First Congregational Church of Franklin Partners with the Franklin Public Library to Preserve Historic Town Records

The First Congregational Church of Franklin, in partnership with the Franklin Public Library, is proud to announce the successful completion of a year-long project to organize and preserve a remarkable collection of 18th and 19th century records that document the early civic and spiritual life of the Town of Franklin.

Spearheaded by Vicki Earls, Reference Librarian at the Franklin Public Library, and Christine Brown, longtime church member, the project brought together historical expertise and community dedication to ensure that these fragile and invaluable documents are protected for future generations. These records, originating from the time when the church functioned as the de facto seat of government in colonial Massachusetts, are not only essential to the church’s history, but also serve as critical town archives from Franklin’s earliest days.

Lyn and Vicki library archive room April 2025

“This effort was a true collaboration rooted in a shared respect for our town’s deep history,” said Brown. “It was an honor to help care for these documents, which tell the story of both our congregation and our community.”

As part of the preservation effort, the historic records have been carefully relocated to the Franklin Public Library’s secure, environmentally controlled archive room. This facility will ensure the long-term safety of the documents, protecting them from temperature fluctuations, humidity, and other environmental factors that contribute to deterioration.

The project would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support of Felicia Oti, Library Director, who generously enabled Earls to dedicate time and expertise to the work. The church also extends special thanks to Lyn Pickhover, Church Historian, whose years of careful custodianship laid the foundation for this preservation initiative.

Together, the team carefully reviewed, organized, and rehoused the documents to prevent further degradation and to make them more accessible for future research.

“This project reflects the spirit of Franklin,” said Earls. “It’s about honoring our past, working together across institutions, and ensuring that the stories of those who came before us are not lost.”

Plans are in place to continue preserving and digitizing the collection to allow for broader public access and educational use.  

Digitized records currently available can be found on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/@first_congregational_church_of_franklin

For more information about the project or the records, please contact Vicki Earls at Franklin Public Library.