NORWAY — The First Universalist Church of Norway Unitarian Universalist has received a grant to archive two centuries of church records. The material ranges from 1870s-era pulpit Bibles to an envelope containing 66 cents in the records of the Clara Barton Club.

The Main Street church will receive $839 to preserve and provide better access to its historical collections as part of the Historical Records Collections Grant Program. The program is administered by the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board, with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. 

The announcement was made recently by Maine State Archivist David Cheever. The grant program is coordinated by the Maine State Archives.

“Based on best practices, we will analyze the arrangement of records to determine if there is logic and meaning to the order of presentation,” said Pat Shearman, who serves as the church archivist, along with Kevin Farr and Karen Cockrell. “We will protect such order as exists. We will then classify records into series units. Material will be placed in archival boxes and a description written as a preliminary finding aid with recommendations for long-term preservation.”

Shearman said a list of books will be developed with a report on each box describing its contents, overall condition and recommendation for long-term storage.

In addition to the pulpit Bibles and the envelope, other church records include an early constitution and bylaws, minutes of the many organizations and Sunday school groups, and records of pew rents collected, Shearman said. There are also photographs, newspaper clippings and annual reports.

The church was founded in 1799 and is the oldest continuously existing Universalist church in Maine.

In a statement released by the Maine State Archives, officials said recent studies underscore that cultural resources are important in decisions to locate businesses or to choose a community in which to retire. The grants will help sustain the basic infrastructure of this key element.

“Grants such as this support community efforts to protect the stories of our birth, property rights, government, and how we lived our lives,” Cheever said. “People need to document their birth or naturalization to obtain a passport or to get medical care; others research their property boundaries; some seek long-lost relatives or to understand the history of the old mill down the road. Without these precious records, most questions like this remain unanswered.”

A recent report to the Maine Legislature indicates that many of Maine’s historical collections (photographs, paintings, natural history collections, and letters) are in danger of being lost to fire, theft, mold or misuse.

“Maine has an estimated 200 million such records, many in facilities with little or no security, fire protection, or environmental controls. Local governments, historical societies, and libraries are seeking help through grant programs such as this one to preserve our heritage,” Cheever said.

Small grants have stimulated local citizens and organizations to commit more of their resources to these projects.

“Although financial support is important, recognition of local concerns and efforts through an award also generates a substantial amount of enthusiasm,” Cheever said. The Maine State Archives is under the Department of the Secretary of State.

For information about the Historical Records Collections Grant Program, call Janet Roberts at 287-5791 or email janet.roberts@maine.gov.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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