Celebrate twenty years of the New England’s Hidden Histories project.
NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the New England’s Hidden Histories project (NEHH) by showcasing overlooked stories from Congregational church records. It highlights the work of scholars, church historians, and transcribers who have contributed to the project and uncovered new histories in the process. The exhibition explores the important research that has come from this archive and its impact on our understanding of early New England history. The essays in NEHH@20 reveal some of the remarkable ways these records can be used to tell community stories.
This landmark digital project began at the CLA in 2005 as a small-scale digitization project, in partnership with the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale, to preserve some of the oldest manuscript Congregational church records in New England. Today, the NEHH project has grown into a digital archive with 130,000 digital images and over 26,000 pages of transcription, representing 160 historic New England churches and over 100 collections of personal papers. Represented in the digital collection are materials from numerous archives, churches, and other repositories brought together in one place. In doing so, the digital archive displays a broad and diverse collection of early American voices.
RELATED EVENTS
Save the Date for Future Programs in our NEHH@20 Virtual Event Series:
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 1-2 pm EST
Salem Witch Trials and the Digital Archive – A Virtual Discussion with Dan Lipcan and Tricia Peone
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
About the Congregational Library & Archives
The Congregational Library & Archives is an independent research library. Established in 1853, the CLA’s mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and civic dimensions of the Congregational story and its ongoing relevance in the twenty-first century. The library’s collection holds some 225,000 books, pamphlets, periodicals, and manuscripts, as well as a digital archive, which contains more than 130,000 images, many drawn from the New England’s Hidden Histories project. Throughout the year, the Congregational Library & Archives is a thriving research center and offers educational programs and fellowships for students, scholars, churches, and anyone interested in Congregationalism’s influence on the American story.
Exhibition Credits
NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities was curated by Richard Boles and Tricia Peone. The digital exhibition was designed by Zachary Bodnar. Graphics for the exhibition were created by Lauren Hibbert.
Special thanks to the exhibition contributors:
Richard Boles, Jaimie Crumley, Diane Fiske, Helen K. Gelinas, Samuel Jennings, Ken Minkema, Tricia Peone, Kyle Roberts, Lori Rogers-Stokes, Anthony Trujillo, Christopher Walton, Doug Winiarski, and Barbara Worthley
Special thanks also to NEHH partner institutions whose materials appear in this exhibition:
American Ancestors (formerly New England Historic Genealogical Society), American Antiquarian Society, Connecticut Museum of History and Culture (formerly the Connecticut Historical Society), and The Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum
NEHH HAS RECEIVED GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM
