St. John United Church of Christ (Louisville, Ky.) Photograph Collection, 1870-1990

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: The St. John United Church of Christ (Louisville, Ky.)

Title: The St. John United Church of Christ Photograph Collection, 1870-1990.

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection: 1 cubic foot & 1 ovsz. box

Location Number: 019PC64

Scope and Content Note 

The St. John United Church of Christ Photograph Collection is housed in one records center box and one oversized photograph box (1 cubic foot). The collection contains 45 folders of photographic items varying in formats, including postcards, real photograph postcards, black-and-white and color photographic prints, carte de viste, and cabinet cards. The collection documents the St. John United Church of Christ (formerly St. John’s Evangelical Church), a church founded in 1843 in Louisville, Kentucky. Photographic items feature the church’s facilities, activities, leadership, staff, volunteers, and organizations including the Women’s Guild and Sunday School.

Dates of photographs appear to range from the mid-nineteenth century to the present with the bulk of the photos from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Most of the items are undated and do not include information about individuals in the photographs.

Folders 1-26: Photographs of or relating to individual reverends, staff, or church members of St. John UCC. Most folders have a corresponding folder within the manuscript collection.

Folders 27-33: Photographs relating to several groups or organizations within St. John UCC including but not limited to the Dorcas Class, Women’s Guild, and photos of World War II servicemen. Additional related manuscript material can be found in the church organizations and subject files sections of the St. John United Church of Christ Records, (Louisville, Ky.) manuscript collection.

Folders 34-36: Photographs of the St. John UCC facilities including interior and exterior building photos, and photographs of the steeple.  Additional related manuscript material can be found in the staff files section of the St. John United Church of Christ Records, (Louisville, Ky.) manuscript collection.

Folders 37-39: Photographs relating to various church events including the Harvest Home Festival, St. John Picnic, and theatrical productions of Tom Thumbs Wedding. Additional related manuscript material can be found in the subject files section of the St. John United Church of Christ Records, (Louisville, Ky.) manuscript collection.

Folders 40-41: Photographs of both individual and group Confirmation. Some of these images are dated or include accompanying identifying information, while many others do not.

Folder 42: Photographs relating to the Sunday school including some photos of staff and children.

Folders 43-44:  Postcards of Rally Day celebrations, the church exterior, and various other miscellaneous images.

Folder 45: Miscellaneous photos many of which are unidentified individuals.

Related Collections:

St. John United Church of Christ (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1869-2019 [Mss. BA S143a]

St. John United Church of Christ Museum Collection [2019.53]

 

Historical Note 

St. John United Church of Christ was formally founded in 1843 by nine men of German origin. The original sanctuary was located on Hancock street between Market and Jefferson streets. The church joined the German Evangelical Church Society of the West in 1856. In 1861, a lot at Clay and Market streets was purchased and the cornerstone laid in 1866. Church services were originally conducted in German; the first Sunday services in English were conducted in 1893. In 1896, the first issues of the church paper were published, containing both German and English. Upon translation into English, the church was known as St. John’s Evangelical Church.

The denomination has undergone several mergers and name changes. In 1934, the church merged and became the Evangelical and Reformed Church. In 1957, this denomination then merged with the Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ. St. John’s name remained the same throughout all of these denominational changes until 2001 when the congregation became known as St. John United Church of Christ.

St. John United Church of Christ has had several church organizations focusing on stewardship, service, and religious education throughout its history. Among others these include the Women’s Guild, Dorcas Class, and Relief Society.

 

Subject Headings 

Christian life – Kentucky.

Church records and registers – Kentucky – Louisville.

German Americans – Kentucky – Louisville.

Religious institutions – Kentucky.

Schlundt, Theodore Samuel, c. 1901-1975.

St. John’s Evangelical Church (Louisville, Ky.)

Theater programs.

United Church of Christ.

War – Religious aspects – Christianity.

Women – Societies and clubs.

Women – Religious life.

 

Photograph List 

Box 1

Folder 1: Bryant, Reverend Raymond K. (1926-2002)

Folder 2: Cope, Reverend Brian Earl

Folder 3: Dresel, Reverend Theodor[e] H. (1822-1887)

Folder 4: Dresel, Reverend William Nathanael (1874-1934)

Folder 5: Dresel, Reverend (?), dates unknown

Folder 6: Eisenbeis, Joseph J.

Folder 7: Fischer, Wilhelm

Folder 8: Horn, Julia Bacchus

Folder 9: Iliff, Reverend John E.

Folder 10: John, Theophilus Friedrick (1866-1912)

Folder 11: Judt, Reverend Friedrich (1806-1885)

Folder 12: Kasten, Reverend John F. Jr.

Folder 13: Kirk, Hal W.

Folder 14: Klick, Reverend Arnold E.

Folder 15: Miller, Reverend John Ulman

Folder 16: Raeuchle, John A

Folder 17: Sack, Reverend J. Andrews Jr.

Folder 18: Schlundt, Reverend Karl David

Folder 19: Schlundt, Reverend Theodore S. Jr. scrapbook photos

Folder 20: Schlundt, Reverend Theodore S. Jr.

Folder 21: Sheffield, Reverend Charles Jackson

Folder 22: Seubold, Clarence L.

Folder 23: Stilli, Reverend John G.

Folder 24: Vanvactor, Reverend John F.

Folder 25: Weisert, Anita B. (1926-1991) Church archivist

Folder 26: Zimmerman, Reverend Carl J. (1836-1912)

Folder 27: Dorcas Class

Folder 28: Priscilla Class

Folder 29: Women’s Guild

Folder 30: Baseball/bowling

Folder 31: Choir/musician photos

Folder 32: Booster committee men’s class postcards

Folder 33: World War II servicemen

Folder 34: St. John building interior

Folder 35: St. John building exterior

Folder 36: Church tower/steeple

Folder 37: Harvest Home Festival

Folder 38: St. John Picnic

Folder 39: Theatrical productions/community entertainment/Tom Thumbs Wedding 1926

Folder 40: Confirmation Carte de visites c.1880

Folder 41: Confirmation photos

Folder 42: Sunday school

Folder 43: Rally day postcards

Folder 44: Postcards

Folder 45: Miscellaneous or unidentified

 

Oversized Box:

Photo of the church board 1903, photograph of what appears to be a double wedding, group confirmation photos from 1919, 1923, 1930 and some undated, group photo of a unidentified banquet of men, group shots of a women’s basketball team from the early 1900s, photos of the church’s interior and exterior, a sketch of the building done in the 1970s.