Leicester. Cherry Valley Methodist Episcopal Church. [CH-MA L43 C4] Cherry Valley, a village in the town of Leicester, was on circuit routes in the early nineteenth century, but first formed a society in 1846, when a union church was built and shared with the Episcopalians and Congregationalists. That building burned in 1856 and a new structure was built. The church continued to be shared into the 1880's, but eventually became entirely Methodist. Because of changing demographics, the church was moved in 1903. In the 1970's the church was listed together with Worcester/Aldersgate, with which it was finally merged in 1989. History: Profiles of the Past, Mortimer C. Hemenway, and others, 1965 [Box 11] History: Brief History of Cherry Valley Methodist Church, 1845-1987, compiled by Edward Duane, 2000 [Box 11] Box 1 Membership book, 1872-1932. Pastoral record: 1895-1919 Officers Probationers: 1894-1930 Members: 1872-1922; 1897-1932 Baptisms: 1895-1932 Marriage: 1895-1932 Pastors: 1894-1963 WWI Honor Roll Quarterly Conference records: 1845-1874 1875-1887 1887-1892; 1900-1908 1892-1900 1940-1968 folders [Box 10] Box 2. Official Board: 1851-1874 Administrative Board records, 1975-1988 Board of Trustees. 1947-1950 Secretary's book 1951-1959 Secretary's book Standard bearers: 1901 Steward's records: 1894-1900 Box 3. Treasurer's Records: 1924-1958 Epworth League: 1895-1911 1894-1901 1911-1912 1914-1915 1935-1941 1897-1899 (Total Abstinence Society) Box 4. Sunday School: 1881-1889 Secretary's book First 24 pages record work crews on Honduran Railroad project, August 1870-April 1871. 1890-1893 Secretary's book 1892-1893 Class book 1895-1910 Treasurer's book 1895-1897 Secretary's book 1898 Secretary's book Box 5. Sunday School: 1898-1909? Secretary's book 1917-1921 Secretary's book 1932-1936 Secretary's book 1943-1947 Secretary's book 1950-1953 Register 1958-1960 Register Box 6. Women's Foreign Missionary Society 1888-1913 Secretary's book 1894-1901 Treasurer's book 1900-1910 Treasurer's book 1910-1921 Treasurer's book Ladies Social Benevolent Circle 1855-1865 Constitution, minutes Ladies Social Circle 1866-1896 Constitution, minutes 1869-1893, Treasurer's book Ladies Sewing Circle, later Ladies Aid 1893-1914 Constitution (rev), minutes; parsonage inventory 1893-1935 Treasurer's book Box 7. Ladies Aid: 1935-1939 Treasurer's book 1939-1940 Treasurer's book 1941-1942 Treasurer's book 1943-1944 Treasurer's book 1945-1946 Treasurer's book 1945-1946 Parsonage accounts book(?) Box 8. Women's Society of Christian Service 1941-1953 Secretary's book 1954-1959 Secretary's book 1955-1959 Group 3 Secretary's book 1962-1970 Secretary's book Box 9. Women's Society of Christian Service. 1979-1986 Secretary's book Box 10. Quarterly Conference Records. 1940-1965 folders Box 11. Quarterly Conference Records. 1965-1968 folders Treasurer of Trustees' reports, 1980-1987 Treasurer's reports, 1978-1987 Annual Reports 1966, 1970-1987 1988, includes merger documents History Profiles of the Past (1965), by Mortimer C. Hemenway and others. Cherry Valley Methodist Church, a brief history, 1845-1989, compiled by Edward H. Duane, 2000. Bulletins, clippings, notices, and other memorabilia.

February 19, 2003