Walnut Hills Christian Church/ First Christian Church Records (MS-619)
Scope and Contents
The collection contains four record books and a 16-millimeter film that document membership, activities, and meetings in Dayton’s First Christian Church and the related Walnut Hills Christian Church. Materials in this collection date between 1908 and 1957.
The Walnut Hills Christian Church and First Christian Church membership records are written in pre-printed volumes designed to contain data about the church, its members, and its governance. Pages designed for membership information include spaces for the members’ names, addresses, and occupations, details about their baptisms and marriages, and the dates and reasons they joined and left the church. The volumes’ printers include suggested instructions for use, which can be used to interpret the data in the records.
Walnut Hills Christian Church’s 1908-1917 membership record contains a historical note about the church, including a transcription of the church’s covenant. It also contains a church membership roll from circa 1909, as well as several revised rolls. Some names are recorded in the membership record section. Meeting minutes and some newspaper clippings appear in the final section of the book.
The 1909-1927 membership record includes information and newspaper clippings about church events, including a description of the church’s Rally Day. Names in the Membership Record section appear to be recorded chronologically based on when an individual joined the church. Meeting minutes from 1918-1924 include decisions like the 1922 effort to construct a new church building.
The First Christian Church’s 1928-29 membership record contains an index of names, as well as a membership record supplemented by lists of non-resident and inactive members. The last new member joined the church in 1929, but members’ statuses were updated until 1937.
Walnut Hills Christian Church’s 1932-1957 membership record contains an index of names, a membership record, and a record of baptisms for 1938 onward. Some individuals appearing in this book also appear in records for the First United Church of Christ (MS-620).
The 16-millimeter film documents the 1929 Rally Day held by Walnut Hills Christian Church.
Dates
- Creation: 1908-1957
Creator
- Walnut Hills Christian Church (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
- First Christian Church (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on accessing paper-based material in this collection. Access to original audiovisual media is restricted due to preservation concerns, and only reference copies of original audio and video materials can be accessed in the reading room. Items without reference copies can be digitized at the request of a patron for the cost of creating a digital copy. Please provide us at least two weeks advance notice if you would like to request an audio or video reference copy. Call (937) 775-2092 or e-mail us at library-archives-ref@wright.edu. Use of digitized content is subject to conditions governing use.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
The Walnut Hills Christian Church was founded in 1907 by young, married members in a Sunday School at Dayton’s First Christian Church. Walnut Hills’ first service was held in July 1907 in a rented store room on South Wayne Avenue in Dayton. The church was formally established in April 1908, when 27 members signed the church covenant. A dedicated church building was constructed in 1911, and replaced sometime after 1922. In 1930, the Walnut Hills Christian Church and the First Christian Church merged, according to the 1937 Works Progress Administration work “Churches in Dayton” on Dayton History Books Online.
Nationally, the Christian Church merged with the Congregational Church in 1931, forming the Congregational Christian Church. Walnut Hills Christian Church appears to have been part of this merger based on the Church name recorded in its 1932-1957 membership record book. In 1957, the Congregational Christian Church merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ. The Walnut Hills Church appears to have participated in this merger as well, as there is some overlap of members between records in this collection and in records for the First United Church of Christ (MS-620).
Extent
0.63 linear feet (4 volumes and 1 film)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection contains four record books and a 16-millimeter film, that document membership, activities, and meetings in Dayton’s First Christian Church and the related Walnut Hills Christian Church.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The collection contains a reel of 16-millimeter film, which requires special equipment and digitization prior to access.
Custodial History
The objects in this collection were received as part of the records of St. John’s United Church of Christ (MS-612), but are records from separate churches.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University Libraries, by Judith E. Humphreys of St. John’s United Church of Christ in November 2017.
donor
- St. John's United Church of Christ (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Subject
- Walnut Hills Christian Church (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
- First Christian Church (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Walnut Hills Christian Church/ First Christian Church Records (MS-619)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Megan O'Connor, Lisa Rickey
- Date
- 2019 Oct 15
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
