Henrico County (Va.) Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church Minute Book and Ministers' Aid Society Ledger, 1875-1882

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Creator:
Henrico County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Henrico County (Va.) Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church Minute Book and Ministers' Aid Society Ledger, 1875-1882, includes a Minute Book, 1875-1881, that contains a handwritten index in the front. The volume records the meetings with the church moderator and clerk about church business. In addition, the volume includes financial information such as bills due, subscriptions, the pastor's salary, the expenses paid, the collections received, a list of deceased members, names of the church sisters and a list of new members. Loose papers, dating from 1887 and 1888, are found between pages 21 and 22. These papers refer to the industrial school found on the church grounds. There are 156 pages in this volume.

The Ministers' Aid Society Ledger,1881-1882, contains a handwritten index in the front. The ledger notes the officers and the members of the society. The volume also records minutes as well as financial records--such as subscribers, bills paid and debts and church income.

Biographical / historical:

Henrico County was one of the eight original shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634. The county was named for Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of James I.

Historically, after Emancipation, African Americans established separate congregations and church facilities to create their own communities and worhip in their own culturally distinct ways. African American churches have long been the centers of communities, serving as schools in the early years after the Civil War and taking up social welfare functions, such as providing for the indigent. The Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church was organized in March 1875 by members of the 2nd Baptist Church. The church was organized to give facilities to a section known as "Sheep Hill." Now known as the Carver neighborhood, it became a thriving black community and is now part of the Greater Richmond area.

On March 17th 1875, church deacons purchased an old soap factory consisting of three buildings on a lot on Moore Street. The center building was used as a church. The church was dedicated on April 18, 1875 and the congregation was officially recognized. The first pastor Rev. William Troy, 1875-1881, was a student at the Virginia Union Theological Seminary. In 1878, elaborate improvements were made to the building including galleries. In 1878, the deacons decided to run an industrial school in connection with the church and in April 1880, two-thirds of the church property was deeded to the Moore Street Industrial School. The school was a community response to the needs of African American children.

The transference of the deed of the property from the church to the school caused the congregation trouble and resulted in a long suit which was finally settled in favor of the church. The property was returned to the church in 1901. The noise of the nearby railways caused the congregation to move to their present site. The church was dedicated on May 31, 1908. The Ministers' Aid Society was funded by a fee paying membership. The organization combined church and charity--providing aid and helping people adjust to and deal with the demands of life through religion.

The minute book and ledger were used as evidence in the chancery case, Charles J. Clarke and others versus John Oliver and others and John W. Williams versus Coleman Smith, trustee, and others, heard in the Circuit Court of Henrico County.

Acquisition information:

These volumes came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of papers from Henrico County.

Microfilm Reel 213 was generated by the staff of OCLC while filming at the Library of Virginia.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Physical location:
State Records Center - Archives Annex, Library of Virginia
Physical description:
2 v. (215 p.); 1 microfilm reel