History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 72

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 72
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 72

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In 1857 the Rev. Joseph Ashbrook was appointed pastor. Some valuable members were added to the church under his ministry. The Rev. John Fort suc- ceeded him, in 1859, and under his charge the church continued to flourish.

In 1861 the Rev. John Stephenson was appointed to labor here. He had been in the Wesleyan ministry in England, and about 1865 returned to that country. where he is now laboring as a clergyman in the Es- tablished Church. "His preaching was appreciated by the church here, and blessed of God in the salva- tion of souls. During this year (1861) many of the church-members entered the service of their country ; some fell on the field of battle, others suffered in rebel prisons, and some returned to their homes after three or four years of faithful service."

In 1863 the Rev. Thomas Hanlon, D. D., assumed pastoral charge, and in the following winter, during the special services, a general and widespread interest was awakened in the church, resulting in a large ad- dition to the membership.

The next pastor was the Rev. J. B. Graw, D.D., who came here in the spring of 1865. In June of that year the congregation resolved to build a new house of worship. On August 1st the work was com- menced, and in the summer of 1866 the church was dedicated. The dedication sermon was preached by the Rev. Bishop Simpson.

The new edifice is well proportioned and tastefully and substantially built. It is 55 feet in width by 80 in length, exclusive of tower. Much credit is due to the Rev. Drs. Hanlon and Graw for the erection of

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this building,-to the one for his agency in securing an eligible site, and to the other for urging the people on to the inception and completion of the work which they had had in view.

Dr. Graw was succeeded in the pastoral charge by the Rev. Henry M. Brown, who remained two years. The next was the Rev. William Walton, who was here three years. The Rev. John S. Heisler sue- ceeded Mr. Walton in the spring of 1873, but had charge of the church only one year. During that year, however, there were many members added. The Rev. Charles R. Hartranft was the next in succession, and the first to occupy the tasteful parsonage which had been built during the previous year. The Rev. Richard A. Chalker was sent here by Conference the next year (1875), and was returned for the two fol- lowing years. The present pastor, the Rev. Henry G. Williams, came in March, 1878, and was returned by Conference for the two following years. His pastoral term will expire in March, 1881.

The present officers of the church are :

Trustees, William Johnson, John J. German, Alexander Silvers, Wil- liam F. Herr, Rufus Reed, M. D., George K. Mellick, Wesley Case. Stewards, John B. Conine, Austin Green, Johnson J. Lair, Thomas E. Louden, William H. Wilmot, Charles W. Bunn, John H. Kennedy, George M. Shamalia. Sunday-school Superintendent, Rufus Reed, M.D.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The corner-stone of the Roman Catholic church was laid in the summer of 1842. After the ceremony was finished the large congregation present was ad- dressed by the Very Rev. Dr. Moriarty, at that time pastor of the church of St. Augustine, Philadelphia. The service of the church had been at intervals ad- ministered here at the houses of members of that denomination before there was any church edifice built.

Among the first to officiate here was the Rev. Daniel McGorian. He was pastor at that time, if we mistake not, of St. John's Church, Trenton.

The Rev. John Charles Gilligan afterwards offici- ated here, and it was under his ministry that the church was built. He was succeeded by the Rev. John P. Makin, who subsequently went to Trenton, where he labored for so many years, much beloved by his people and respected by the community generally.

If we are correctly informed, the next incumbent of the priesthood was the Rev. Mr. Hannegan, dur- ing whose ministry the parsonage was built. Next to him came a French priest, the Rev. Mr. Jego, who officiated here from early in 1854 until 1861.

He was succeeded by the Rev. James Carney, who was an incumbent of the pastoral office for two years, when he sickened and died, deeply lamented by the people of his parish. His immediate successor, the Rev. James Callen, remained only one year. For the next three years-namely, from 1864 to 1867-the pastoral functions were discharged by the Rev. James ()'Keefe. He was followed by the Rev. Hugh Mur- phy, who remained until 1873, when the Rev. P. F.

Connolly took charge. The latter, after serving this church three years, removed to Bordentown. His successor was the Rev. M. J. Connolly, who came early in the spring of 1876, but died in January, 1878 .* Soon afterwards the present incumbent of the pastoral office, the Rev. Henry Ter-Woert, was sent here by the bishop. Since he has had charge the church has made purchase of a valuable lot on Bridge Street, on which it is intended to erect a new house of worship when the financial condition of the church will justify it.

ST. ANDREW'S PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.

We are unable to give as full and minute an ac- count as is desirable. Most of the facts here pre- sented have been taken from a brief historieal paper prepared by the Rev. Dr. Putnam, of Jersey City, and read at the reopening of the church edifice for divine worship, Aug. 4, 1867.

"The documents at present existing, consisting of copies of letters written more than a century ago and parochial records of equal antiquity, together with legislative enaetments and conventional journals, show that as early as 1725 St. Andrew's Church, Amwell, was in existence and was a flourishing parish." It was then located at Ringos.

The parish was organized under a charter granted by the British Crown, by a missionary of the vener- able society "for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." The name of the missionary does not appear in any of the papers now accessible. "The fact transpires, however, that a most nuhappy differ- ence arising between the pastor and his flock re- sulted not only in his leaving there, but in nearly breaking up and dispersing his congregation."

In 1768, some eighteen years subsequent to this dis- astrous trouble, the Rev. William Frazer, a man of evidently superior character, was appointed by the venerable society a missionary to St. Andrew's Church, Amwell, with the charge, also, of congregations at Kingwood (now Alexandria) and Musconetcong.

There is a letter of Mr. Frazer's in existence to the Rev. Dr. Benton, of London, describing his mission- ary field at the time when he entered upon his task in it. " At Amwell," he writes, "there is the shell of a stone church, with three families only of the old congregation remaining who have not forsaken it. At Kingwood there are thirty families, but no church edifice, public worship having to be celebrated in barns and private houses, and wherever else aecom- modation can be had."

Dividing his time equally between these three con- gregations, Mr. Frazer labored with great assiduity and devotion until the breaking out of the Revolu- tionary struggle, the records extant showing that his baptisms of infants and adults numbered more than 200.

* IIis funeral was attended by a large congregation. The services were conducted by the Right Rev. Bishop Corrigan, of Newark, assisted by a largo number of the clergy of his dioceso.

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As he was a loyalist, and as, of course, holding ap- pointment and pay from the English society, he could not consistently omit the prayers for the king and Parliament, public sentiment demanded the closing of his church and the cessation of his ministry. This continued while the war lasted; and, though there are traces of his pen in his letters to the Rev. Dr. Benton, indicating that he was exposed to severe suf- forings and trials, yet his conduct must have been very prudent and his character very high, as no sooner were the hostilities over than, with general acceptance, he opened his church again and resumed his ministry, as appears from the following certificate, bearing the original signatures of the wardens and vestrymen at that time in office :

" We, the subscribers, wurdens and vestrymen of St. Andrew's Church, in the township of Amwell, county of Hunterdon, and Western Division of the State of New Jersey, do cortify and declaro, That the Rev'd Wil- Ham Frazer did open his church In said Amwell on Christmas Day last, and has ever since regularly performed divine service in the same; and, as far as le consistent with our knowledge, his condurt and behavior has been prudent and exemplary, and in every respect becoming a minister of the Gospel.

" Witness our hand this seventeenth day of September, In the year of our Lord 1785.

" Evaun Godown, Rohort Sharp, Wardens.

"Joseph Robeson, John Anderson, Jonas Chnthurn, Sam'l Opdycke, John Meldrum, Robert Stevenson, John Stevenson, John Totterson, David Heath, Juhn Welch, Vestrymen."

Of Mr. Frazer it remains to say that he continued in the active discharge of his ministry and in teach- ing a classical school in Trenton (which seems to have been undertaken when the war suspended his public services) until 1795, when, after a Sunday spent in Amwell, he returned to his home, and died suddenly the day following, at the age of fifty-two.

The death of Mr. Frazer left his large and impor- tant field in Hunterdon County without any other care than the infrequent and irregular visits of the clergymen in charge of St. Michael's, in Trenton, and those from the lower part of the State, and in course of time from the bishop, for nearly fifty years.

The church seemed well-nigh extinct. "In 1845, however, the Rev. Mr. Adams, having charge of the churches at Flemington, Alexandria, and Clinton, came to Lambertville, it being within the limits of the ancient parish of Amwell. Here Col. John Sharp and Judge John Coryell, as surviving members of old St. Andrew's, co-operated with him in organizing the corporation, under the general art of the Legislature of New Jersey, under the title of . St. Andrew's Church, Amwell, at Lambertville,' Col. Sharp and Dr. John Lilly being the wardens, and Judge Coryell being senior vestryman, thus continuing the old parish into the new. Under these auspices the present church edifice was erected, and, though there was a brief period of prosperity, it soon passed away. Great domestic sorrow desolating the home of Mr. Adams. his departure became a matter of necessity, again subjecting the remnant who adhered to the church to the same infrequent and irregular ministrations that

had been its fortune for half a century, until, in the providence of God, in the spring of 1850, the Rev. David Brown assumed the pastoral charge, which he continued to hold until Angust, 1867."

During that summer the church building was reno- vated and greatly improved. "It was reopened for divine worship on Sunday, Aug. 4, 1867, with appro- priate services." The Rev. Dr. Putnam, of Jersey City, who was deputed by Bishop Odenheimer, he not being able to be present, read a history of the parish ; the Rev. Dr. Walker, of Burlington, preached the sermon ; and an address was delivered by the Rev. David Brown. In the evening, owing to the sudden death of the wife of the Hon. Samuel Lilly, M.D., only the service was read, in which the Rev. Mr. Forges, of Flemington, assisted.

By means of the repairs and alterations then made the church presents a very neat appearance. The chancel was handsomely frescoed, the seats rearranged, the walls replastered, and one of Frink's patent re- flectors put in, which illuminates the church in the most perfect manner, throwing a mellow light in every part of the room. The outward appearance of the building was also somewhat changed, the cone on the tower having been removed and a neat scroll-work substituted ; a vestry-room was also built at the rear of the edifice.

St. Andrew's Church has passed through many trials and discouragements, but just now the outlook is more hopeful than it has been for several years.

From September, 1866, till Aug. 4, 1867, Rev. F. B. Chetwood acted as assistant to the rector. From August, 1867 (after Mr. Brown's resignation), to May, 1868, Rev. W. G. Walker, D.D., of Burlington, sup- plied the pulpit. From May 24, 1868, till May 1, 1869, the Rev. William MeGlathery was rector ; Sept. 12, 1869, till March, 1870, Rev. Charles Ritter; Nov. 27, 1870, till April 10, 1871, Rev. Samuel HI. Meade ; Oct. 15, 1871, till Oct. 1, 1872, Rev. John Ireland; Nov. 3, 1872, until the spring of 1873, Rev. J. Van Linge, D.D. During the remainder of 1873 the church was in charge of the bishop of the diocese, services being rendered by several clergymen. From January, 18744, Frederie P. Davenport officiated as lay-reader until his ordination to the deaconate, May 31st of the same year. From that time he continued in charge till September, 1875.

The Rev. William Wardlaw officiated from October, 1875, till AAugust, 1876; from October, 1876, till Ang- ust, 1877, the Rev. William Baum; from October, 1877, till Jan. 20, 1879, the Rev. Thomas B. Newby. He was elected rector Dec. 4, 1877. Sept. 21, 1879, the Rev. Elvin K. Smith, as missionary in llunter- don County by appointment of Bishop Scarborough, became pastor of St. Andrew's Church, one of the missions in the county.

Some arcount of the life of the Rev. David Brown, who was for seventeen years a rector of St. Andrew's Church, well deserves a place in these annals. He

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was born in Hopkinstown, R. I., Oct. 3, 1786. In the spring of 1799 he removed to Stephentown, N. Y., and from there to Cobleskill, Schoharie Co., N. Y., in 1800. He taught school for a number of years, and married at the age of nineteen. In 1807 he studied law. In 1816, feeling called to enter the ministry, he went to the city of New York to study divinity with the Rev. Theodore Lyell, D.D. In the mean while he kept the church academy for one year. He was ordained in 1816 by Bishop Hobart. His first ministerial labors were at Hyde Park, N. Y .; afterwards he ministered in sacred things at Fredonia and Lockport, in the same State. While at Fredonia he had the pleasure, as well as the honor, of receiving the " nation's guest," Gen. Lafayette, on his visit to that village in June, 1825. In 1833 he removed to St. Augustine, Fla., and from thence to Florence, Ala. He then removed to Cold Spring, N. Y. In July, 1850, he was instituted rector of St. Andrew's Church, Lambertville, by Bishop Doane. He resigned his charge in August, 1867, but continued to reside in Lambertville until his death, in December, 1875. He was married three times. His last wife died only a few weeks before the termination of his own useful and honorable life.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS. .

Until 1843 there were no public schools in the place. During that year a two-story brick school- house was erected on the east side of Franklin Street, between York and Coryell Streets, which has since been turned into a dwelling.

Previous to 1843 there had been good private schools, and at several times classical schools were commenced, which flourished for a while and then declined. The proximity to Trenton and the facility of communica- tion with that city have induced many to send their children to its excellent schools; so that it has seemed impossible to keep up a select school of a high grade for any length of time in Lambertville.

The first principal of the public school here was William H. Lord. He was assisted and succeeded by a Mr. Sexton. After him, David Cole, Arthur W. Lundy, and Enoch Drake successively had charge. These all taught in the school-house in Franklin Street.

The first trustees were Samuel Haselton, Jacob B. Smith, George A. Kohl, James Britton, Burroughs Ilunt. Samuel Haselton was president of the board, and George A. Kohl treasurer.

In 1853 the spacious school-house on Coryell's Hill was built, and the services of an experienced teacher, James M. Robinson, were secured. He continued as principal for several years, when he resigned his po- sition, and was succeeded by Thomas J. Willever. William Lyman was the next principal. Upon his resignation James M. Robinson was again placed in charge, and continned to be principal until his deatlı, in 1871.

L. K. Strouse was appointed in his place, and after serving for three years was succeeded by Thomas Ruth, who was an incumbent of the office only one year, at the expiration of which the present principal, Charles W. Bunn, was chosen in his stead. Owing to the lack of room in the school-house on Coryell's Hill, and to the necessity of having a graded system of schools, a building for a primary school was erected in the Third Ward in 1875, and another building for the same purpose in the First Ward in 1878.

The present valuation of school property is $16,000, and the school expenses aggregate about $10,000 per annum. Fifteen teachers are at present employed. The school district is known as "Lambertville, No. 108."

REMINISCENCES-PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENTS -MANUFACTORIES.

Within a few years after the establishment of the post-office here under the name of Lambertsville, the village came to be known altogether by that title. In course of time the name was changed by nsage from Lambertsville to Lambertville.

The town-plat was gradually enlarged as street after street was laid out. The Old York Road origi- nally extended from the ferry below the site of the Delaware bridge through what is now Ferry Street, past the old stone tavern before mentioned to the cor- ner of Main and Ferry Streets, thence up the river road, or Main Street, to the corner of York, and thence up the bed of the creek nearly in the line of the present York Road.

When the corner-stone of the Presbyterian church was laid there was an orchard immediately to the east of it, the gate to which was a little to the east of Gordon's Alley. Not long after this, Church Street was laid out to Union Street, which was opened at or before this time from Bridge to Coryell Street. Bridge Street was laid out on the completion of the New Hope Delaware bridge, and the Bridge Street Hotel was built about the same time by Capt. John Lam- bert.

Coryell Street, which was not legally laid out until Dec. 1, 1813, must have been opened as early as 1803, as the houses of Dr. Richard Kroesen and of Joshua Anderson were built in that year.

The Georgetown and Franklin turnpike, extending from Georgetown (or Lambertville) to New Bruns- wick, was incorporated Feb. 25, 1816. The invest- ment, however, was not at all remunerative: hence the charter was given up, and the turnpike became a public road, Sept. 14, 1841.

York Street must have been opened not long before 1826, as there were no houses built on it west of Main Street until that date.

Union Street was a mere alley above Coryell Street. and half way to York until 1842, when it was made of uniform width to Delevan Street.

Delevan Street was opened about 1832. At that

INDIA-RUBBER WORKS, LAMBERTVILLE, N.J.

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CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE.

time there was a thrifty orchard where that street is, between the river road, or Main Street, and Gordon's Alley.

Formerly the river road, above Delevan, had its course a little east of its present location, there being a turn in it eastward just above the old brewery, and another westward, this side of the old Holcombe man- sion. Where the road now runs just above the brew- ery there was a small burying-ground for colored people.

Below Swan's Creek, before 1849, there were no streets laid out. Until the autumn of 1857, Delevan Street was the farthest street north. At some time during that autumn the lowlands belonging to John Holcombe, lately deceased,-the son of Richard and grandson of the first Holcombe who settled here,- were sold, and several streets were soon thereafter laid out and several dwellings erected. All the houses and places of business which we now see above Delevan Street have been built since the autumn of 1857.

In 1871, Mr. Richard McDowell purchased the tract east of Mount Hope Cemetery, opened several streets and divided the tract into building-lots. This has grown to be a very pleasant part of the town, known as Cottage Hill, from every part of which a fine view can be had of the surrounding country.

Before and during the period of the Revolution there was no road along the river below Coryell's Ferry. There was a by-road leading to the foot of Goat Hill and up to the farm-house near the summit. Years afterwards a road was opened, down the river across Swan's Creek near its mouth and immediately along the river-bank, to a point at the distance of two miles, whenee its course became identical with that of the present road. When the canal was excavated the road was made an extension of Main Street from the foot of Goat Hill, where it crossed the canal and extended along its bank nearly in the course in which the road had run before, but elevated more above the level of the river, to the point before mentioned two miles distant, whenee, recrossing the canal, it became identical with the road as it now is from that point onward. The road as first designated was not, how- ever, legally laid out from Bridge Street to the Prime Hope Mills (then existing), near Wells' Falls, until Dee. 19, 1827. When the Belvidere Delaware Rail- road was built it compelled the vacating of the public road on the bank of the canal, between the canal and the river, and the making of it along the base of Goat Hill.

.Just at this point some mention of the public im- provements which have done so much for Lambert- ville may naturally be made.

The feeder of the Delaware and Raritan Canal was commenced in 1831 and completed in the summer of 1834. The excursion in celebration of the canal was made to Lambertville June 25th of the latter year, und on the next day was the excursion to New Bruns- wick.

The Belvidere Delaware Railroad was finished as far as Lambertville in February, 1851. It was com- pleted to Mannuka Chunk in 1857. The building of this railroad gave an impetus to business here, stimu- lated manufacturing, and gave value to the water- power in affording facility of communication to the great cities. The machine-shops of the railroad were located here, and until the lease of the property of the United Railroads of New Jersey to the Pennsyl- vania Railroad locomotives as well as passenger- and freight-cars were constructed at these shops. Al- though this branch of industry has been removed. yet the needful repairs to ears and locomotives still give employment to a large number of men.

There had been some manufacturing in the village before the building of the railroad. The flouring-mill now under the management of Holcombe & Niece was built in 1835. A few years later the flouring- and saw-mills now owned by Frederic F. Lear were built by William Hall. About the same time a saw-mill was erected by Burroughs Hunt. There had been a small mill near Wells' Falls, on the New Jersey side of the river, about the time of the Revolution, but this was demolished to make way for mills which were considered quite extensive in that day. The latter, known as the Prime Hope Mills, were built by Benjamin and David Parry, not far from the year 1790. The Messrs. Parry conducted an extensive business at these mills and at their mills in New Hope. They were among the first to send kiln-dried corn- meal to the West Indies. When the Belvidere Dela- ware Railroad was built the Prime Hope Mills had to be demolished, and not a vestige of them remains except a small part of the foundation walls.

Up to the time of building the railroad the village was still much resorted to for lumber. After that time, however, there was quite a marked change in this respect. The lumber trade was much diminished. To more than compensate for this, manufactures of various kinds were much increased.

THE LAMBERTVILLE IRON-WORKS,

which were first established here by Laver & Cowin in the spring of 1849, are now in the possession of Ashbel Welch, Jr. The principal business consists in the making of patent axles, of the patent Eclipse safety-boilers, and of steam-engines. The making of axles, which is a new branch of business in this estab- lishment, is steadily increasing.

INDIA-RUBBER MANUFACTURE.

The manufacture of India-rubber goods was com- meneed in 1860, but, not proving successful, the busi- ness ceased for a time. The property having passed into other hands, the business was begun again on Jan. 18, 1865, but was carried on in a moderate way, only 12 or 15 persons being at first employed. On March 13, 1868, the main factory-building was de- stroyed by fire. It was then decided to rebuild on a larger scale and to add new and improved manufac-

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turing facilities. Hitherto the manufacture had been confined principally to the lighter class of work, but on the completion of the repairs and improvements, in October, 1868, the manufacture of a heavier class of goods, such as belting, packing, etc., was begun. Additions and improvements have since been made from time to time, requiring the employment of more persons, until now there are 125 employed, and the variety of work made is surpassed by only two or three factories in the country. The boot department, which was commenced in December, 1876, has greatly enlarged the business of the company.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 72

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170