Thomas J. Burton Research Files on Manhattan Churches
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection consists mainly of letters, clippings, bulletins, printed programs, sermons, and other ephemera related to church congregations in Manhattan. The material was collected by undertaker and historian Thomas J. Burton (1858-1920) for his book project "History of the Churches of New York, Illustrated," which was apparently never published. Related material collected by others, including E.B. Child (1846-1946), was added to the collection after it was accessioned by the New-York Historical Society.
Biographical / Historical
Thomas J. Burton was born in New York City on October 22, 1858 to Thomas and Sarah Burton. His father was an undertaker, and Burton eventually took over the family business. He was also a member of the executive committee of the New-York Historical Society, and occasionally gave lectures at N-YHS, including illustrated talks about Greenwich Village and Washington Square.
Around 1900, Burton began work on a comprehensive "History of the Churches of New York, Illustrated," which was apparently never published. Writing on the letterhead of the Church History Publishing Company (which shared Burton's home address of 44 East 10th Street), he contacted individual churches and ministers asking for information about the history of their congregations. In 1904, Burton published a pamphlet (available in the N-YHS library) called A Few Old New York Churches and Pastors, which he hoped would "interest any who may have material in their possession...to aid in this collection" "for the purpose of illustrating a contemplated history of New York churches." The replies and materials he received to his entreaties form the bulk of this collection.
Burton died on July 31, 1920 and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically by name of church.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists mainly of letters, clippings, bulletins, printed programs, sermons and other ephemera related to church congregations in Manhattan. The material was collected by undertaker and historian Thomas J. Burton (1858-1920) for his book project "History of the Churches of New York, Illustrated," which was apparently never published. Related material collected by others, including E.B. Child (1846-1946), was added to the collection after it was accessioned by the New-York Historical Society.
The type and amount of material available for individual churches varies widely, from a single item to multiple folders of ephemera. Burton was primarily interested in the history and evolution of the church congregations, rather than the physical church structures, and the collection reflects that. There is information about the ministers and leaders of churches, as well as the mergers of various congregations. Although Burton's original collection included images, these were removed by staff sometime before 1950 and added to existing graphic files, mainly the Geographic Collection and the Portrait Collection.
For a preview of Burton's intended project, researchers can consult Burton's 1904 pamphlet (available in the N-YHS library) called A Few Old New York Churches and Pastors, which he hoped would "interest any who may have material in their possession...to aid in this collection" "for the purpose of illustrating a contemplated history of New York churches."
See also Burton's scrapbooks in N-YHS Collection of Scrapbooks. From the finiding aid:"These 3 volumes relate to Burton's work: one volume is a 'catalogue of cuts and illustrations' of churches and ministers; a second volume is mostly notes on the chronology and ministers of various Protestant sects, with various clippings throughout; and the third volume holds clippings with pictures of contemporary (circa 1870-90s) buildings."
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Thomas J. Burton Research Files on New York City Churches, MS 3219, New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donor information is lacking for this collection. It is likely the Burton material was received between 1920 and 1938. Material from other sources was added later by staff.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Collection processed by archivist Marybeth Kavanagh, 2023.
Repository
View Inventory
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1901-1903, inclusive
All Souls Unitarian Church, 1882-1953, inclusive
Ascension Episcopal Church, 1925-1939, inclusive
Battery/Bethel/Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church, 1913-1945, inclusive
Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church, 1886-1913, inclusive
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1901, inclusive
Brick Presbyterian Church, 1856-1944, inclusive
Broadway Presbyterian Church, 1912-1925, inclusive
Calvary Episcopal Church, 1837-1943, inclusive
Calvary Methodist Church, 1898-1939, inclusive
Canal Street Presbyterian Church, 1894-1901, inclusive
Centenary Methodist Church, 1900-1943, inclusive
Central Presbyterian Church, 1902-1941, inclusive
Charles Street United Presbyterian Church, 1879-1914, inclusive
Chelsea Methodist Episcopal Church, 1903, inclusive
Chelsea Presbyterian Church, undated, inclusive
Christ Church Methodist, 1940-1951, inclusive
Christ Church Presbyterian, 1922-1932, inclusive
Covenant, Church of the, Presbyterian, 1928-1941, inclusive
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1941, inclusive
First Church of Divine Science, Church of the Healing Christ, 1942-1952, inclusive
First Moravian Church, 1894-1907, inclusive
First Presbyterian Church, 1846-1959, inclusive
First Reformed Episcopal Church, 1874, inclusive
First United Presbyterian Church, 1909, inclusive
Fort Washington Collegiate Church, undated, inclusive
Fort Washington Presbyterian Church, 1914-1938, inclusive
Fourteenth Street Presbyterian Church, 1901, inclusive
Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1864-1905, inclusive
German Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 1892-1901, inclusive
German Society Church, Episcopal, 1875-1882, inclusive
Glad Tidings Tabernacle, Pentecostal, undated, inclusive
Good Shepherd, Chapel of the, Blackwell's Island, 1920, inclusive
Grace Episcopal Church, 1905-1969, inclusive
Greenwich Presbyterian Church, 1924-1939, inclusive
Harlem Presbyterian Church, 1887-1931, inclusive
Heavenly Rest, Church of the, 1945-1949, inclusive
Holy Communion, Episcopal Church of the, 1874-1928, inclusive
Holy Trinity, Lutheran Church of the, 1896-1926, inclusive
Incarnation, Episcopal Church of the, 1895-1953, inclusive
Intercession, Episcopal Church of the, 1889-1905, inclusive
Jane Street Presbyterian Church, 1901, inclusive
Jehovah's Witness Watchtower, 1937-1938, inclusive
John Street Methodist Church, 1916-1944, inclusive
Scope and Contents
also known as "the Mother Church of American Methodism"
Madison Avenue Dutch Reformed Church, 1904-1909, inclusive
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1888-1950, inclusive
Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 1896-1906, inclusive
Manhattan Congregational Church, 1908-1912, inclusive
Marble Collegiate Church, Dutch Reformed, 1929, inclusive
Middle Collegiate Dutch Reformed Church, 1822-1953, inclusive
Scope and Contents
includes a copy of "The pestilence, a punishment for public sins a sermon preached in the Middle Dutch Church, Nov. 17, 1822, after the cessation of the yellow fever, which prevailed in New-York in 1822," by Paschal N. Strong, A.M., 1822.
Mount Washington Presbyterian Church, 1901-1950, inclusive
New York Presbyterian Church, 1901-1903, inclusive
North Presbyterian Church, 1858-1940, inclusive
Orchard Street Universalist Church, 1865-1901, inclusive
Park Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1907-1937, inclusive
Park Presbyterian Church, 1901-1904, inclusive
Prospect Hill Reformed Church, 1881-1905, inclusive
Puritans, Presbyterian Church of the, 1891-1914, inclusive
Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1897-1941, inclusive
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1903-1927, inclusive
St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church, 1911, inclusive
St. Ann's/St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 1853-1939, inclusive
Scope and Contents
St. Ann's Church for Deaf-Mutes merged with St. Matthew's Church in 1897.
St. Augustine, Chapel of, Trinity Church, undated, inclusive
St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 1900-1935, inclusive
St. Clement's Episcopal Church, 1900, inclusive
St. Cornelius the Centurion, Chapel of, 1947, inclusive
St. George's Episcopal Church, 1849-1960, inclusive
St. James Episcopal, 1880-1957, inclusive
St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1901, inclusive
St. James Methodist Church, 1901-1913, inclusive
St. James Presbyterian Church, 1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents
One of the earliest Black congregations in New York City.
St. John's Chapel, Trinity, 1901-1944, inclusive
St. John the Divine, Episcopal Cathedral of, 1919-1941, inclusive
St. John's Lutheran Church/St. Johannes Kirche, 1889-1901, inclusive
St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church, undated, inclusive
St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 1940, inclusive
St. Mark's in the Bouwerie, 1861-1959, inclusive
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1901-1954, inclusive
St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal Church of, 1937, inclusive
St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 1889-1901, inclusive
St. Nicholas, Dutch Reformed Church of, 1926, inclusive
St. Paul's Chapel, Trinity, 1886-1937, inclusive
St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, 1931, inclusive
St. Paul and St. Andrew Methodist Church, 1938-1946, inclusive
St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 1868-1952, inclusive
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 1901-1977, inclusive
St. Thomas Church 5th Avenue Episcopal, 1872-1928, inclusive
St. Timothy's Church, undated, inclusive
Second Presbyterian Church (Scotch Presbyterian), 1898-1949, inclusive
Sixth Universalist Church of Our Savior/Church of Divine Paternity, 1896-1902, inclusive
Spring Street Presbyterian Church, 1886-1956, inclusive
Third Bleecker Universalist Church, 1901, inclusive
Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church, 1855-1901, inclusive
Trinity Church, 1850-1964, inclusive
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1946, inclusive
True Light Chinese Lutheran Church, 1941, inclusive
Unification Church, 1982, inclusive
Scope and Contents
material related to The Unification Church Holy Wedding for World Peace Through Ideal Families, held at Madison Square Garden on July 1, 1982.