History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 102

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 102

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).

THE FORUM CONGREGATION OF RED BANK was a society of men who organized themselves into a debating society, and were incorporated June 27, 1835. They erected a building, thirty by forty feet, on the site of the Globe Hotel, which was called the Forum. At that time there was no church edifiee in the place, and the Forum was used for all publie gatherings, civil or religious. After the establishment of churches and societies the building was used for other purposes.

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF SHREWS- BURY, at Red Bank, was constituted Angust 7, 1844, the council being called by Sidney T. Smith, William McLane, John M. Smith, Joseph Carhart, Sarah J. Smith, Mary A. Mc- Lane, Ann Mount, Catharine Allen, Margaret Tilton, Mary Wallace, Deborah and Charlotte Carhart, who lived at Red Bank. The call was for a council to meet at Red Bank, July 17, 1844, and examine the merits of the request. The council met as requested, and after exami- nation decided to constitute those who requested into a regular Baptist Church, on August 7, 1844. Upon the day appointed the council met and constituted the church with sixteen members, ten of whom were from the First Baptist Church of Middletown, five from the Second Baptist Church of Middletown and one from Tabernacle Baptist Church, New York City. On the 10th of August following, Joseph M. Smith and Sidney T. Smith were elected deacons; on the 21st of the same month, Thomas S. Griffiths, one of the constituent members, was ordained as pastor.

The church was incorporated July 1, 1845, and trustees elected March 8th. On the 8th of May following the trustees were author-

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THE TOWN OF RED BANK.

ized to select a lot on which to erect a house of worship. On December 13th it was resolved to build. The corner-stone was laid October 15, 1846; the Rev. John Dowling, D.D., of New York, preached upon the occasion. The church was not finished until 1849, and was dedicated July 17th in that year. It is still in use, hay- ing been enlarged during the pastorate of the Rev. R. T. Middleditch.

The Rev. Thomas S. Griffith resigned his pastorate in February, 1850. The Rev. Robert T. Middleditch began preaching August 3d in that year, and was called to be pastor Decem- ber 1, 1851. He remained in charge until July 31, 1867, he having sent in his letter of resigna- tion April 14th previous. The Rev. C. W. Clark was called September 22, 1867, accepted October 20th, in the same year, and resigned October 30, 1870. The Rev. E. J. Foote suc- ceeded him February 26, 1871, and resigned in August, 1875. The Rev. Benjamin F. Leips- ner began preaching September 1, 1875, and received a call to become their pastor October 5th following. He resigned December 1, 1882, to take effect January 1, 1883. He was snc- ceeded by the present pastor, the Rev. J. M. Manning, who began his labors April 1st in that year. The church has a membership of three hundred and fifty-six.

THE RED BANK METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized, in 1844, under the charge of the Rev. William E. Perry.

Local preachers from the Long Branch Church had, for many years, occasionally visited this section,1 and, in 1802, John Bethel, a native of Rumson Neck, was admitted to a traveling connection, and labored in this vicinity till 1810, when he located at a distance. William Mills, George Wooley, Benjamin Abbott and many others preached at private houses in this locality (from 1803) many years. Mrs. Sarah King, who left the neighborhood of what is now Red Bank in 1806, states that before that year muel agi- tation had been made in reference to buildling a Methodist Church. Several locations had been

discussed ; a lot belonging to Michael Hulett was surveyed and the cedars grubbed away; arrangements were made to build on the Scuffle- town road, which leads to Rumson. Stone for the foundation of a church was delivered on a tongue of land where the old road turned to go across the side of the hill leading to Rumson. Divided councils caused delay, years went by, and, in 1820, regular services began to be hell at Rumson (now Little Silver), and, in 1822, a church was built there, and agitation eeased in this locality until 1844, when Rumson became a separate charge, and the Rev. William E. Perry, being on the charge, urged the Method- ists of Red Bank to organize a church, which was done, as before mentioned.

Trustees were elected, September 8, 1845, as follows: Joseph W. Borden, Amos Tilton and Jeremiah Borden. The certificate of incorpo- ration was filed October 1st following _1 lot was purchased on Broad Street, north of the First National Bank. The corner-stone of a house of worship was laid October 8, 1845, the Rev. James Ayres, of New Brunswick, offici- ating. The building was completed the next year, and dedicated August 15, 1846. The church was used without change until 1866, when the old building was moved to the rear, made into a lecture-room and opened for service May 1, 1867.

A new and commodious edifice was begun in June, 1867. The church was completed and dedicated by Bishop Simpson, November 28th in the same year. The edifice cost fifteen thou- sand dollars, and was used until destroyed by fire, November 5, 1882. The society then pur- chased the present lot, at the corner of Main and Monmouth Streets, and laid the corner- stone of the present, church August 1, 1883. It is of brick, seventy-five by one hundred feet in size, with an audience-room sixty feet square, and cost nineteen thousand five hundred dollars. It was dedicated March 9, 1884. Among the pastors since the organization have been Revs. R. S. Harris, John Scarlett, 1. Ballard, George Hitchins, J. Lewis, I. D. King, R. A. Chalker, Charles E. Hill, S. E. Post, J. Stiles, C. W. Heisley, W. M. White and Henry Belting, who is the present pastor.

1 The Rev. I. D. King, during his pastorate from 1865 to 1867, gathered facts in reference to Methodism in this section, from which the facts here given are obtained.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI was organized May 31, 1880, with forty-five members. A lot was purchased on Broad Street, and a church edifice, thirty-two hy fifty- six feet in size, was erected, and dedicated May 8, 1881. The pastors have been the Revs. J. D Norton, W. Wythe and J. R. Mace.

THE TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH of Red Bank originated in the establishment here of a mission from Christ Church of Shrewsbury, in 1851, at which time a small chapel was built, which, having been enlarged and improved at different times, is still used.

The parish was organized as Trinity parish of Red Bank, in January, 1859. The first rector was the Rev. W. N. Dunnell, who served until 1871, preaching his farewell sermon Oeto- ber 22d, in that year. He was succeeded by the Rev. A. Sydney Dealey, who closed his rec- torship in December, 1875. The Rev. S. F. Hotelkin began his rectorship February 15, 1876, and resigned in December, 1877. He was sneceeded, in March, 1878, by the Rev. C. A. Tibbals, who continued until March, 1881. The Rev. J. Gibson Gantt served as a supply a short time, and on the 18th of April, 1882, the pres- ent rector, the Rev. Joseph F. Jowitt, assumed the rectorship. The church has one hundred and twenty-five communicants and one hundred and thirty-nine families.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF RED BANK was organized by the Presbytery of New Bruns- wiek in June, 1852, being constituted of twenty-seven members, all from Shrewsbury Church. Mr. F. Reck Harbaugh, a licentiate of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, was or- dained and installed pastor October 23, 1853, and resigned October 23, 1854. He has been followed by William Seribner, February 7, 1855, to February 2, 1858 ; D. Dubois Sahler, July 20, 1858, to July 23, 1863; Daniel V. MeLean, D.D., March 9, 1864, to November 23, 1869; John R. Hamilton, June 7, 1870, to October 2, 1873 ; F. Reek Harbaugh, the pres- ent pastor, May 18, 1874.

The corner-stone of a church edifiee was laid June 12, 1855. The church was completed the

following year, and dedicated August 13, 1856. It has since been repaired and remodeled.

THE ST. JAMES ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH at Red Bank was organized by Rev. James Col- lan, who, in 1854, erected a church, twenty-nine by seventy-two feet, on the present site at the corner of Pearl and Wall Streets. It was re- modeled in 1873 by Father .l. F. Saloan, and St. James' Hall, adjoining the church, was built in 1879. It is of brick, thirty-five by eighty feet in size, and two stories in height, the upper room being used for a hall and the lower for a parish school. The congregation numbers one thousand souls. The Rev. John Kelly suc- ceeded Father Collan, and served this church and St. Joseph, at Keyport, from 1854 to 1862. Thomas M. Killeen became pastor in April, 1863, and served until 1867. Under his pas- torate the present parsonage was built. He was succeeded by the Rev. J. T. Saloan, who re- mained until 1876, and on July 1st in that year the present pastor, the Rev. M. E. Kane, was appointed. Under him a debt of three thousand five hundred dollars was paid (one-half of which was donated by Mrs. Ellen Dykers de Navarro), and St. James' Hall was also erected by him.

THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH, now of Red Bank, was organized many years ago at Fair Haven, where a church was ereeted and used until it was burned, when the society erected the present church, which was dedicated December 25, 1873.

RED BANK SCHOOL DISTRICT, NO. 75, con- tains two school-houses and has within its limits eight hundred and sixty-three children of school age. The first school taught in this locality was kept by George Morford, in 1816, in a little school-house east of .I. Trafford Allen's lumber-yard, and in which house he lived. About 1830, Esek White donated a lot of ground now on Mechanic Street, and which is the present school-lot. On this lot a seliool- house was built and used until 1870. It was sometimes called the Academy. John D. Den- nison kept there many years. About 1848, Miss Hartshorne kept a private school, and was succeeded by Miss Hatfield.

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THE TOWN OF RED BANK.

As the town increased in population the de- time of opening the new school-house, in 1871, was one hundred and seventy-two; the year following, the number reached an average with- in four of being double that number ; and in 1876 the average was about five hundred. The demand for greater accommodation required another school-house. A lot was purchased on Oakland Street, and a brick building, about forty feet square and two stories in height, was erected in 1877, and was first used in the fol- lowing winter. mand for school accommodations also increased, and on June 6, 1860, a meeting of the citizens was held to decide on the building a new school- house. Nothing was done to accomplish the work at this time, and several years passed be- fore the subject was again agitated. In the winter of 1866-67 a number of citizens, desir- ous of having better facilities for education, presented a bill to the Legislature for the incor- poration of an academy. The bill was passed March 14, 1867. The institution was styled The principals of the school from 1871 have been Albert Clark, 1871-72; William Hub- bard, 1872-73; A. B. Guilford, 1873-79 ; Rieh- ard Case, 1879 to the present time. Charles D. Warner has been district clerk from the organization of the district, in 1871, to the pres- ent, except a short time. "Orient Academy." The corporators were Anthony Reckless, James H. Peters, Asher S. Parker, Thomas Morford, Joseph C. Fisher, John S. Applegate, Francis Chadwick, John R. Bergen, John W. Parker, Rev. D. V. MeLean, D.D., and the Rev. Robert T. Middleditch, D.D. Nothing was accomplished by this cor- poration except an organization. On the 2d of June, 1868, a meeting of citizens was again held, and it was resolved to build a school-house at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars. This project also failed. In the year 1869 there were four schools kept in the town,-two in the old building on Mechanic Street and two in a , for some time, and being a man of unusual lit- rented house on the south side of Front Street.

In March, 1870, Red Bank became an in- corporated town, and was embraced in one school district. The agitation at this time was strong for a new and more commodious school- house. It was not, however, until September in that year that a resolution was passed to build a new school-house, and at the meeting then held, ten thousand dollars was voted for the purpose. A contract was made with Spin- ning & Reilley for the erection of a brick building, fifty feet square, on the old lot on Mechanic Street. The building was com- pleted the next year, and opened August 21, 1871. During the following winter the scholars were all examined and graded, thus forming the first graded school of Monmouth County. This result was brought about mainly by the special exertion of Charles D. Warner, who had for many years been a teacher and a member of a board of examiners in Massachu- setts.

The average attendance of scholars at the

The New Jersey Standard, the oldest news- paper of Red Bank, was established in April, 1852, by Henry Morford, now deceased, who commenced the publication of the paper at Matawan and soon after moved it to Keyport. Mr. Morford continued as publisher and editor erary attainments, made the Standard a perma- nent affair, though not very successful financially. Charles Conrow became proprietor after a while, and he in turn was succeeded by Rev. Robert T. Middleditch and Anthony Reckless, who removed the paper to Red Bank, where the former was pastor of the Baptist Church. This was in 1860. Seven years afterward Mr. Reckless sold out to William .I. Ward, Mr. Middleditch continuing on the editorial staff of the paper. In July, 1867, Mr. Middle- ditch in turn disposed of his share to Jonathan R. Ingling. These two gentlemen were asso- ciated together in business till March, 1874, when Mr. Ingling became the sole proprietor of the concern. Mr. Ingling continued as editor and proprietor for five years. During this period he was assisted in his editorial labors at different times by Henry Clay and William T. Cole. In October, 1879, Benjamin M. Harts- horne purchased the paper, and put his brother, Edward Hartshorne, a gentleman of rare knowledge and culture, in charge. Mr. Harts-

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

horne occupied the editorial chair till April, 1882, during which period Charles A. Dubois acted as assistant editor. At that time Mr. Hartshorne withdrew, and Mr. Dubois became editor and John S. Hendrickson business man- ager, the establishment still being owned by Benjamin M. Hartshorne. In November, 1882, the office and appurtenances were entirely consumed by fire, the books being all that was saved. A new outfit, upon which no money was spared, was procured, and publication con- tinued as usual, not a single issue being lost. In April, 1883, the entire concern was purchased by Conrad Pinches, the present proprietor and editor, who has the assistance of Roderic C. Penfield in his duties. The Standard office is located on Front Street, one of the two princi- pal thoroughfares of the town. It occupies an entire building twenty-five by seventy-five feet in size, owned by the proprietor.

The Red Bank Register was established by John H. Cook and Henry Clay in 1878, the first issue appearing June 27th. Mr. Clay re- tired in the fall of 1879, and it is still conducted

THE SECOND NATIONAL BANK OF RED BANK by John H. Cook. It is Republican in poli- | began business July 1, 1875, with an authorized tics. The office is in the third story of the brick building corner of Broad and Front Streets.

Of other papers that have been temporarily published in Red Bank were The Red Bank Leader, first issued September 21, 1871, by Julian E. Ralph and Albert Abers. It con- tinued nine weeks. The Democrat was started in September, 1882, by Colonel Trafford. It ran one year and one week. In November, 1883, Charles A. Dubois, foreman of the Stand- ard, started The Independent. It continued until September 19, 1884, when it was purchased by John L. Wheeler and issued as a Democratic campaign paper.

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF RED BANK was authorized May 30, 1864, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, which was increased to one hundred thousand dollars February 11, 1865. The bank was organized by the election of officers April 4, 1864, at which time Asher S. Parker was elected president, and continued until January 18, 1879, when James H. Peters was chosen and served until January 14, 1882,

when Asher S. Parker, the present president, was agaiu elected. At a meeting of the direct- ors held June 28, 1864, Henry B. Crane was elected cashier and served until November, 1867. His successors have been Alvin Chadwick, No- vember 9, 1867; Horatio Ely, Jr., December 23, 1874; James L. Terhune, March 11,1882.

The bank opened for business July 1, 1864, in the office of R. Allen, Jr., and continued there until the completion of a banking-office on the present site, in November following, to which place the bank was then moved, and where it continued until the destruction of the . building by the great fire of November 5, 1882. During the building of the present banking- office, business was transacted in the parlor of Mrs. Chadwick's house, two doors south. The present bank building isof brick, twenty by forty- five feet in size ; main office, twenty-three feet in height. It is elegantly finished in cherry and tiles and with marble floor. The building was completed at a cost of seventeen thousand dol- lars and was first occupied May 10, 1883 ..

capital of seventy-five thousand dollars. The present bank building was erected in that year on Front Street, opposite the Globe Hotel. John S. Applegate is president and Isaac B. Edwards cashier.

NAVESINK LODGE, No. 39, I. O. OF O. F., was chartered May 7, 1846, with John Borden, Henry Conover, Seth Sturtevant, George D. Allaire and Mathias Conover as charter members. Meet- ings were held over a wheelwright-shop on the site of John Bergen's store. In 1848 they re- moved to rooms fitted for their purpose in a building that stood on the site of James H. Pe- ters' store, where the meetings were held for many years. In 1869 they removed to their present rooms in Sutton's building. The lodge has a membership of eighty. The present offi- cers are C. G. Worthley, N. G. ; John Dye, V. G. ; Jos. W. Child, See'y. ; John Sutton, Treas.

NEPTUNE ENCAMPMENT, NO. 45, 1. O. OF O. F., was chartered November 15, 1870, and has at present thirty members. Their meetings are held in the hall of the Navesink Lodge, C. D. Worthley, C. P.

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THE TOWN OF RED BANK.

MYSTIC BROTHERHOOD No. 21, F. AND A. M., was chartered January 4, 1852, as Navesink Lodge, No. 21, with Thomas E. Combs W. M .; .John MeBriar, Sen. W .; John E. Norris, Jun. W. The name was changed to that of Mystic Brotherhood January 10, 1855. Meetings were held for several years at old Odd-Fellows' Hall, where James Peters' building now stands. Afterwards, for a time, they were held in the school-house on Mechanie Street, from which place they moved to Esek White's building, then to Jolin Sutton's, in 1876 to Wild's buikdl- ing, and April 1, 1885, it is proposed to move to Music Hall. The present officers are Edwin Field, W. M .; George T. Hook, Sen. M .; Ar- thur H. White, Jun. M .; M. A. Van Schoick, Treasurer ; Jehu P. Cooper, Secretary. The society numbers seventy-one members.

HIRAM CHAPTER, No. 1, F. AND A. M., was instituted at Trenton, as Hiram Chapter, No. 4, of the State of New Jersey. The number was probably changed to No. 1 by authority of the Grand Chapter, September 9, 1857. Authority was given to move to Eatontown, February 25, 1856, and to Red Bank, January 1, 1881. It at present contains fifty-one members, with the following officers: William Cullington, HI. P. ; George T. Hook, Seribe; William C. Park, King ; Edwin Field, Captain of the Host; George B. Sneden, Principal Sojourner; William A. Cole, Royal Arch Captain ; Jehu P. Cooper, Secretary.

SHREWSBURY LODGE, No. 72, K OF P; was instituted March 1, 1884. It has now sixty- two members. The lodge meets at Odd-Fel- lows' Hall. Charles E. Wickliff is Chancellor Commander.

ARROWSMITH POST, No. 61, G. A. R., was organized December 6, 1881, with twenty- three members. Their meetings were held in Odd-Fellows' Hall until August, 1883, when they moved to rooms fitted up for them in Childs' new block. The post now numbers one hundred and two members. Henry M. Nevius was elected commander upon its organization, and remained until elected commander of the Department of New Jersey. He was succeeded as commander of this post by Major Joseph T. Fields, in January, 1884. The officers for

1885 are : Commander, George A. Bowne ; Senior Vice-Commander, William H. Foster ; Junior Vice-Commander, John H. Heyer ; Chaplain, Richard Lawrence ; Quartermaster, John W. Chandler ; Surgeon, Charles Curtis ; Officer of the Day, William J. Sickles ; Officer of the Guard, Everett Miller ; Delegates, R. R. Mount, Henry C. Terhune.

THE MUTUAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF RED BANK was formed about 1880 by a few citizens, who gathered together about three hun- dred volumes of books, which were kept in Vandergrift's store, and were mostly burned in the fire of November, 1882. The organization was kept up, more books were procured, and in May, 1884, rooms were rented in Childs' building and opened as a library and reading- room. The association now has four hundred volumes. The tables in the reading-room are supplied with newspapers and periodicals. The officers are Mrs. T. D. Finch, president ; Mrs. Joseph Burrowes, secretary ; George Borden, librarian ; Mrs. W. T. Corlies, treasurer.

THE SHREWSBURY MUTUAL FIRE INSUR- ANCE COMPANY was incorporated by act of the Council and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, passed February 27, 1838, the office to be located in the township of Shrews- bury. The directors appointed were

1 George A. Corlies.

John P. Lewis.

Gabriel West. Edmund West.

John P. Corlies. George A. White.

Joseph E. White. Tunis Vanderveer.

- Thomas Thomas.

Jacob Dennis.

Edmund W. Allen.

The directors organized March 31, 1838, when Joseph E. White was elected president ; Gabriel West, vice-president ; and Edmund T. Williams, secretary ; Thomas Thomas, John P. Lewis and Edmund W. Allen a committee to draft by-laws and blank policies and present them to the next meeting for approval, ete., and also a seal. The directors met April 14th, and elected George A. Corlies treasurer. At a directors' meeting, June 2d : "Resolved, as soon as applications shall have been made amount- ing to fifty thousand dollars, policies shall be issued on each and every approved application, and not before."

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTHI COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

The company commenced issuing policies July 14, 1838. At the annual meeting of the stockholders, the first Monday in January, 1839, the company had issued policies to the amount of $110,890; amount of notes or bonds, $5930.10; received in cash, $355.81; amount paid for printing, etc., $73.38,-leaving a balance on hand of $282.43.

At said first meeting of the stockholders the following-named persons were elected directors, viz. :

Edmund W. Allen. Gabriel West.

Benjamin C. White.

George A. Corlics.

Ethan A. Fay. John P. Corlies.

Tunis Vanderveer.

Henry W. Wolcott.

John P. Lewis. Edmund T. Williams.

Joseph E. White.

May 24, 1839, less than one year after com- menving business or insuring, Dr. Smith Cutter's barn was burned. Insured for four hundred dollars, which was promptly paid.

In 1853, being less than fifteen years from the time the company commenced, insuring and paying losses to the amount of four thousand three hundred and fifty dollars, they paid a dividend of one hundred cents to the dollar for all the money the stockholders had paid for in- surance, principal and interest. This was done to begin anew, that new stockhollers should have no advantage over the old ones, as no bonds could be taxed as long as there was any cash in the treasury.

In 1867 they made a dividend amounting to $7778.06; in 1871 to $8583.69; in 1876 to $12,145.04; and in 1881 to $9981.94,-making four dividends since 1853, amounting to $38,497.73 in twenty-eight years, and have paid losses to January 1, 1885, $69,728. Losses and dividends sinee 1853 amount to $808,225.73, and the company has cash on hand amounting to over $20,000.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

ISAAC PENINGTON WHITE was born at Rumson, in the township of Shrewsbury, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, on April 7, 1804. His father, Esek White, his grandfather and his great-grand- father were all born and died in the township

of Shrewsbury,-an example of an unusual love of locality. Isaae P. White's early advan- tages in an educational way were only such as the schools in his locality afforded at the early period of his boyhood. While still a boy he left home and entered the general merchandise store of Corlies & Allen, at Shrewsbury town, in Shrewsbury township. After remaining a few years with this firm, he went to Brooklyn, N. Y., and was there engaged in mercantile business for many years. About 1830 he re- moved to Red Bank, where, with Robert H. Woolley, he started the first lumber business in the county of Monmouth. On November 2, 1842, the subject of this sketch was married to Adaline Simmons, at Phelps, then known as Vienna, Ontario County, in the State of New York. Three children were born to them,- Henry S., a sketch of whose life appears else- where ; Theodore S., who died just as he had reached manhood; and James S., who died when about twelve years of age. Mr. White retired from active business about 1847. He was a director in a number of insurance com- panies, and in the Shrewsbury Mutual Fire Insurance Company he was one of the manag. ing directors. After his retirement from busi- ness he was the administrator or executor of a number of estates.

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 102

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148