Inventory of the German Friendly Society Records, 1766-1940

Descriptive Summary

Abstract:	The German Friendly Society was a social and benevolent organization founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 1766. This collection contains typewritten transcriptions of their meeting minutes (1766-1858) compiled during a Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) project from 1935-1940.
Title:	German Friendly Society records
Creator:	German Friendly Society (Charleston, S.C.)
Date(s):	1766-1940
Extent:	0.75 linear feet (1 document box, 1 slim document box)
Repository:	Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424 Phone: (843) 953-8016 Fax: (843) 953-6319 URL: http://archives.library.cofc.edu
Call Number:	Mss 0019
Language of Material:	Materials in English

Biographical Note

The German Friendly Society, a social and benevolent organization, was founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 1766 by Michael Kalteisen. After petitioning the South Carolina legislature, the Society was incorporated in 1791. The Society issued stock and made charitable contributions.

Collection Overview

Typescript copies (1935-1940) of minutes (1766-1858) include lists of the names of members attending each meeting, the names of officers and committee members, treasurer's reports, exchanges of stock certificates, lists of the Society's assets (stocks, bonds, real estate, school fund), and other related notes. Included is an inventory of the contents of the Society's lot and building (1817 March 12). Entries note the creation of the Society School (1802), the opening of a female school (1829), and the creation of a library and a museum (circa 1829).

Transcribed from the original by Mabel Whiting, Mabel S. Johnson, Agnes P. Lyons, Julia W. Reynolds, Hazel R. Key, Elise Thompson, and Ann E. Morris during 1935-1940 for the Historical Research Division of Women's and Professional Projects, Work Progress Administration (W.P.A.), sponsored by the College of Charleston. The Society has both "Finished" and "Rough" minutes in their collections, some of which are damaged and in poor condition. Most typescript copies do not note which book was used during the project.

Collection Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person, family, or organization, by topical subject, by place, and by types of material.

Names

• German Friendly Society (Charleston, S.C.)--Records and correspondence
• United States. Works Progress Administration

Subjects

• Fraternal organizations--South Carolina--Charleston
• German Americans--South Carolina--Charleston--Societies, etc.

Places

• South Carolina--History--1865-
• Charleston (S.C.)

Types of Material

• Minutes
• Typescripts

Inventory

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Copyright Notice

The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], German Friendly Society records, College of Charleston Libraries, Charleston, SC, USA.

Custodial History

Copied from records at the German Friendly Society.

Processing Information

Processed by Special Collections staff.

Encoded by Gillian Cote, December 2012.

Reviewed, edited, and uploaded by Martha McTear, February 2013.