Historical note:

            The Peace Dale Congregational Church was founded in February of 1856. The ten original members initially met for services in the home of Rowland Hazard II (1829-1898), and then at Peace Dale Hall. In 1870, the cornerstone of a new church building was laid; the building was completed in 1872 and still stands in Peace Dale today. The Margaret Chapel was added later, dedicated to the memory of Margaret Rood Hazard, who died in 1895.

Bibliography:

See the letter in this collection by Rowland Hazard dated Feb. 15, 1897, and the church history filed under 1907.

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Scope and content:

            This collection consists almost entirely of reports filed with the church at its annual February meeting from 1883 through 1925. Among the committees or officers filing reports for various years are the treasurer, the clerk, the Sunday School, the Sewing Society, the Mission Band (formed 1892, with a particular interest in Hawaiian missionary work), the Women's Missionary Society, the Young Women's Missionary Society (founded 1894), the Society of Deaconesses, the United Society of Christian Endeavor, the Cradle Roll, the Young People's society (organized 1914), the Home Study Class, the Men's Bible Class, and the Choral Society. Each year, the church's "Historian" would file a brief report of general activities called a "History". There are no membership records, though members are frequently mentioned. The Sunday School reports often list students with perfect or near-perfect attendance.

            In addition, the collection includes from scattered records from the early days of the church, including a subscription list for the Sunday School picnics of 1861 and 1862; an agreement re the construction of the new building dated 1870; and a program from the new building's dedication in 1872. Later records include investment fund records from 1930 through 1950; Buildings and Grounds Committee records from 1955; and programs from Hazard family ceremonies at the church in 1971 and 1976.

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Provenance:

            These papers were donated by the Hazard family as part of the Hazard Family Papers in 1985. They had been deposited in 1975 and 1983. It is unknown how the records came into the possession of the Hazard family. They had been closely involved with the church since its founding, and likely took responsibility for storing the old church records in their voluminous offices. Thomas P. Hazard served as a trustee of the church in 1947, and as chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee in 1955.

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Processing note:

            This collection is part of the Hazard Family Papers, which were processed with support from the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, the Beinecke Foundation, and the extended Hazard Family.

            The collection had originally been housed in envelopes by year, and this order has been maintained. Because the annual meetings were held in February, the reports largely deal with the preceding calendar year.

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Inventory:

Box 1, folder 1. 1861-1872 (miscellaneous)

Box 1, folder 2. 1883-1888

Box 1, folder 3. 1889-1891

Box 1, folder 4. 1891-1892

Box 1, folder 5. 1892-1893

Box 1, folder 6. 1893-1894

Box 1, folder 7. 1894-1895. Packet for 1895-1896 missing.

Box 1, folder 8. 1896-1897 Includes 3-page open letter to members from Rowland Hazard.

Box 1, folder 9. 1897-1898

Box 1, folder 10. 1898-1899

Box 1, folder 11. 1899-1900

Box 1, folder 12. 1900-1901

Box 1, folder 13. 1901-1902

Box 1, folder 14. 1902-1903

Box 1, folder 15. 1903-1904

Box 1, folder 16. 1904-1905

Box 1, folder 17. 1905-1906

Box 1, folder 18. 1906-1907

Box 1, folder 19. 1907-1908

Box 1, folder 20. 1908-1909

Box 1, folder 21. 1909-1910

Box 1, folder 22. 1910-1911

Box 1, folder 23. 1911-1912

Box 1, folder 24. 1912-1913

Box 1, folder 25. 1913-1914

Box 1, folder 26. 1914-1915

Box 1, folder 27. 1915-1916

Box 1, folder 28. 1916-1917

Box 1, folder 29. 1917-1918

Box 1, folder 30. 1918-1919

Box 1, folder 31. 1919-1920

Box 1, folder 32. 1920-1921

Box 1, folder 33. 1921-1922. Includes telegrams from Caroline & Mary P.B. Hazard.

Box 1, folder 34. 1922-1923

Box 1, folder 35. 1923-1924

Box 1, folder 36. 1924-1925

Box 1, folder 37. 1930-1950. Investment account only.

Box 1, folder 38. 1955. Buildings and Grounds Committee only.

Box 1, folder 39. 1971-1976. Hazard family commemorations only.

Box 1, folder 40. Undated

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Subjects:

Churches - Rhode Island - South Kingstown

Congregationalists - Rhode Island - South Kingstown

Hazard, Rowland II (1829-1898)

Hazard, Thomas P. (1892-1968)

South Kingstown, R.I. - Religion

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RIHS1822