Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Series Arrangement & Description
Container ListingSeries 1: Letters
Series 2: Poems and manuscripts
Series 3: Legal
Series 4: Receipts
Series 5: Ephemera & artifacts
Series 6: Visual materials
Series 7: Clippings & secondary sources
Series 8: Photographs and Scrapbook
Lawrence Family Papers, 1840-2004.
Portrait of Katherine (right) and Dorothea Dix (left) Lawrence, circa 1910.
Finding aid written by Debra Schiff in October 2010;
encoded by Sarah Hull in December 2010.
processed in October 2010 by Debra Schiff.
Processing of this collection was made possible through
a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.
| Title: | Lawrence Family Papers, 1840-2004. |
| Creator: | Lawrence family |
| Size: | Approx. 13.5 linear feet |
| Repository: | Plainfield Public Library, Local History Department, 800 Park Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060 |
| Abstract: | The Lawrence Family Papers document the daily affairs of three generations of the Lawrence family. These papers provide documentation of the family home located at 512 Stelle Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, from the first contracts with the builders in 1894 to its insurance coverage in 1947. The papers also include letters to and from family members such as Katharine Morgan Lawrence, Reina A. Lawrence, and Dorothea Dix Lawrence. A significant portion of the collection comprises receipts kept by family members from 1885-1960. Material types include: handwritten and typed letters, poems and other manuscripts, legal documents, receipts, booklets, photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, a scrapbook, and a large certificate. Additional materials include blueprints for 512 Stelle Avenue. |
| Language: | The records are in English. |
Administrative Information
Access & RestrictionsPreferred CitationThe Lawrence Family Papers are available for research.
Access is restricted to materials prepared by the Local History department staff. All materials must be viewed in the Plainfield Room and may not be removed to another area of the library without permission of the Library Director or designee. Materials must be handled carefully and kept in order. Materials must not be leaned upon, altered, folded, ripped, or traced upon. Marks may not be added or erased from materials. Materials must be returned directly to Local History department staff and inspected before the researcher leaves the Plainfield Room.
One photocopy may be made (by Plainfield Public Library staff) of each document for the purpose of research; official Local History departmental reproduction fees may apply. Permission to publish must be obtained by the Plainfield Public Library Board of Trustees as delegated to the Library Director. Permission to publish does not constitute a copyright clearance. The researcher is responsible for further copyright restrictions. The Plainfield Public Library is not responsible for the misuse of copyrighted material.Acquisition InformationIdentification of item; Date (if noted); "Lawrence Family Papers,” Box and Folder Number; Local History Department, Plainfield Public Library, Plainfield, New Jersey.
Processing InformationThe collection was donated by John A. Grady.
This collection was processed by Debra Schiff in 2010. The finding aid was written by Debra Schiff and encoded by Sarah Hull in 2010. Finding aid content follows the guidelines suggested by Describing Archives: A Content Standard. The processing of this collection was made possible through a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.
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Biographical Note
The Lawrence family lived in Plainfield, N.J. at 512 Stelle Avenue. In this collection, the key figures are Dorothea Dix Lawrence, Reina Andrade Lawrence, and Katharine Morgan Lawrence, although other family members also are represented in the papers. The family is closely related to Major General John Adams Dix (see below), for whom New Jersey’s Fort Dix is named. Dix was brother to Roger Sherman Dix, father of Katharine Morgan Dix.
Dorothea Dix Lawrence, 1899-1979.
Dorothea Dix Lawrence may be best known for being an opera singer, but she also created “The Folklore Music Map of the United States,” here (this is an external link to the Library of Congress website) held by the Music Division of the Library of Congress. After becoming a folklorist, she traveled the world lecturing and introducing American folk music to listeners during the 1940s and 1950s. She also was an avid collector of antique Christmas cards. Dorothea created the scrapbook in the collection. Her obituary appeared in the Courier News on May 26, 1979, page A-4.(Photograph of Dorothea from her 1943 Christmas card)
Reina Andrade Lawrence, 1869-1948.
Reina was Dorothea Dix Lawrence’s aunt by way of Dorothea's father, Edwin Lawrence (also known as “Ted” in this collection). Reina was a photographer of local Plainfield life. Her photographs can be viewed online through the Library's online catalog (see below) and are also available for browsing (by appointment) in the Local History Room. Reina was a vocal anti-suffragist whose views were published in the Plainfield Daily Press and The New York Times. The collection includes a letter between Reina and New Jersey Representative Thomas Scully regarding her protest of the Equal Suffrage Bill. Her obituary appeared in the Courier News on June 3, 1948, page 26.
Katharine Morgan Dix Lawrence, 1836-1923.
Katharine Morgan Lawrence was the mother of Reina (and Edwin) Lawrence, and the grandmother of Dorothea Dix Lawrence. Married to Phineas Lawrence of London, she was the matriarch of the family during its time at 512 Stelle Avenue. The papers show that she was the driving force during the construction of the home. The early receipts in the collection show that the family had considerable wealth. She died in her home on April 26, 1923. Her funeral notice appeared in the Courier News on April 30, 1923, page 11.(Photograph of Katharine Lawrence taken by daughter Reina, Photo #L1018, photos here)
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Scope and Content Note
The Lawrence Family Papers, donated by John A. Grady, include a variety of material, the bulk of which spans from the 1880s through the 1950s, with a small number of documents dating as far back as 1840 and one as recent as 2004. There also are undated records, manuscripts, and drawings. Material types include: letters and correspondence, manuscripts, legal documents, receipts, newspaper clippings, booklets, objects, drawings, a scrapbook, and photographs. Also included in the collection are announcements and programs of Dorothea Dix Lawrence’s many vocal performances. The collection is divided primarily among receipts for goods and services, ephemera, letters, and legal documents kept by different family members. Within the letters is a typed note from New Jersey Representative Thomas Scully to Reina Andrade Lawrence regarding her protest of the passage of the Equal Suffrage Bill. The personal letters of Dorothea Dix Lawrence show one of her Christmas cards as well as a colorful Halloween postcard from her father. There also is an undated group of letters to “Ted” (Edwin Lawrence) from “Mother” (Katharine Morgan Lawrence). The key figures who kept these items are Dorothea Dix Lawrence, Reina Andrade Lawrence, and Katharine Morgan Lawrence, although there also are items in the collection originating with Roger Dix Lawrence, Edwin Lawrence, Phineas Lawrence, and Emma Sherman. |
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Organization and Arrangement
The Lawrence Family Papers are arranged into eight (8) series:
Series 1: Letters
Series 2: Poems and other manuscripts
Series 3: Legal
Series 4: Receipts
Series 5: Ephemera and artifacts
Series 6: Visual Materials (non-photographic)
Series 7: Clippings and secondary sources
Series 8: Photographs* and scrapbook*The Library owns a large collection of Reina Lawrence photographs; please refer to "Related Items" below.
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People:
Lawrence, Dorothea Dix, 1899-1979.
Lawrence, Edwin.
Lawrence, Katharine Morgan, 1837-1923.
Lawrence, Reina Andrade, 1869-1949.
Genres:
Correspondence.
Drawings.
Manuscripts.
Photographic prints.
Programs.
Scrapbooks.
Places:
Subjects:
Folk music--United States--History and criticism.
Folk songs, English--United States.
Home construction.
Plainfield, N.J. – History.
Receipts.
Songs, English--United States.
Sopranos (Singers)--United States--Correspondence.
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Related Items
There are several items related to this collection.
Plainfield Porches, 1900-1950. (online exhibit)
Chronicles of Plainfield, 1870-1970. (online exhibit)
Reina Lawrence Photograph Collection, 1890-1933.
Folklore Music Map of the United States, Dorothea Dix Lawrence, from the Primer of American Music (Hegstrom Co., Inc. NY, 1946). This map is in the library''c collection, but is not digitized. Please refer to the the Library of Congress' Geography And Map Division, here.
Images of 512 Stelle Avenue in Plainfield.
Folklore-Songs of the United States by Dorothea Dix Lawrence (Dorothea Dix Lawrence Folklore Society; G.F. Briegel [distributor], 1959). Local Author Collection AUTHOR LAWRENCE D (non-circulating).
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Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
This collection consists of paper documents, photographs, and a scrapbook, which do not require any additional technology for access.
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Series Description
Series 1: Letters [1868-1959] Return to the Table of Contents
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