Roberts Park United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.) records
Scope and Contents
This collection includes minutes, bulletins, directories, records, membership, newsletters, oversized items, photographs, property records and related materials from Roberts Parks United Methodist Church in Indiananapolis, Marion County, Ind. ranging from 1821 to 2015.
Dates
- 1821 - 2015
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, literary rights, including copyright reside with the creators of the documents or their legal heirs and assigns. All requests to publish or quote must be submitted to the DePauw University Archives and Special Collections. The publisher must also obtain permission from the copyright holder.
Historical Note
Indianapolis' oldest Methodist congregation, Roberts Park United Methodist Church (401 North Delaware) is named after Indiana’s (Methodist Episcopal) Bishop Robert R. Roberts. After the Wesley Chapel congregation split in the 1840s over the issue of organ music, this congregation was formed by the group that favored congregational singing. The magnificent Romanesque Revival church building was built in 1876 and designed by Dietrich A. Bohlen, the city's leading 19th century architect.
Roberts Park is called the “the mother church” of Indianapolis Methodism because it has hosted so many significant events and helped to start other congregations in the area. One of its earliest members was a woman who had been converted in England by John Wesley. The Southeast Indiana (Methodist Episcopal) Conference Women’s Missionary Society was organized here in November of 1889. The women of the Indiana (Methodist) Conference here organized their Woman’s Society and their Wesleyan Service Guild in 1940. Roberts Park Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
GPS: 39 46 22.92, -86 09 14.80
Extent
24.01 Cubic Feet (1 vertical file, 41 legal size document cases, 4 half-size letter document cases, 6 photo/file card boxes, 3 oversize items, 20 Methodist Volumes (plus 3 legal size document cases for Grace MEC))
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Board of Education minutes, 1950-1998
Series 2: Bulletins, 1944-1973
Series 3: Charge Conference, 1941-2000
Series 4: Council on Ministries, 1976-1992
Series 5: Directories, 1888-2013
Series 6: Finance Committee minutes, 1950-2004
Series 7: General Church Records, 1842-2015
Series 8: Gifts, Wills and Memorials, 1911-1997
Series 9: Membership, 1894-1999
Series 10: Men's Groups and Organizations, 1860-1997
Series 11: Ministers, 1821-2005
Series 12: Missions, 1901-2002
Series 13: Newsletters, 1880-2011
Series 14: Official Board Meeting minutes, 1856-2015
Series 15: Oversized Items, ca. 1910-1925
Series 16: Photographs (3 1/2" x 5"), 1939-1997
Series 17: Property Records, 1831-2018
Series 18: Quarterly Conference minutes, 1842-1934
Series 19: Smiley, Nora, 1912-1959
Series 20: Sunday School records, 1847-2000
Series 21: Trustees minutes, 1905-1998
Series 22: Women's Groups and Organizations, 1843-1997
Custodial History
This collection was received by the DePauw University Archives and Special Collections as a records transfer from Roberts Park United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.) on 2020/01/21.
Accruals
Further additions are expected.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals may be found in the following collections: Roberts Park United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.)
Separated Materials
Records of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church (Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.) were removed and a separte collection was created.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2022/03/25 by Jenney Taylor. EAD finding aid created by Jenney Taylor on 2022/04/04.
Source
- Roberts Park United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Ind.) (Organization)
- Title
- Roberts Park United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.) records
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Archives of DePauw University and Indiana United Methodism Repository
Roy O. West Library
405 S. Indiana St.
Greencastle Indiana 46135 United States
archives@depauw.edu
