History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 128

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 128

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Soon after the organization the lot on Broad- way was secured and a small church building was erected, which has been added to from time to time. The church has at present about two hundred communicants.

ST. LUKE'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH had its beginning as a branch or preaching-place from the First Church of Long Branch, at Branchburg.

In 1856 the Methodists of Long Branel vil- lage purchased the Presbyterian Church build- ing, which stood on Broadway, opposite the head of Washington Street, and is now used for stores. A parsonage was built, in 1861, on the lot ad- joining. The present church organization was effected in 1860 from members from the First Church. Later, the society was incorporated as the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church. A lot was purchased at the corner of Main and Washington Streets, and building commenced in January, 1866.

The congregation has a handsome frame church fronting on Second Avenue and a com- fortable rectory on Chelsea Avenue. The An act was passed February 23, 1866, which recites that the trustees of the church had pur- chased a lot and commenced the erection of a house of worship. It authorized the trustees to "sell the old house of worship known as the Long Branch Village Church." The corner- stone of the church was laid May 4, 1866. It was finished and used, but not dedicated until August 9, 1868, by Bishop Edward S. Janes. The name of the church was changed from present rector, Rev. James A. McFaul, took charge of the church May 1, 1883, and he is gratified with the continued inerease of the con- gregation, both in winter and summer, and he feels that the Catholies under his charge are keeping pace with the progress of this beautiful seaside resort. The congregation numbers about two hundred and fifty in winter and about two thousand five hundred in summer. As a further proof of the progress of his church, | Centenary Church to St. Luke's Methodist

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Episcopal Church, by act of incorporation, Feb- ruary, 1880. The following named have been pastors of the church : 1862, J. Atwood ; 1865, C. W. Heisley ; 1866, J. J. Gross ; 1874, H. M. Brown; 1875, C. S. Van Cleve; 1876, G. C. Maddock ; 1878, C. R. Hartranft ; 1880, J. Moore ; 1883, R. Thorn.

THE ASBURY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, at North Long Branch, was erected in 1869. The corner-stone of the building was laid April 22d of that year, and it was dedicated on the 8th of August following. The society was organized in April, 1872, from members of St. Luke's Church. It has been served by the following pastors: J. W. Morris, 1873-74; W. P. C. Strickland, 1875-76 ; E. C. Hancock, 1877-78 ; S. W. Lake, 1879-80; S. F. Wheeler, 1881-83; S. S. Wetherby, 1884.

THE SIMPSON METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized in 1882 from members of the Centenary Church. Its pastors have been J. A. Jones (1881-83), A. H. Eberhardt (1884). A church was erected in the lower village in 1881-82, and was dedicated July 16, 1880.

THE TRINITY AFRICAN METHODIST EPIS- COPAL CHURCH was organized in 1882 under the Rev. Alfred Garrison. A church was built on Liberty Street, near Brook. It was dedi- cated August 28, 1882. The present pastor is the Rev. F. R. Martin.

THE BAPTIST CHURCHI edifice at Long Branch village is situated at the corner of Pearl Street and Bath Avenue. The land on which it stands was purchased in 1872, and prepara- tions were made to build, in the expectation of having the church completed in the spring of 1873. This was not accomplished, and an effort was again made in 1881, again resulting in failure. On the 17th of December, 1883, the corner-stone of a chapel was laid. The building, thirty-four by fifty feet in size, with a seating capacity of two hundred and fifty, was completed and is now in use. The church is under the charge of the Baptist Church of Eatontown, Rev. William Russell, pastor.

" A Mormon obtained consent to preach in

the school-house in the village,-the first ser- vices of the kind ever held in Long Branch." This is extracted from the diary of William R. Maps, where it is found under date of January 7, 1842. On the 15th of February in the same year he made this entry : " Considerable difficulty with the Mormon and anti-Mormon preachers." Again, Sunday, March 13th: " Mormon preaches against the Methodists ; Betsey Tallman baptized by the preacher,-one of his first converts." March 27th : " Henry Brinley arrested the anti-Mormon preacher for disturbing Mormon meeting." The Mormon preacher made several converts, but beyond this fact nothing appears in reference to the matter.

THE LONG BRANCH SCHOOL DISTRICT (embracing Seabright, which is outside the limits of the corporation) contains six sub-dis- tricts and seven school-houses, including the High School building. The first house of which any information has been obtained as having been occupied for school purposes in this vicin- ity was built about 1780 on land then owned by Elisha West, and now by John Hoey, on Cedar Avenue, one mile east of Branchburg. This house was used until 1812.

In 1811 the people living at the Branch and along the shore became desirous of having a sehool-house nearer to them than the old one, and to that end Benjamin Wardell drew a subscription agreement, dated Jannary 28, 1812, which, with the names appended to it, is given below,-

" Whereas, it is judged of great benefit to the inhabitants of Long Branch that a school-house should be built in some central situation in that dis- trict, and whereas, Benjamin Wardell agrees to give half an acre of land adjoining Tucker Cook's line, fronting the main road, for that purpose to be used, ocenpied and enjoyed by the said inhabitants, as long as they continue to keep a school in said house, con- templated to be built, which half-acre of land the subscribers shall put in good lawful fence, if the said Wardell at any time requests it, it being always understood, however, that the said land shall revert to and again become the property of him, the said Wardell, or his heirs, as soon as it ceases to be occupied for the purpose aforesaid." The names of the subscribers to the agreement and the sum sub-

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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCH.

scribed by each for the purpose of building the school- house are here given :

Enos Eastwood . $5 00

William Green . 5 00

Francis Emmons 5 00

John Cook . 5 00

Samuel Slocum 10 00

Benjamin West . 10 00

Joseph West .

5 00

Asher Wardell 5 00

Job West 8 00

Benjamin Wardell 10 00

Joseph Parker 10 00

Robert Parker

5 00

John Emmons 5 00

Riehard Faber 6 00

John Faber 5 00

Cornelius Brower 5 00

Gilbert Lane . 6 00

Peter Slocum 10 00

Stephen Cook 6 00

Joseph McKnight 10 00

Joshua Bennet . 10 00

Bartholomew West 5 00

William Throckmorton 5 00

Joseph Tallman 5 00

Henry Slocum

8 00

The house was built on the site of the pres- ent No. 1 School-house, on Main Street ; John Wood was a teacher in the house in 1814, he having previously kept a private school. The house stood until about 1840. The question of a new house was agitated as early as 1835, and on the 3d of August in that year Peter Parker began taking subscriptions for a new house. The enterprise was delayed, and August 6, 1837, a meeting of the citizens was held to take meas- ures to build a new house. This was not done, however, until 1840, when a school-house was completed and used until 1867. This house was getting old, but opinion was divided as to the propriety of building a new one. The old school-house was set on fire four times in the last few years of its use, but was saved each time. In 1842 the district was known as No. 6. M. Hampton, W. R. Maps and N. Woolley were elected trustees in March of that year. The new house was built in 1867, and is still in use.

Within the territory of Sub-District No. 2 the first school-house was built in 1844 on Broadway and Academy Alley, the site of the present Library Hall. It was used until 1881,

when the lot was sold and a lot was bought on Garfield Avenue, and the present brick building, one story, fifty by seventy-five feet in size, was erected at a cost of six thousand dollars.

In Sub-District No. 3, North Long Branch, or Atlanticville, the first school-house was built before 1848, and stood on the road leading to Raccoon Island, half a mile north of the depot. The present house, thirty-four feet square, was erected in the rear of Atlantic Avenue in 1873, at a cost of three thousand eight hundred dol- lars.

In Sub- District No. 4 the original school- house was built in 1840, on Deal turnpike, near West-end Avenue, and replaced by the present one-story frame, twenty-five by forty feet in size, in 1875, at a cost of three thousand dollars. Sub-District No. 5 (Seabright) is in the school district of Long Branch. The first house was built at the place in 1874, on River Avenue. It was burned in 1878, and replaced on the same lot, in 1879, by the present brick one-story house, twenty-five by forty feet. An addition was made in 1882, making it sixty- five by forty feet in size. Its total cost was three thousand six hundred dollars.

In Sub-District No. 6 a one-story frame school-house, for colored children, was erected in 1884, on Brook Street. It is twenty-five by forty feet in size, and cost two thousand dollars.

An act passed March 21, 1867, provided for the division of counties into school districts, and under it, District No. 6, of Long Branch, No. 7, of Branchville, No. 11, of Industry, and No. 12, of Fresh Pond, were formed into District No. 85. In accordance with other provisions of the act, the voters of the district met Sep- tember 2, 1872, and passed a resolution instruct- ing the trustees to erect a new school-house in Sub-Districts Nos. 3 and 4, and to establish a graduated school. An aet of Legislature passed April 3, 1873, authorizing the organiza- tion of a Board of Education, and providing for the establishment of a graded school. In ac- cordance with this act, a Board of Education of Long Branch was elected, who proceeded to the erection of a High School building on a block of ground lying between Prospect and Academy

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Streets and Morris and Willow Avennes. Pro- posals were advertised for, August 23, 1874, and a contract was soon after made for the erection of the present brick High School build- ing. It was completed at a total cost of thirty- two thousand dollars, and was dedicated July 12, 1876.

The High School building is of brick, three stories and basement, and of irregular form, the central part forty by sixty feet, with wing, making a total of seventy and eighty feet. The house has a seating capacity of seven hundred.

The county superintendent, Rev. Samuel Lockwood, in his report of 1883, says of this district,-

"It is a notable fact that No. 85, containing the large borough of Long Branch, with its vaster school interests, with an efficient Board of Education, though but one school district, is really a consolidation of a number of districts, each one of which has greatly in- creased school accommodations since entering this union, and all have the advantage of the fine central High School. But the other schools are all feeders to this, and are classified as primaries, and the princi- pal of the High School supervises the primaries. This efficient solidarity is virtually an admirable exempli- fication and defense of the township system in vogue in some of the States. In the case here mentioned the principal is truly the local superintendent."

The present (as he was also the first) princi- pal of the Long Branch High School is Pro- fessor James A. Green.

Private schools have been taught at Long Branch nearly as follows: The first was taught by John Woods, about 1812. William R. Maps attended the school. It was taught in the new school-house in 1814. John Sloenm attended school under him in that house.

In 1861, Miss Mary Shepherd opened a school on Broadway, in rooms of Mrs. Mary Morgan. She continued until 1865. The next year a school-house was built on Clark Street, in the rear of the St. James' Church. School was kept by a lady who later became the wife of the Rev. R. A. Poole, rector of St. James' Church. This school was afterwards taught by Miss Mary Moore until 1871, when the house was sold.

In 1870 a school-house was built, twenty by thirty feet, on the corner of Grove Street and

Broadway, in which school was kept by differ- ent ladies until 1875, when it was discontinued

In 1863, William J. Hubard, a graduate of Jefferson College, Virginia, opened a private school for boys in a building erected for that purpose by N. W. Troutman, on the corner of Long Branch and Sea View Avenues. This school was kept about ten years.

In 1871, J. T. Jones opened a private school for boys in a building known as Scriven's Store, on Broadway, corner of Pearl. He taught there two years, and was chosen principal of School No. 2. IIe was followed by W. D. Ire- land, who continued about a year, and was ap- pointed principal of School No. 3.

In 1874, Mrs. J. S. Morris opened a private school and taught two years, and became a teacher in No. 2.

Miss Z. A. Eaton, in 1876, was a teacher in the High School. After one year she resigned and married. Mrs. Z. A. Schroeder is now teaching a private school for young ladies on Union Avenue.

The East Long Branch Reading-Room and Library Association owes its existence to the ex- ertions and energy of Mrs. J. S. Morris, who was prominent in its organization. It was in- corporated in the winter of 1879-80. The old school-house lot No. 2 was bought, and the cor- ner-stone of the present building was laid March 2, 1880. It is a frame building, thirty by sixty feet, two stories, with library and reading-room in the first story and a hall in the second story. A small collection of books was procured at first and the library was opened in Washington Hall, where it was kept until the completion of the hall. The reading-room is supplied with news- papers and periodicals. The library contains about two thousand volumes. Mrs. Hugh J. Hastings is president. Mrs. J. S. Morris was secretary from the first until March, 1884, and was succeeded by Miss Caroline Scott.

A Circulating Library Association was formed October 13, 1854, with rooms in a building which stood on the site of the Reformed Church parsonage. It closed after an existence of three years. In 1865 a library of about three thon- sand volumes was purchased in New York for

Amp. muhs

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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCH.

five hundred dollars by Dr. J. O. Green, Dr. T. brother, the Rev. Lewis T. Maps, wasa member G. Chattle, George Cade and Richard Davis, of the New Jersey Conference of the Methodist who brought it to Long Branch and opened it Episcopal Church, and died while stationed at as a circulating library in Green's drug store, Paterson, N. J., July 11, 1846. near Grand Street. It continued five or six years, and the volumes were then divided be- tween the purchasers. Messrs. Cade, Davis and Chattle gave their portion of the library to the Young Men's Christian Association, which was formed in the winter of 1875-76. Rooms were opened in Bergen Block April 10, 1876. The rooms were afterwards moved over the Central Market, and were finally closed in 1881.

THE LONG BRANCH BANKING COMPANY was incorporated March 14, 1872, with a cap- ital stock of fifty thousand dollars, with right to increase to two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars. The following-named persons were the corporators : William R. Maps, Joseph E. Lippincott, Aaron S. Bright, John A. Morford, Thomas G. Chattle, Bloomfield Drummond, William H. Bennett, Eden Wooley, Abner Al- len, Francis Corlies, Samuel C. Morris and William Hathaway. William R. Maps was chosen president, and still holds that office. Joseph Burrows, Jr., was chosen cashier, and served until May, 1874, when T. Con. Mor- ford was elected, and served until May, 1883, when the present cashier, H. W. Johnson, was elected. The present capital is ninety thousand dollars, and the bank has a surplus of sixty thou- sand dollars The banking-house was erected on the corner of Main Street and Branchport Avenue, and was opened for busines- May 1, 1873.

WILLIAM R. MAPS was born September 14, 1809, at Long Branch (then in the town- ship of Shrewsbury), Monmouth County, N. J., of humble, though respectable, parent- age, whose ancestors figured conspicuously in the War of the Revolution ; and with their inherent patriotism they combined practical piety, and were among the first to compose the Methodist Episcopal Church of that place, and early taught their offspring the observance of religious principles, as a result of which the family of seven children all were religious, and members of Christian churches. A younger

Mr. W. R. Maps, at the age of thirteen, under the pastorate of the Rev. Bartholomew Weed, was united in church fellowship to the Meth- odist Episcopal Church of that place, of which he has continued an active and efficient member, having been its recording and corresponding secretary over fifty consecutive years. He has also filled various other offices in the church, such as class-leader, Sabbath-school superinten- dent, trustee, steward, etc. During his minority, to the age of sixteen, he remained at home as- sisting his father, working on his farm nine months in the year, and attending school during the winter season. At that age, owing to ill health, he was obliged to abandon work on the farm and engaged as clerk in a country store.

In 1826 he was employed by Alexander McGregor as elerk to take charge of his store at Long Branch, in whose employ he continued three years, on a salary of two hundred dollars per year, furnishing his own board and clothing. In 1829 he purchased the store of Mr. McGregor, paying what little money he had saved from his small salary and giving his note without secur- ity (though a minor) for the balance, which was paid, principal and interest, within five years. Mr. Maps, although always strictly temperate and a stanch friend of the temperance cause, was obliged to sell liquor while in the employ of others, as it was universally kept and sold in connection with groceries at that early day. But when he commenced business on his own account he resolved that none should be sold in his store, notwithstanding the prophecy of friends that he could not succeed in the business without it, as it was a staple article of sale in the mer- cantile business and paid the best profit. But he resolved to test the experiment : hence he had a notice posted up conspicuously in the store announcing that " No more rum bought or sold here." This was the first, and for many years the only, temperanee store in this section of country. How well it has succeeded time has demon- strated.

On the 11th of February, 1832, he purchased

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

the site for his future residence, and on the 16th new houses, though smaller than he desired. Owing to the deep interest he manifested in the cause of education, he was elected and served for a number of years as school superintendent of the following month commeneed the erection of what has been his subsequent dwelling. This being completed, on the 15th of November, 1832, he was married to Miss Mary A. Tucker, for the township of Shrewsbury before it was adopted daughter of William I. and Mary Mar- divided, embracing what is now comprised in Shrewsbury, Ocean, Atlantic and Eatontown townships, making it an onerous duty to visit all the schools once every quarter to examine and license teachers and give attention to all other matters appertaining thereto. tin, of Deal, N. J. He still resides in the same house where he commenced house-keeping more than fifty-two years ago. On the 17th of Sep- tember, 1838, his estimable wife died, leaving two daughters,-Hannah Maria and Mary Ann, the former now the wife of the Rev. Thomas Hanlon, principal of Pennington Seminary,

N. J., the latter the wife of A. S. Lokerson, of | from 1839 to 1847, having for his competitors Ocean Grove.

On the 12th of April, 1844, Mr. Maps mar- ried Miss Susan A. Hampton, of New York City, who died suddenly of heart-disease, May 27, 1883, leaving a daughter-S. Angusta Brit- tan, widow of Joseph R. Brittan, deecased-and granddaughter,-Susie May Brittan.

In 1832, Mr. Maps, being permanently located at Long Branch at that early day, and possess- ing an enterprising, progressive spirit, sought in various ways to give impetus to the importance of the place. Up to this time the nearest post- offiee was Eatontown, a distance of five miles from the sea-shore, and but a few years previous the nearest post-office was at Shrewsbury village, two miles farther off. It would be thought a great hardship, at the present time, to travel seven miles to mail or receive a letter. It was mainly through his persistent efforts that the post-office was established at Long Branch. The Post-office Department refused to extend the route until it became self-sustaining, so that for three years he had to have the mail carried by private conveyanee from Eatontown to Long Branch before the department would eonsent to an ex- tension of the route.

Mr. Maps also manifested a deep interest in our common schools, which at that time were in a very low condition. The school-houses were generally small, badly managed, and many of them in a very dilapidated condition. He ad- vocated the building of a large two-story house in his district for two departments, but this met with opposition, and as a compromise, he sue- ceeded in securing the erection of two

Mr. Maps represented his township, then Shrewsbury, in the Board of Chosen Freeholders during that time such prominent men as the Hon. Thomas G. Haight, Dr. John R. Conover and Captain James Green, alternately. Owing to the magnitude of this large township, and the amount of labor to be performed, the office was deemed of considerable importance.

He has also filled various offices of responsi- bility and trust, both in the township and in the church, with marked fidelity and efficiency. Mr. Maps, in 1872, having long felt the neees- sity of banking facilities for the accommodation of the citizens of Long Branch and for the sue- cess of business pursuits (having no bank nearer than Red Bank), took an active part in the es- tablishment of the Long Branch Banking Com- pany, and at its organization was elected presi- dent of the institution, which position he still retains, giving entire satisfaction to all inter- ested.

EDEN WOOLLEY is descended from English stoek, his grandparents having been Benjamin and Catharine Cook Woolley, who resided at Poplar, Ocean township, Monmouth County. Their children were Patience, wife of George Corlies ; Deborah, married to Jesse Cook ; Mary (Mrs. Thomas White); Elizabeth, wife of William Parker ; and one son, Jacob, born on the homestead, where he was, during his active life, a farmer. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Tueker, of Deal, and had children,-Benjamin, Catharine (wife of John P. Lewis), Jacob, Tueker, Elizabeth (wife of John Howland), Joseph, Eden and Emeline (wife of John Corlies). Eden Woolley was born March 5, 1805, on the homestead, where, after

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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCH.

such advantages as the country schools afforded, during his active life so occupied with business interests as to leave little time for the diseussion of political questions. He is still true to the Quaker teachings of his youth, and worships with the Friends' Meeting. he gave his services to his father in the culti- vation of the farm, which he afterwards success- fully managed. He was married, on the 10th of October, 1836, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Williams, of Poplar. Their chiklren are Mary Elizabeth (Mrs. James E. Lippincott, THE LONG BRANCH MUTUAL FIRE IN- SURANCE COMPANY was incorporated on April 9, 1867, with the following corporators: Jacob Herbert, Francis Corlies, Henry Howland, of Long Branch), born September 21, 1836, and Sarah Louvinia (Mrs. Benjamin B. Hance of New York), born October 12, 1841. On the death of Mr. Woolley's father, in 1827, in his James E. Lippincott, Samuel Laird, Samuel (".

Eden Woolly

sixty-sixth year, his son Eden inherited a farm, as did each of the sons, his property em- bracing a portion of the homestead. This he sold to his brother and purchased land on which he at present resides, where he has since 1835 fol- lowed the pursuits of a farmer, though much of the labor has latterly fallen to other hands as a consequence of his advancing years. Mr. Woolley is a director of the Long Branch Banking Company, and, as a Republican, has served on the township committee, though

Morris, Thomas G. Chattle and Joseph H. Cooper. The first president was Jacob Herbert, who was succeeded by Dr. T. G. Chattle, who continued until its discontinuance. Dr. Chattle was secretary until chosen president, in 1870. He was succeeded by John E. Lanning. The affairs of the company were closed in 1875.

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 128

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