most letters. And I think that's one of the reasons the collection is so significant.”

Join us April 14th on Zoom for a book talk with Dr. @shazard.bsky.social, author of “Empire of Print: Evangelical Power in an Age of Mass Media,” and explore the American Tract Society’s influence across the US in the 19th century.

You’re invited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our New England’s Hidden Histories project with us at 14 Beacon on Saturday, April 25th from 2-4 pm. The afternoon will feature a display of original NEHH materials, tributes to partner churches and archives, and of course cake!

You have a month left to finish your application for the research fellowship we offer with our friends at the Boston Athenaeum. Find all the information you need to apply at https://congregationallibrary.org/fellowships

Join us to mark the 251st anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington in a virtual Sacred Rebellion tour with CLA Executive Director Kyle Roberts and NEHH Project Director Tricia Peone on April 16th at 5:30 pm EDT.

Are you fascinated by the Salem witch trials? Then you won't want to miss our virtual discussion with Dan Lipcan from the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum about their collaboration with our New England's Hidden Histories project.

TODAY: Join us on Zoom at 1 pm EDT as CLA Archivists Zachary and Billy begin a discussion about how churches can manage their digital files. Registration is free and open to all: congregationallibrary.org/events/csi-d...

“Transcription is what makes the records accessible. . . . Being able not only to see but to read the texts shatters some of our stereotypes.”

Please join us in person or via Zoom for a lunch and learn program with CLA Research Fellow Dr. Evelyn Sterne on Friday, April 10th from 12-1 pm. Dr. Sterne will share stories about Boston Congregationalists during the Great Depression that she has discovered as part of her current research project.

Why does the history of puritanism remain so important today? Join us on March 19th at 1 pm EDT for a virtual conversation about the history of English and North American puritanism and the new “Oxford Handbook of Puritanism.”

Our website has a new look, so if you haven't visited us online in a while, now is a great time to see what's new at https://congregationallibrary.org/

This Women’s History Month, we are pleased to welcome visitors to 14 Beacon for a free lunchtime collections tour of women’s religious writing in early New England with Dr. Tricia Peone on March 20th from 12-1 pm.

Please join CLA Board Vice-Chair Sara Georgini on Wednesday, March 4th at 7 pm EST for "Defending Democracy in the Stacks," a fantastic conversation organized by the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy. Registration is free via Zoom: bit.ly/4ruKgFZ

We hope you’ll make plans to join us on March 25th at 1 pm EDT for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Dan Lipcan from the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum about digitizing records of the Salem witch trials and their ongoing interest to researchers and the public.

TODAY: Join us at 1 pm EST for a virtual conversation about engaging with the often challenging hidden histories documented in Congregational church records. Registration is free and open to all: congregationallibrary.org/events/hidde...

Our Church Stewardship Initiative program is going digital in its next virtual workshop on March 10th at 1 pm EDT. Register now to join Zachary and Billy for an important conversation about managing and preserving your church’s digital files.

We'll be closed again tomorrow while Boston recovers from the blizzard. Stay safe and warm, everyone! ❄️

We will be closed Monday, February 23rd in anticipation of the snowstorm. Stay safe, everyone! ❄️

Pastors, church historians, and history enthusiasts: you have one week left to submit your application for a Steece Fellowship to support your trip to 14 Beacon to work with our collections for your research project. Find all the details and begin your application at https://ow.ly/L8tz50YipV4

“And so he's not the minister, right? . . . But he's the one who's doing the work. He's doing the organizational work. He's doing the leg work. . . . And he ends up being a major founder and figure for Newport's Black Christian community.”

Register now for a fascinating virtual discussion with Frank Bremer, @annlaurahughes.bsky.social, Rachel Adcock, and @emersonwbaker.bsky.social about the new “Oxford Handbook of Puritanism” at 1 pm EDT on March 19th.

THIS FRIDAY: Join us for a Black History Collection Highlights Tour with Librarian Meaghan Wright at 14 Beacon from 12-1 pm EST. Registration is requested but not required via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/black-hist...

You’re invited to join us on March 5th for a special virtual tour of our Sacred Rebellion exhibition in honor of the 256th anniversary of the Boston Massacre.

TODAY: Join us at 1 pm EST to celebrate the release of "The Story of Bob" by The Pilgrim Press with author, Steven C. Law. Registration is free and open to all via our website at congregationallibrary.org/events/story...

TODAY: Join us on Zoom at 1 pm EST for our 2026 Cotton Mather Lecture. Registration is free and open to all via our website: congregationallibrary.org/events/explo...

Researching, understanding, and reckoning with a church's history has an impact on both its congregation and community. Join us in two weeks, on February 25th, for a roundtable with members of two New England churches who have undertaken this important work of investigating their hidden histories.

We’re pleased to invite you to the first in a new series of monthly tours at 14 Beacon on Friday, February 20th from 12-1 pm. Join us next week to view items related to Black history in Congregational and Afro-Christian churches from our collections.

Does your church’s archive include digital files? Then you won’t want to miss our next Church Stewardship Initiative virtual workshop on March 10th with the CLA’s archivists, Zachary and Billy. Registration is free and open to all via our website at congregationallibrary.org/events/csi-d...

Explore Black Congregational Christian history in early New England Congregational church records this month with our Black and Indigenous Research Guide at https://congregationallibrary.org/black-indigenous-research-guide

Join us on Zoom in two weeks on February 17th as we celebrate the release of "The Story of Bob" from our friends at @thepilgrimpress.bsky.social. Registration is free and open to all via our website at congregationallibrary.org/events/story...