The bulk of the collection consists of Clarissa (also called Clara) Crowninshield's personal papers, which include personal and business correspondence, receipts and accounts, legal and estate papers and stock certificates. The majority of her correspondence is between her and her guardian, Benjamin Nichols and later his son, Benjamin W. Nichols. In addition to being her guardian, the elder Nichols also acted as the attorney for both Clarissa and her daughter Clara. Clara Thies' papers also make up a large portion of the collection and most of her papers are similar in nature to her mother's, though the younger Nichols was her primary correspondent. The remainder of the material consists of various papers of both Benjamin and Benjamin W. Nichols, with notes concerning Clarissa's family and other clients.