Jehovah’s Witnesses are truly a Made-in-America religion. First legally incorporated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by Charles Taze Russell and wife, Maria, in 1884, the religion (formerly called “Bible Students”) has been connected with the name Watch Tower from its founding. To that name belongs a rich historical past which this website is dedicated to document. Here you will find miscellaneous but very significant data and documents which will be useful to understand the past, and, perhaps, present-day activities of those connected with the names, Watch Tower or Watchtower.
Presently, Watch Tower is still dedicated to the purpose of what its founders intended as written in Zion’s Watch Tower Charter, 1884: “The purpose of which the Corporation is formed is, the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and by the use of all other lawful means which its board of directors, duly constituted, shall deem expedient for the furtherance of the purpose stated.”
The Watch Tower Corporation has changed its charter many times during its existence and also has created more than a handful of affiliated corporations to carry on its purpose. But most recently, these corporations have found themselves embroiled in lawsuits, notably nine child sexual abuse lawsuits which Watch Tower secretly settled out-of-court in February 2007. Important court documents from these lawsuits can be obtained through this website.
Watch Tower historical documents found listed here, for the most part, can be downloaded or copied (printed) without charge. However, other very important documents which were expensive to obtain and complicated to compile can be obtained for a fee. For those, purchase information is provided.