USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > Jersey City > History of Jersey City, N.J. : a record of its early settlement and corporate progress, sketches of the towns and cities that were absorbed in the growth of the present municipality, its business, finance, manufactures and form of government, with some notice of the men who built the city > Part 44
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the first pastor, who had been returned for the work at the request of the congregation. The pastors since then have been : Rev. J. W. Johnson, 1887-'89; Rev. P. G. Blight, 1889-'90 ; Rev. Charles E. Little, 1891 to the present time. The church has 210 members on the roll.
ST. JOHN'S GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, corner Central and Hopkins avenues, was organized in 1866 by Rev. F. H. Rey, under whose pastorate the church was built in 1868-69, and was dedicated on March 7, 1869. The cost was about $10,000. It was the first German M. E. church in this city. Three other churches, viz .: one in Jersey City, one in Hoboken and one in West Hoboken, were organized through the efforts of this congregation. The church is at present free from debt, and the congregation recently celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary on March 7, 1894.
THE CENTENARY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. At the session of Conference held on Staten Island in 1867 Bishop Simpson, who presided, was much impressed with the fact that no work had been done in Jersey City for church extension since 1855, when Hedding church was organized. When the appointments were made there was one " Fourth Church, Jersey City, to be sup- plied." Rev. David Graves was assigned to the work, and Centenary was organized April 17, 1867. It was incorporated September 27, 1867. The corner-stone was laid on a site on the north side of Pavonia Avenue, between Cole and Monmouth streets, on September 26, 1870. The basement was dedicated April 30, 1871, and for ten years that was all there was of a church. In 1882 the main building was erected, and in 1884 it was finished. The church stood in open lots at first, but is now in a densely settled section of the city, and has a large congregation.
GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. This was originally the West End M. E. Church, and was organized September 1. 1868. A chapel, a small one-story frame building, was erected on the east side of Tonnele Avenue, north of Newark Avenue, and by 1869 a hundred scholars were gathered into the Sunday-school. In 1881 this property was sold because of financial em- barrassment. In 1882 Rev. J. A. Gutteridge was sent to rebuild the church. He was an enthusi- astie worker, and he soon had four lots on the west side of Tonnele Avenue, south of Newark CENTENARY M. E. CHURCH. Avenue, as a site for a new church. The name was changed to Grace M. E .; a handsome church and parsonage were built at a cost of $16,000. The building was dedicated in 1884.
THE WAVERLY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was incorporated December 20, 1870, and worshipped in a hired building, and disbanded in 1882.
THE JANES METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was incorporated March 10, 1870. The church is on Summit Avenue near Charles Street.
THE WEST SIDE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. In 1869 Wm. H. Beach built a house near where this church stands. The nearest church was the Claremont Presbyterian, a long dis- tance away, across lots and unpaved roads. Mr. Beach opened a Sunday-school at his home. He began with two scholars, Garret Vreeland and Mrs. T. A. Swennerton, both now nearing middle age. Rev. John Atkinson, then pastor of Emory M. E. Church on Summit Avenue, prevailed upon Conference in 1871 to appoint a preacher to organize a church on the West Side. Rev. Henry M. Simpson was assigned to the duty, and the first Sunday after Conference ad- journed he preached in a private house on Culver Avenue. Among those who attended this
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service was Delos E. Culver. When it was over he asked for a hearing, and said he did not be- long to any church, but believed it would be a good thing to have a church in that vicinity, and offered a subscription of $1,ooo to help to build one. He also promised that his brother, I. B. Culver, would make a similar subscription. Before the meeting adjourned $7,000 had been subscribed. The work was prosecuted with such vigor that the subscription was run up to $20,000, the site bought, the plans adopted and the corner-stone laid in September, 1871. The basement was ready for use in May, 1872, and the main audience-room in 1888. The congrega- tion has been united and peaceful, and has a property worth over $30,000. Rev. J. Atkinson, who first suggested a church on West Side Avenue, is closing a five-year pastorate which will end in April, 1895.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. The first Baptist church in Jersey City was known as the Particular Baptist Church of Jersey City and Harsimus. It was organized March 11, 1839. A central site was secured on Barrow Street, near Newark Avenue. The building still stands, and has been used by a number of congregations. The pastors were : Rev. Joseph Houghwout, 1838-41 ; Rev. John O. Edmunds, 1841-42 ; Rev. Arus Haynes, 1842-44; Rev. Wm. Smith, 1844-47. There was some dissen- sion among the members, and Rev. Arus Haynes organized the Grand Street Bap- tist Church, and served as pastor for three years, 1844 to 1847. Another section of the original church separated about the same time, and organized the Jersey City Baptist Church on March 11, 1844. Rev. Wm. Rollinson preached to this branch from May to November, 1843; Rev. Silas C. James, from March to September, 1844 : - Rev. Joseph M. Morris, from April 1, 1845, to February 26, 1846, and Rev. Wm. Good- ing, from August 11, 1846, to February 15, 1847. These three congregations were too. weak to stand alone, and on March 1, 1848, those members who were so disposed re- organized themselves into the Union Bap- tist Church of Jersey City. They were then sixty-eight in number. They built the present church on Grove Street, and it was dedicated July 17, 1853, at a cost of $17,000. On March 9, 1868, on application to the legislature, the name of the church WEST SIDE M. F. CHURCH. was changed to the First Baptist Church of Jersey City. The building was enlarged . in 1875-76, at a cost of $34,000, and the property at present is worth about $51,000. Rev. O. C. Wheeler was the first pastor. He resigned November 21, 1848, and was succeeded by Rev. Wm. Verrinder, who resigned in April, 1854, to become city missionary for the City Missionary and Tract Society. He filled that position until he died, October 14. 1891. He was one of the most patient, persistent christian workers that has ever been in the city. He ministered on the city piers, in the jail, almshouse and penitentiary for forty years. He retained his membership in the First Church to the end. Rev. Wheelock H. Parmly, D. D., became pastor September 1. 1854. On July 1, 1886, Rev. O. J. White was ap- pointed assistant pastor. In isss Dr. Parmly was made pastor emeritus. On September I. 1888, Rev. I. B. Steelman became pastor, but was compelled to resign on account of failing health within two years. On May 1, 1891, Rev. Theodore Heisig was called to the pastorate, and served more than three years, when he resigned. The church is at present without a pastor. It has been a strong congregation, liberal in beneficence, and has sent out many preachers, be-
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sides being the mother or grandmother of all the other churches in the city of the Baptist denomination. Dr. Parmly became prominent by reason of his long pastorate, extending over thirty-four years, and by his service in the denominational boards and for its educational insti- tutions. He died, much lamented, in 1894, and the congregation changed the name of the church to the Parmly Memorial in his honor.
SUMMIT AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. Mary Glass and Releif G. Tripp, members of the Union Baptist Church in Jersey City, and residents of Hudson City, were the originators of the First Baptist Church of Hudson City. In the spring of 1856 Rev. Wm. Verrinder, city missionary, at their request held prayer-meetings at the residence of James Glass. There was no Baptist church in Bergen at the time, and all Baptists went to the Union Church in Grove Street. The prayer meeting grew in favor, and a small frame school-house was hired in Bergen, and meet- ings were held, Rev. Mr. Verrinder serving without compensation. On June 22, 1857. the congregation was organized. Services were held after that in Graves Seminary on the Bergen road. Baptism was administered in New York Bay off the foot of Communipaw Avenue. On June 1, 1858, Rev. Marvin Eastwood was called to the pastorate. In the following month a majority of the members decided that the morning service should be held in Bergen, and Rapp's Hall, on the Newark Plank Road, was hired. A building committee had been collecting money to build on two lots that had been bought in 1857. A majority of the members lived in Bergen, and when it came to vote on a site, on February 3, 1859, thirty-six out of the sixty mem- bers favored Bergen. This caused a split. The majority organized the Bergen Baptist Church, and Rev. Mr. Eastwood went J. Knapp served as pastor with- out salary until October 25, 1859. On January 27, 1860, his brother, Rev. Halsey W. Knapp, accepted the charge. The erection of the present church was begun under his pastorate. He contrib- uted his salary to the sinking fund. He resigned April 4, 1865, and was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Custis on October 10, 1865. 1867. Rev. Charles E. Cordo with them. This left eight male and sixteen female members of the Hudson City Baptist Church. They were few, but plucky. They exchanged the lots they had for the present site of the church, corner of Summit Ave- nue and Cottage Street. There was a large frame building on the new property, and services were held in it until the new SUMMIT AVE. BAPTIST CHURCH. He remained until January, church was built. Rev. Samuel followed from June 2, 1867 to March 28, 1869. Rev. T. R. Howlett was pastor from July 15, 1869, until March 27, 1871. Rev. Wm. H. Harris, from November 13, 1871, to April 30, 1874. Rev James L. Lodge accepted the pastorate October 27, 1874, and remained until October, 1879. Rev. A. S. Gumbart accepted the charge January 13, 1880, and resigned December 23, 1883. Rev. David C. Hughes became pastor May 1, 1884, and resigned December 1, 1886. July 1, 1887, Rev. I. F. Davis became pastor, and died December 31, 1889. On May 15, 1890, Rev. Edwin MacMinn became pastor, and still ministers acceptably to a large congregation. The present officers are : Rev. Edwin MacMinn, pastor ; Deacons-Asa Phillips, Thomas Jenny, Marshal Ward, Henry Grimm, R. T. Richardson, H. W. Bahrenberg ; Trustees-F. Falkenbury, H. B. Lowe, Percy Gemberling. Oberlin Hunter, Charles Davis, B. B. Southwick ; Church Clerk, H. C. Corriell ; Church Treas- urer, Thomas Jenny ; Sunday-School Superintendent, C. W. MePeek ; Superintendent of Mis- sion School, W. T. Hunter.
ST. MATTHEW'S LUTHERAN CHURCH. The first attempt to organize a German Lutheran church was made by Rev. A. Geissenheimer, in 1849, at Harsimus. The church was incor- porated October 24, 1850, but it had a brief existence. No attempt was made to revive a successor for several years. Early in 1860 an informal meeting was held at the residence of some one of the men who subsequently united to form a church. At this meeting a committee was appointed to select a meeting-place. They chose Metropolitan Hall, on Newark Avenue, in the building now occupied by Hoos & Schulz as a furniture warehouse, and the first service was held there on June 2, 1860. A temporary council was elected on October 25, 1860, and the place for service was changed to Union Hall, corner of Fourth and Grove streets. An organ
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was presented to the little congregation by Rev. Hohlman, of the St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of New York. The congregation was regularly organized on January 11, 1861, with Rev. Carl M. Wassidlo as pastor. Messrs. Hegeler and Koster, of the original elders, are still members of the church. The Sunday-school was organized on June 2, 1861. On February 6, 1862, Rev. Julius Augustus Bangeroth was called to the pastorate after Mr. Wassidlo had resigned. Pastor Bangeroth arrangel with the Presbyterians in Barrow Street for the use of their church for Sunday morning services, and the congregation connected with the New York Ministerium. In May, 1860, a parochial school was opened under the name of St. Matthew's Academy. The congregation incorporated September 23, 1863, and the Bethesda Baptist Church was purchased at a cost of $7,500. This was a small frame church on South Fourth, now Fifth Street, between Erie and Jersey Avenue, the present site of St. Matthew's Church. Pastor Bangeroth died on May 28, 1868, and a mural tablet in the church records his faithful service. Rev. George Ewh was called to succeed him, on July 17, 1866. On November 12, 1868, Mr. Menge, the princi- pal of the parochial school, resigned, and Mr. C. Werte- meyer succeeded him, and also served as organist in the church. In the summer of 1871 the church and school were enlarged at a cost of $4,680. A ladies' society was organized May 14, 1862; the men's society on January 21, 1875. On April 7, 1881, Pas- tor Ewh died, and Rev. J. C. J. Petersen was called to the pastorate. He was installed in the following September. A debt of $2,500 was soon removed, and the church pros- pered. In 1880, at the four hundredth jubilee of Luther's birth, the ladies' society pre- sented the handsome marble baptismal font, and in 1886, at the twenty-fifth anniver- CENTRAL AVENUE KEFORMED CHURCH. sary of the organization of the church, the same society presented the silver communion service. The congregation grew so large that mission churches were started ; the first was St. Paul's Lutheran Church, St. Paul's and Summit avenues, and the second, Christ Church in Lafayette, both of which are now prosperous, independent churches. These offshoots drew away a good many of the members, but the mother church still grew and prospered. Plans have recently been adopted for the erection of a new and larger church, to cost $43,700. Of this sum, about $5,000 has been collected, and about $10,000 more subscribed. During the past year the communicants have numbered 1.000. The Sunday-school numbers 600. There were 200 baptisms, 90 funerals and 65 marriages last year. The ladies' society is presided over by Mrs. C. Ruh, and numbers 125 members ; the men's society is presided over by W. F. Schuman, and numbers 36 ; the young ladies' society is presided over by Miss Dora Evers,
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and numbers 70 ; the young men's society is presided over by Mr. R. Petersen, and has 45 members. There is also a society for the sick and dying, each member of which contributes fifty cents a week, and $t in case of a death. The congregation contributes about $600 anni- ally for mission and benevolent purposes. During its existence the members have given $107,000 for church purposes. It is the strongest of the German churches.
ST. TRINITATIS CHURCH. This church was organized in 1874 in a small chapel at 66 Bowers Street ; Rev. Mr. Hoek was the first pastor. In January, 1875, Rev. C. J. Goessling was called, and ministered one year. Rev. Ernst Ide succeeded him, and remained until September 15, 1879. Rev. R. A. Hafer, the present pastor, succeeded him, and found but twenty-five members and $3,200 of debt. He built up a strong congregation, and the handsome new church was dedi- cated May 22, 1892. The building is 42 by 100 feet, and has a spire 135 feet high. The interior is quite ornate, and the organ above the altar has 1,000 pipes. It cost $3,000. The stained glass windows are all memorials, and cost $2,500. The chime of bells in the belfry were donated by the families Rohrssen, Franz and Heinsohn. The donors of the windows were: The Sunday-school, Ladies' Society, W H. Kuhl, pastor, and Mrs. R. A. Hafer, Mrs. Kalisch, Mr. C. Prigge, A. Kattenhorn, J. F. Meyer, C. Dietzel, Amalia Kurtz and the church societies. The church cost $30,000, exclusive of the ground, and has a Sunday- school with thirty five teachers and 300 scholars. It is connected with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of New York and New Jersey.
ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL LUTH- ERAN CHURCH was organized No- vember 26, 1884, at the house of Henry Siewers, 631 Newark Ave- nue. Rev. Athanasius Stuckert, of Rahway, presided at the meet- ing, accepted a call to the pastor- ate, and has served to the present. The congregation is connected ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH. now with the New York Minis- terium of Buffalo. The corner-stone of the new church was laid September 30, 1885, on the present site, corner of Summit and St. Paul's avenues. The handsome brick building, 44 by 67 feet, with a tower 158 feet high, was dedicated January 24. 1886. The property cost $20,000. There are over 100 members and 400 children in the Sunday-school, with forty-six teachers. In 1893 a new bell was procured for the tower, and the interior was handsomely frescoed. H. Claussen is superintendent of the Sunday-school, Christ. Cordes, treasurer, and Henry Rathjen, secretary. The Ladies' Society, which has been an active agent in collecting funds, is presided over by Mrs. Anna Freund, president; Mrs. Meta Freund, secretary ; Mrs. M. Prange, vice-president, and Mrs. K. Marschall and G. Mahlenbrock. The
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trustees are : Carstan Droege, president; H. Siewers, H. Beek, Chr. Cordes, H. C. Freund. H. Rathjen, C. Stelling, S. Gavenesok, F. C. Freund, H. Clausere, Charles Flugge, D. Mahlenbrook, H. Plate, A. Kost and C. Lampe.
GREENVILLE EVANGELICAL ZION CHURCH (LUTHERAN). In 1866 a small number of Lutherans, with a few members of the Evangelieal Association, began to worship in the old public school- house on the Old Bergen Road in Greenville. In 1877 two lots on MeAdoo Avenue were bought, and a Mr. Nelson donated a lot adjoining, on condition that a Lutheran church should be built on it. In October, 1877. the corner-stone of the church was laid. The Lutherans and the members of the Evangelieal Association disputed about the church, each party desiring to have it dedicated for their denomination. The matter could not be amieably settled, and it was taken to court, where a decision was rendered in favor of the Lutherans. They refunded the amount that had been collected for the building by members of the association, and paid for the building unaided. The first pastor was Rev. C. Knehn, of Mansfield, Ohio. He resigned, and his successor, Rev. J. Muelder, was requested to resign after four months. In April, 1871, Rev. J. P. Schoener was called to the pastorate. He had the church building raised, a new brick basement added, and opened a Sunday-school and a German-English day-school. He resigned in June, 1872. The church had no pastor until late in 1873, when Rev. G. Burkhard was called. He was a missionary at West New York at that time. He continued to serve both places until May, 1876, when he gave up West New York. Since then the Zion Church has prospered. A new parsonage was built, lots adjoining the church site have been bought as a new church site, the debt of $4,000 has been paid, and more than 100 families are members. The Sunday-school is one of the largest in Greenville.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES.
Tradition has handed down the fact that assistant priests from New York celebrated mass in private houses in Jersey for the benefit of the early Catholics, who had no church. The first mass was said in 1830. The first corporate body of Catholics in the city was the "Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter, Jersey City, N. J." It was organized January 29, 1831. To this body was deeded, on March 10, 1831, four lots of ground on Grand Street. The site of the old stone church that was built upon them is now occupied by St. Aloysius Academy, a young ladies' school conducted by Sisters of Charity. The trustees made a beginning at building their church, but with all the help they could get, it was only after a struggle lasting ten years that the building was finished. The first pastor of the church, and the first permanent priest in the city, was Rev. Wm. Byrnes, who was appointed in 1834. He had the building well advanced in 1836, when ill health forced him to leave. He died in 1837 at Plattsburg. Father Mohan succeeded him, and he got the church opened for service in 1837. It was consecrated in 1839 by Bishop Hughes, of New York, assisted by Bishop Fenwick, of Boston. Rev. Walter J. Quarter succeeded to the pastorate in 1842, and remained until the spring of 1844, when Rev. Patrick Kenny was appointed. His health broke down, and he died in Charleston, S. C., in 1845. Rev. John Kelly was appointed pastor in 1844. He had been a missionary in Liberia. The church belonged to the diocese of New York until October 30, 1853, when the diocese of New- ark was created, and James Roosevelt Bayley consecrated bishop. Father Kelly died in 1866. He had planned and partially completed St. Peter's Church, at Grand and Van Vorst streets, but Father Patrick Corrigan finished it. Ile was made pastor on May 5, 1866. Father Corrigan wanted a Catholic college in Jersey City, and as an inducement to the Jesuits he offered them St. Peter's Church, the old church, four cottages and the parish school, in all valued then at $250,- 000. The offer was accepted, and Father Corrigan resigned in 1871 and became pastor of St. Brid- get's, then a new churchless parish in the meadows. The Jesuits have since built St. Peter's College, on Grand Street, near the church. The present pastor is Rev. John Harpes, and the assistants, Revs. Joseph Loyzance, J. Busam and J. 11. Finnegan. From St. Peter's the other Catholic churches have grown. There are now fourteen of them.
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH. This church was organized as St. Bridget's, of Hudson City, in June, 1856, and the first church was a frame building on Hopkins Avenue, built in 1856. The first pastor was Rev. James Coyle. The church was opened for the benefit of the Irish Catholics who were employed in constructing the Erie tunnel. The first meetings were held in a laborers'
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boarding house on Summit, then Bergenwood Avenue. In 1857 Rev. Aloysius Vanuta became pastor, and he built a new church at the corner of Baldwin and Pavonia avenues. It was a brick building, with brown stone trimmings. This church was taken down to make way for the present stone structure, which was dedicated September 14, 1873, by Bishop Corrigan. Mgr. Robert Seton is pastor, and has been since January 2, 1876. The church property consists of the church, school and rectory, and is valued at more than $100,000. The congregation numbers about 4,000.
ST. MARY'S CHURCH stands on the northeast corner of Erie and Second streets. It was begun in 1861 and finished in 1863. It is a plain, but commodious brick building. The pastor, Rev. Louis Domineck Senez, built the church, and still officiates. He is assisted by Revs. P. W. Smith and J. T. Brown. The Catholic Institute on Third Street, connected with St. Mary's, has a public hall that has a seating capacity of 1,000. The parochial school is large, and St. Mary's Academy and St. Francis' Hospital and the Orphans' Industrial School belong to St. Mary's parish. The church property is valued at more than $250,000, and there are about 7,500 members in the congrega- tion.
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH. In 1854 Rev. J. Kelly, pastor of St. Peter's Church, built St. Mary's Church, on the corner of Erie and Tenth streets. The building was of brick, and two stories high. The property included four lots. Rev. Father L. D. Sencz became its pastor in 1859. The parish grew rapidly, and in 1861 he began to build St. Mary's, at Second and Erie streets. In 1863 the new church was built, and old St. Mary's was used as a parish school until the Catholic Institute was built on Third Street. In November, 1867, Bishop Bayley created the new parish of St. Michael's, and old St. Mary's was refurnished for worship. Rev. Janua- rius De Concilio, an assistant in St. Mary's, was appointed the pastor. He is still the pastor, as Mgr. De Concilio. Soon after assuming charge Father De Concilio opened a parochial school with lay teach- ers. Later he built a dwelling for the Sisters of Charity. Subsequently he built an additional school-house at Fifteenth and ST. MARY'S R. C. CHURCH. Grove streets. This is now St. Lucy's Church. In 1870 the pastor moved into the old parochial residence on Erie Street. He had been living in two small rooms in the church building. The residence is now an infant asylumn con- ducted by the Sisters of Peace. In 1871 he bought the site of the present church and residence at a cost of $35,000. On September 25, 1872, the corner-stone of the new church was laid by Archbishop Bayley. In the following August the basement was completed and used. The church was dedicated by Archbishop Corrigan on October 8, 1876. The same year Ilarold Henwood bought the old Children's Home on Pavonia Avenue, and presented it to the parish. It cost lim $30,000, and the pastor spent $10,000 in fitting it for an orphanage. It opened with sixty inmates. but has been rebuilt since, and is now a large institution. The old church was again used as a school, the alteration costing $15,000. In 1890 a new rectory was built at a cost of $25,000. The new church cost $150,000, and the property of the parish has cost over $250,000. The con- gregation is said to be the largest in the county, numbering over 8,000. The church fronts the northern end of Hamilton Squarc.
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