Exhibitions
Explore exhibitions curated by the Congregational Library & Archives.
The Congregational Library & Archives regularly curates in-person and digital exhibitions highlighting important themes and events from the more than 400 year history of Congregationalism in North America. Find links to digital exhibitions and information about past and upcoming in-person exhibitions below.
NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities
Digital Exhibition | Launched October 2025
NEHH@20 commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the New England’s Hidden Histories project (NEHH) by showcasing overlooked stories from Congregational church records. The exhibition explores the important research that has come from this archive and its impact on our understanding of early New England history and reveals some of the remarkable ways these records can be used to tell community stories.
Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts
In-Person Exhibition | Open by Appointment
Sacred Rebellion highlights the stories of Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts who believed God favored the patriot cause, yet debated questions of liberty, loyalty, and the legacy of the American Revolution.
Religion of Revolution: Congregational Voices on Liberty
Digital Exhibition | Launched November 2024
This new digital exhibition highlights the stories of New England Congregationalists through important and rarely seen print works of the period as well as church records, letters, and sermon literature from the CLA’s collections and the New England’s Hidden Histories project.
Founding 56: The Congregational Library’s Original Collection
Digital Exhibition | Launched November 2023
In 1853, a donation of 56 print and manuscript works from eight donors became the foundational collection for the newly established Congregational Library. Founding 56 speaks to both the relevance of the big ideas in this small selection of works at the time of their donation, and to how they have shaped understandings of the Congregational story over the past 170 years.
Textile & Text: The Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry at the Congregational Library & Archives
Exhibition at 14 Beacon | June 19-21, 2023
The Congregational Library & Archives was honored to host a three-day display of quilts created by the Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry (SAQM) alongside a selection of materials drawn from the Congregational Library & Archives’ extensive collections. Together, these exhibitions demonstrate a shared thread of resistance and activism that can be traced through centuries of Congregational and American history.
We Do Give Up Ourselves to One Another: Exploring Digitized Congregational Disciplinary Records at the Congregational Library & Archives
Digital Exhibition | Launched March 2022
New England puritans have an unfortunate reputation of being censorious busybodies. The term “church discipline” may reinforce that notion, but the ultimate goal of disciplinary actions was not so much to punish as to draw wayward church members back into the fold. The questions asked by Congregationalists of the past during the disciplinary process mirror many we ask ourselves today, such as, what is our responsibility to one another?
