James Buffington’s Craigville Historical Fragments (with annotations)

James Buffington served as CCMA president from 1952 to 1975. After retiring as president, he undertook a review of Craigville documents from its founding through the late seventies. His source materials included the Treasurer’s books from 1879 to 1890,The Herald of Gospel Liberty from 1878 to about 1900, various deeds concerning Craigville’s properties, records of Ernest Chase made available by his widow, Eva T. Chase, The Barnstable Patriot, Secretary’s reports from 1920 on, and “odds and ends I can piece from my own [Buffington’s] memories.” I would caution the reader that while these notes are the product of many hours of archival work, are not original source materials.

Most of these materials are available in the Craigville archives at the Congregational Library in Boston. Buffington’s handwritten notes were typed on double-sided onion skin paper and are included in the Craigville Archive at Sturgis Library. These fragments are lightly edited.

A Note on the Notes: For several years you will see several endnotes, which refer to additional material collected from various sources, primarily Internet archives. Some of these sources are referred to in the Buffington materials; others add to his collection. Some of these early-20th century notes fill in material unavailable to James Buffington.