A Tangible Tour of God’s People and Christian Churches In the Northeastern US
Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
121 Wall St, New Haven, CT
This is my favorite place in New Haven! Such treasures it holds!
As unattractive as it is on the outside… it is stunning on the inside. Stacks and stacks of old books are displayed here, including the original ones from Sarah Edwards’s father, James Pierrepont to begin the Yale Library.
“Soon after Pierrepont had supervised the transfer of some church land for the first college building, he gathered ten clergymen around a table in a neighboring parsonage. Pierrepont put six of his own books on the table and said, “I give these books for the founding of a college in this colony”The other men added some books from their own sleeves, and forty one books collected that day started the Yale Library….One of the most ardent users of the new books was Edwards. James Pierrepont liked that.”
Marriage to a Difficult Man, Dodds
Here is a short video about the original Yale library. In the first catalog of books President Thomas Clap writes,
“Above all have an eye to the great end of all your studies, which is to obtain the clearest conceptions of Divine things and to lead you to a saving knowledge of God in His Son Jesus Christ.”
Well AMEN!
Anyone can access the treasures in the archives here. Register each person visiting here. Here are a few interesting items to see.
The Journal of Mrs. Esther Burr, (Jonathan and Sarah’s daughter) addressed to Miss Prince of Boston. The first date is Oct 1st 1754, the last date is Sept 2nd 1757 after her husband had died.
Esther’s son, Jonathan’s grandson was Aaron Burr Jr. future VP of the United States she writes,
Sept 2, 1757, Aaron Is a little, dirty noisy boy, very different from Sally almost in everything. He begins to talk a little, is very sly, mischievous, and has more sprightliness than Sally. I must say, he is handsomer, but not so good tempered. He is very resolute and requires a good governor to bring him to terms.
“In addition to carefully crafting lengthy sermons each week, he was deeply engaged in biblical study a daily activity that produced several major notebooks filled with his tiny writing. One of these, his “Notes on Scripture,” was essentially a commentary. Another was a “Blank Bible” of more than nine hundred pages interleaved with pages of Scripture.” Marsden
A piece of the wedding dress of Sarah Pierrepont. Jonathan and Sarah Pierrepont were married June 28, 1727
“Custom commanded that a bride on her first Sunday in church wear her wedding dress and turn slowly so everyone could have a good look at it” Dodds, Marriage to a Difficult Man
An original Gutenberg Bible is on permanent display.
Every time I scan the library archives, I find more I’d like to see. Letters, sermons, Edwards resolutions…the original books donated by Edwards father-in-law are supposedly on display. I’ll update next time I visit. Let me know if you find anything fabulous! Here are the hours for Beinecke.
Beside Old Hearthstones - An American Evangelical Church History Tour 
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