James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison Drive MSC 1704 Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807 Telephone: (540) 568-3612 library-special@jmu.edu URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/
Christina Bolgiano, Dillon Thomas
Repository
James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Identification
SC 0076
Title
National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Massanutton Chapter Records 1895-2016
Quantity
3.56 cubic feet, 10 Boxes
Creator
Daughters of the American Revolution. Massanutton Chapter (Harrisonburg, Va.)
Language
English
.
Abstract
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Massanutton Chapter Records, 1895-2016, consist of ten boxes.
It consists of the official papers of the chapter and has been arranged into four series: Minutes, Yearbooks, Subject files,
and Scrapbooks and Ephemera.
The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library.
For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Access Restrictions
Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this
collection.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], [box #, folder #], National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Massanutton Chapter
Records, 1895-2016, SC 0076, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Acquisition Information
The collection was placed on deposit by contract signed by Mrs. Mildred Onsgard, Regent, on November 6, 1985; additions through
2016. The collection was officially donated to Special Collections in April 2017.
Processing Information
Acid-free interleaving paper was used extensively in minute books to buffer text from newspaper clippings; archival tape was
used to mount loose clippings on bond paper; and the most brittle single sheets were placed into Mylar sleeves. In order to
streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign
in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 2001 .
In the summer of 1895, a group of prominent Harrisonburg and Rockingham County women met to form a local chapter of the Daughters
of the American Revolution. The group was organized and chartered as the Massanutton Chapter in 1897, with Mrs. John Paul
as Regent. The name "Massanutton" and its spelling have been a topic of interest on several occasions through the years.
It has been an active chapter, participating and often initiation public celebrations of such annual patriotic remembrances
as Flag Day, George Washington's Birthday, and Constitution Week. The chapter contributed to several national war efforts
over the decades, as well as to local endeavors such as equipping a room in the Hospital. It has placed several historical
markers in the area, and sponsors programs and essay contests in local schools to stimulate an appreciation for American history.
In the 1960s and 70s, members compiled several lists of otherwise unnoted county graveyards (A Record of Burial Places in
Rockingham County, Va.; Church and Family Cemeteries, Eastern Section, Rockingham County, Va.); produced a unique list of
inns titled Ordinaries of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg, Va. 1778-1855; and compiled Revolutionary Soldiers, Rockingham
County, Va. These works were sent to the Virginia State Library. Also in recent years, the chapter has held a ceremony after
naturalization proceedings to welcome new citizens.
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Massanutton Chapter Records, 1897-2016, consist of ten boxes,
approximately 3.56 cubic feet. It consists of the official papers of the chapter and has been arranged into four series: Minutes,
Yearbooks, Subject Files, and Scrapbooks and Ephemera.
The collection is arranged in four series. Series 1, Series 2, and Series 4 are arranged chronologically. Series 3 is arranged
alphabetically by subject.
Series 1: Minutes, 1895-2011 consists of minute books and loose minutes spanning 1895-2011. The minutes are notations of regular
meetings of the Massanutton chapter of the NSDAR. The minutes initially are stored in specific bound notebooks through the
1967-1981 book. Beginning with the 1979-1983, the minutes are written or printed on loose forms of paper rather than being
bound. This continues until the end of the series.
Series 2: Yearbooks, 1912-2015 contains yearbooks of the Massanutton NSDAR from 1912-2015 (with gaps). The yearbooks contains
names, information, and occasionally portraits of members of the Massanutton chapter. Current chapter, state, and national
administrator information is included preceding standard chapter members. The yearbooks also contain up-to-date bylaws and
general information on the chapter. Also included are songs important to the organizations, creeds, and pledges that are important
for members to know. Historical information on charter members as well as former chapter regents are also included.
Series 3, Subject files, 1897-2016, contains a wide variety of materials, documenting the activities of the chapter.
The majority of the files represent events and efforts of the Massanutton chapter. Such files include the Cenennial Postage
Stamp project in which the Massanutton chapter developed an official postage stamp with the United States Postal Service to
commemorate its 100th anniversary. Another example of such public efforts is the restoration of the Lincoln Cemetery in 2010-2016.
Some files included are administrative in nature, such as awards given by and received by the Massanutton chapter, chapter
history, event programs, and regent reports and letters on chapter goals and achievements.
Another portion of the series is composed of miscellaneous general files originating from the national administration of the
NSDAR that were in the possession of the Massanutton chapter. These files include pamphlets and informational mailings spanning
1950-2015.
Series 4: Scrapbooks and Ephemera, 1897-1981 contains four scrapbooks of clippings and notes related to the Massanutton chapter.
Also included in the series is a commemorative ceramic plate honoring the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NSDAR. The
plate bears the logo of the organization and was created by J. E. Caldwell Co. in Philadelphia, PA. The official NSDAR Massanutton
Chapter charter is also included in the series, dating back to the chapter's founding in 1897. Also in the series is an undated
portrait of a NSDAR member Katherine Seymore Green (Mrs. K. Paul).
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