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| First United Methodist Church, Evanston. Photo by Jerice Barrios. |
On Thursday, November 15, thirteen CARA members gathered at the First United Methodist Church in Evanston for their 2018 Fall Meeting. They were greeted at the door by members of the church's archives committee, including Patty Baker, Cate Whitcomb, and Janet Lutz, who then took the group on a tour of the church's interior.
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CARA members toured the interior of First United Methodist Church.
Photo by Audra Adomenas. |
Founded in 1854 as the first church in Evanston, the Methodist congregation went through several locations before finally settling in their present home at 516 Church Street. The current church was designed by architect and congregation member Thomas E. Tallmadge and dedicated in 1911.
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Stained glass windows were installed in 1930 during a remodel of the church.
Photo by Merle Branner. |
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Church archives commitee member Cate Whitcomb points to the Reredos and
Chancel of the Church. Photo by Doris Cardenas. |
After the church tour, CARA members were led to the archives on the third floor, where documents and artifacts dating back to 1854 are housed.
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Archives of the First United Methodist Church.
Photo by Doris Cardenas. |
As is the case with many religious archives, the First United Methodist Church contends with limited space and resources. Although all of the archives staff are volunteers, they are dedicated to creating an archives that meets professional standards. One major ongoing project is the digitization of the sermons of noted social justice activist Pastor Ernest Fremont Tittle.
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Archives committee member Patty Baker holds one of the oldest items in the archives, a
ledger book that dates back to 1854. Photo by Jerice Barrios. |
Patty Baker and Cate Whitcomb shared some of the highlights of their collection: a ledger dating back to the foundation of the congregation, the church's 50-year anniversary book, and a scrapbook of letters and drawings from a German orphanage the church supported after World War II.
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Archives committee member Cate Whitcomb holds a scrapbook containing this
artwork from German children in post-World War II Berlin, thanking the church
for sending food and treats. Photo by Jerice Barrios. |
After thanking the archives committee for the tour and the sharing of their archives, the CARA members held a business meeting where they discussed the banking situation of the organization. As a result of the meeting, Steering Committee member Doris Cardenas was appointed Treasurer and will look into acquiring a new bank account for CARA's funds.
Many thanks to the archives committee of First United Methodist Church for hosting CARA, and thanks as well to all the attendees for making this another great meeting!
