Center for the Documentation and Preservation of Places of Worship (Minneapolis, MInn.).

The Center for Documentation and Preservation of Places of Worship (formerly the Project to Document Places of Worship) conducted a two-year survey (1988-1990) of historic places of worship in Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, and Morrison counties in northern Minnesota, and among the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians. The project was funded by the Minnesota Historical Society and the American Association for State and Local History. Marilyn J. Chiat and Carol Frenning of the Center served as project directors.

Information was collected on 425 buildings in the four counties. Survey forms typically include the name of each building's architect or builder, a description of the building, a brief history of the congregation and its building program, a bibliography of photos and documents for research, and any significant artwork in the building. The buildings that were documented were primarily rural houses of worship that represented congregations established by early settlers. In some cases, the worship buildings were the only remnants of these early communities.

The survey work was conducted by local volunteers in association with county historical societies under the supervision of two paid staff members, who trained all the volunteers. A training manual was developed for the volunteers that included sample survey forms, instructions for taking photographs and conducting interviews, sample letters to send to interview subjects and congregations, and a glossary of architectural terms and styles. The project was later allied with the National Conference of Christians and Jews in Minnesota and the Dakotas, and sought funding to expand the geographic scope of its documentation work.

Most of the above information was taken from an article entitled "Documenting Historic Churches and Synagogues: Preservationists Take the Lead in Recording Religious Architecture" by Catherine Goulet of the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation.

From the guide to the Project to Document Places of Worship records., [193-]-[194-], 1989-1991., (Minnesota Historical Society)