The J.D. Mason Special Collections

Summary

The collections of the First Presbyterian Church of Miami date back to 1896 when the congregation was first founded. It includes memorabilia from the earliest settlers and pre-dates the founding of the city of Miami. The collection consists of an range of items manuscripts, books, photographs, architectural drawings, film, oral histories, artifacts, paintings and commemorative plaques (dating to approximately 1899). The library was begun by the granddaughter of the first minister of First Presbyterian, W.W. Faris in the 1930's. The volunteer librarians from the church have amassed the collection through the years. We are now poised to actively process the collection to be used by researchers and the community.

Program

Digitizing Hidden Collections

Amount Awarded

$190,000

Year Added

2014

Institution

First Presbyterian Church of Miami, Inc.

Contact(s)

  • Ms. Leslie Rivera (First Presbyterian Church of Miami, Inc.)
  • Ms. Danielle Benjamin

Collaborating Institution(s)

We are in negotiation with Florida International University (FIU) to form a partnership. We also use History Miami in an advisory capacity for our collection.

Date Range

1896 - 1896

Geographic Scope

South Florida and the mid west and Northeast U.S.

Materials

  • 216 Architectural Drawings , Artifact (Including Archaeological Objects, Weapons, Machinery, Instruments, Costumes, Textiles, Ceramics, Glass, Furniture, Etc.), Artwork (Including Original Paintings, Prints, Sculpture, Etc.), Audio (Including Speech And Music), Audiovisual, Book (Including Serials), Dataset (Paper Based Or Electronic), Ephemera, Image, Manuscript, Maps, Text (Including Electronic Texts)