CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF EXCELSIOR:

The Congregational Church of Excelsior was founded in July 1853 by ten members of the Excelsior Pioneer Association, which had been organized in New York City the preceding November for the purpose of migrating as a body to Minnesota Territory to establish a settlement on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka. The founding members, who represented four different Christian denominations, named the church the First Independent Church of Excelsior and Chanhassan (in its early years the church served not only the Excelsior settlement but also one in nearby Chanhassen Township in Carver County). The church was renamed the First Congregational Church of Excelsior when it was incorporated in 1869. It has been known as the Congregational Church of Excelsior since 1906.

A Sunday School was started in 1854 and a church building was constructed during 1870-1871. The Congregational Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, an outgrowth of the Young People's Union organized ca. 1883, was established in 1887 to promote a Christian life, friendships, and service to God among its members.

Publications in the Minnesota Historical Society's print collection contain additional information on the history of the church.

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The congregation's earliest record book (1853-1883) is reproduced on microfilm; it contains articles of faith and rules of governance, minutes, membership lists, and data on baptisms, marriages, deaths, and financial contributions, not only for the Excelsior settlement but also for one in Chanhassen Township, Carver County. The volume is preceded on the microfilm by a promotional pamphlet (1852) of the Excelsior Pioneer Association.

The original, unfilmed records include typed copies of a legal document (1869) and a constitution (1883); membership and related statistics (1871-1936); a record of ministers' salaries (1883-1934); record books of the Sunday School (1898-1904) and church treasurer (1922-1924); and a minute book (1896-1906) of the Congregational Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Congregational Church of Excelsior Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Availability:

The microfilm is available for sale or interlibrary loan from the Minnesota Historical Society.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 4095A, 4279B, 4324, 4347 (originals); 7329 (microfilm)

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, December 1997; Deborah M. Kahn, October 2003

Catalog ID number: 09-00023168

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Related materials: Publications in the Minnesota Historical Society's print collections provide additional historical information on the church.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Agricultural colonies -- Minnesota -- Excelsior.

Church finance -- Minnesota.

Congregational churches -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

Land settlement -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

Migration, Internal -- United States.

Persons:

Stevens, John H. (John Harrington), 1820-1900.

Organizations:

Congregational Church of Excelsior (Excelsior, Minn.). Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor.

Excelsior Pioneer Association.

First Congregational Church of Excelsior (Excelsior, Minn.).

First Independent Church of Excelsior and Chanhassan (Excelsior, Minn.).

Places:

Carver County (Minn.) -- Statistics, Vital.

Chanhassen (Minn. : Township) -- History.

Excelsior (Minn.) -- History.

Hennepin County -- Statistics, Vital.

Document Types:

Baptismal registers--Minnesota--Carver County.

Baptismal registers--Minnesota--Hennepin County.

Burial registers--Minnesota--Carver County.

Burial registers--Minnesota--Hennepin County.

Church records and registers.

Marriage registers--Minnesota--Carver County.

Marriage registers--Minnesota--Hennepin County.

Microforms.

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