Jan Hus Presbyterian Church Records - Where to order?
Does anyone have any ideas on where I can request archived church records from the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church Records in New York City?
https://www.bohemianbenevolent.org/news/farewell-to-jan-hus-presbyterian-church-as-we-know-it
I have a number of Czech ancestors that were members of that church during the 1800s. Some of these ancestors were married by Reverend Vincent Pisek, the paster of the church at that time. I am hoping that the baptism records might list the towns where these ancestors were from in Bohemia.
It is not clear if the Presbyterian Historical Society has these records.
https://pcusa.org/historical-society/services/reference-services/genealogy/genealogy-record-search
Best Answers
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Well, it sure seems you're doing the right thing. The website clearly states that the Presbyterian Historical Society is indeed the central repository for such records. However, there is a chance that the records are stored at the local Presbytery for New York City.
I have read that when a church closes, the local Presbytery is generally responsible for collecting its records and ensuring they are stored, often depositing them at the PHS or a local archive.
https://www.nycpresbytery.org/
Otherwise, as you know:
https://pcusa.org/historical-society/services/records-management
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I followed up on your suggestion and got a surprisingly quick response from the NYC Presbytery after I found their correct email address on Facebook (info@presbynyc.org). Here is what they said.
"Each congregation maintains and secures its own records. The presbytery office does not have possession of any congregation's records.
You would need to reach out to the congregation directly. Jan Haus is currently called the Avenue Church. Here is their number. 212 288-6743."
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Answers
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I have done some digging on this and came up empty. It would seem you're going to have to do this research the old fashioned way. Make as many phone calls as possible and try and track down the physical location of the records. I wouldn't think they were destroyed or discarded, but I have definitely read of such horror stories with regard to precious records.
Once you determine their physical location, then perhaps it will be much easier to find a local genealogist that can go and research them for you if you are not in NYC.
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There is page in the website you quoted above Church Record Surveys https://pcusa.org/historical-society/collections/research-tools/church-record-surveys I cannot see your church of interest listed, but there is some wording
"Please contact the Reference Desk at refdesk@history.pcusa.org if you can't find what you need here"
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Thank you both for your suggestions. That is basically what I am doing. I contacted the Presbyterian Historical Archives to see if they had records for the Jan Hus congregation, but they replied that they searched their records and did not have any records from that church. However, they suggested contacting the Fifth Avenue Church which absorbed the Jan Hus church in the 1900s. I did just that and am waiting to hear back from them.
If that doesn't work, then I am stuck… unless the Presbyterian Church has a more central archive for church records of defunct church congregations. The Catholic Archdiocese have repository locations like that. Do you know if the Presbyterians have a similar mechanism?
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The obvious follow up to the response you received would be, "Thank you, I understand. However, I am wondering what happens to the records you refer to when a local Congregation closes, for example, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church." Their answer seemd canned and overly broad.
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Well, I will be finding out. I am going to call them Monday. I can ask that question. I imagine them sitting in a bunch of Cardboard boxes or file cabinets collecting dust in a NYC basement.
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They responded and will look for the records on Tuesday (tomorrow).
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