USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Trenton > History of the city of Trenton, New Jersey : embracing a period of nearly two hundred years, commencing in 1676, the first settlement of the town, and extending up to the present time, with official records of the population, extent of the town at different periods, its manufactories, church history, and fire department > Part 12
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
In the box deposited in the corner-stone, were placed each of the daily papers of Trenton ; "Philadelphia Christian Chroni- cle ;" "New York Chronicle;" the "Examiner ;"' "Watchman and Reflector;" "Christian Secretary ;" "Young Reaper ;" New Testament ; "Philadelphia Public Ledger ;" statistics of the Baptist denomination in the United States; date of the organization of the church ; names of pastors of the church ; church covenant ; annual report of the American Baptist Pub- lication Society ; minutes of New Jersey Baptist State Conven- tion; minutes of the West New Jersey Baptist Association ; records of church relative to the building ; names of his excel- lency the governor, and the executive officers of the state; name of the Chief Justice of the state ; name of the president of the United States ; notice of George Washington and the battle of Trenton ; several small coins of the year 1859 ; names of officers of the New Jersey Lunatic Asylum ; names of trustees and prin- cipal of State Normal School; "American Baptist Missionary Magazine ;" "Baptist Family Magazine ;" "Macedonian ;"' names of the officers and members of the church; date of laying the corner-stone, with names of deacons, trustees, build- ing committee, master builder, chorister, and sexton ; cards of the architect ; family record of the gentleman who presented the box.
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
/ 125
The church edifice was dedicated in August, 1860, on which occasion sermons were preached by Rev. Thomas Armitage, D. D., of New York, Rev. Lewis Smith, of Hightstown, and Rev. D. Henry Miller, of Meriden, Connecticut.
There are upon the floor of the church one hundred and forty- six pews, with a seating capacity of seven hundred and forty grown persons. In the galleries there are forty-eight pews, capable of seating two hundred and forty grown persons, and about thirty more may be seated in the orchestra, making a total of one hundred and ninety-four pews and the entire seating capacity of the house one thousand and ten, and when children are interspersed it often contains twelve to thirteen hundred persons.
The church was originally known as " The Trenton and Lam- berton Baptist Church," but in 1861, by act of the legislature, the name was changed to "The First Baptist Church of Tren- ton."
The property owned by the church is the following : church edifice, and chapel beside it, with cemetery &c., on Centre street, valued at forty thousand dollars.
The chapel in Hamilton was erected in 1868-69, and opened May 23d, 1869. The lots and chapel building corner of James and Annie streets, Hamilton, are valued at two thousand five hundred dollars.
The chapel in the sixth ward was erected in 1870-71, and dedicated March 19th, 1871. The lot and chapel on Second street, sixth ward, are valued at two thousand dollars. Total forty-four thousand five hundred dollars.
The present officers of the church are the following : Rev. George W. Lasher, pastor ; James Howell, Daniel B. Coleman, Enos Bowne, William Johnson, William W. Mershon, George Parker, Francis R. Lee, deacons; William Johnson, Joshua S. Day, William I. Vannest, Isaac C. Gearhart, William Lee, Caleb Coleman, William Whitehead, trustees; Daniel B. Coleman, treasurer ; Gershom M. Howell, clerk.
There have been baptized into the fellowship of the church since its origin, one thousand three hundred and fifteen persons. Its present membership is seven hundred and sixty-one.
L*
I26
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
The church at the present time sustains four distinct Sabbath- schools. The first holding two sessions per Sabbath in the chapel on Centre street, with an aggregate of seven hundred and fifty scholars. The second in the sixth ward chapel, with one hundred and twenty children. The third in Manning's building, on State street, with sixty scholars. The fourth in the chapel in Hamilton, with one hundred and eighty scholars, making a total of more than one thousand one hundred scholars.
The Central is not the second Baptist church of Trenton, but the fifth in number of those called Baptist, including the Tren- ton and Lamberton, which being the oldest has become the first by the annexation of the village in which it was located to the city. In 1823, the heresy of a pastor of that church resulted in his removal, and with him a colony that took the name of the Second Baptist Church. They were not, however, recognized as such by the denomination, nor received into the sisterhood of Baptist churches. The house of worship in Union street now owned by the Presbyterians, built by them, proved to be their cradle and their coffin. Another pastor of the Trenton and Lamberton church withdrew with eighty-five members in 1843. These organized as the Second Baptist Church, and were so received into the denominational family. They built the church edifice that formerly stood upon this site. Previous suspicions that the minister who caused the separation was not a regular Baptist minister ere long resolved themselves into the sad reality of truth. Whereupon the church broke into three parts. One returned to the old fold ; another clung to their place of worship, and the third formed themselves into "The Trinity Baptist Church," and met in Temperance Hall. Nearly all of this last body was subsequently absorbed in "The Central Church," which is thus the third Baptist church that has been identified with this site, and the fifth in the city in the date of its organi- zation.
· The Central Baptist Church of Trenton owes its existence to New Jersey Baptists. The State Convention gave it birth, and is its mother. The interposition of the State Convention, both as respects its results and its cause, was providential. It termin- ated the disputes and divisions with which Baptists in the state
I27
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
capital wasted their strength. The Second Church being broken in fragments, its house of worship, bought and nearly paid for with the moneys of the denomination, was likely to be lost to them. Informed of the facts, the State Convention obtained posses- sion of the property for the use of a Baptist church in the city .* Judge P. P. Runyan, of New Brunswick, and D. M. Wilson and J. M. Davies, of Newark, were appointed trustees. These brethren paid off the floating debt of several hundred dollars ; also the cost of repairs until the present church was constituted, to the trustees of which they transferred the property about 1864.
Already has the seed sown yielded fruit. The children and grand-children of Judge Runyan, who, with the two other trus- tees, bore so cheerfully the responsibilities of this enterprise upon both his heart and his purse, make this their spiritual home, and here some of the second generation have found a gracious Saviour. Successive steps followed the first action of the convention, until on the 30th of April, 1854, twenty-nine persons organized them- selves as the Central Baptist Church of Trenton. These were Rev. J. T. Wilcox and wife, Mr. and Mrs. V. Nesbit, Mrs. S. Booze, Mrs. C. Finehout, Mrs. S. Biles, Mr. and Mrs. Ezekiel Reed, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Case, A. J. Byram, Mrs. Wm. Past, Miss U. L. Boss, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Trimmer, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. McKee, Mrs. I. Drips, Mr. and Mrs. I. D. Randolph, Mr. and Mrs. N. Holmes, Mrs. H. Gorden, Mrs. E. Warner, Mrs. B. Jones, Miss P. Elvis, Mrs. L. Price, Mr. R. F. Randolph, Mr. and Mrs. J. Q. Carman, Sr .; On the 10th of May follow- ing, a council representing Baptist churches publicly recognized them as in the fellowship of the denomination. Joseph Case and E. Reed had been chosen deacons, and J. Trimmer, clerk.} The Rev. Mr. Wilcox, missionary of the State Convention,
* A marked feature in the operations of the New Jersey Convention, retain- ' 'ing to Baptists church edifices that otherwise would be lost from them, has so far attended with the most happy results.
¿ Fifteen were from the Trinity, two from Trenton and Lamberton, and twelve from other churches.
# From a discourse delivered by Rev. T. S. Griffith to his congregation, May 12th, 1867.
128
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
came to Trenton in October, 1853. His resignation took effect March 2Ist, 1858.
The Rev. L. Wright, the choice of both pastor and people, had already accepted the bishopric of the church, and com- menced his duties early in the following May.
The house of worship was, in this pastorate, brought more in harmony with the nineteenth century, at the cost of one thousand two hundred dollars. To the regret of all, and leaving a cherished memory, brother Wright resigned in October, 1859.
The Rev. Mr. Darrow succeeded him on the next Sunday, November Ist. After the lapse of one year and nine months, Mr. Darrow accepted a chaplaincy in the army and retired from his pulpit.
Rev. T. R. Howlet began his labors August Ist, 1861.
From the Ist of February until the Ist of December, 1863, the flock was without a shepherd.
The usual result of a vacation of the pastoral office followed. The membership was reduced, the congregation scattered, and at the last mentioned date, of the one hundred and seventy-three names on the register, forty had passed from the knowledge of the church, and since then have been either found and dismissed, or else excluded. In this interim, the rebuilding of the present house was begun and nearly completed. Its capacity was almost doubled, and little else remains of the former structure save a part of the old walls. The improvements cost eight thousand five hundred dollars, all of which not previously paid was pro- vided for on the day of rededication, March 3d, 1864.
Since Mr. Griffith's pastorship in December, 1863, two hun- dred and fifty-three persons were added to the church, and of these one hundred and sixty-seven have been baptised. The membership numbers now three hundred and fifty-eight. There are in the church twenty-seven "households of baptised believers ;" seventy-one members are respectively under the ages of twenty-one and eighteen ; the youngest member is eight years old, and the oldest eighty-one.
Ten years ago a minute authorizes the treasurer to pay the trifling sum of a few dollars for expenses of ministerial help in a revival that year. In 1867, a minute shows five hundred dollars
129:
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
paid for such aid. The receipts into the treasury for the quarter in 1857 were probably two hundred dollars ; in the correspond- ing quarter for 1867 they were one thousand two hundred dol- lars. A parallel of other interests would exhibit similar results and indicate the growth of one decade.
The benevolence of the church has had a continuous growth. In all its history, there is no year but that it is credited in the minutes of the convention with contributions. Seventeen dol- lars was the sum of the first annual gifts. Those of this year are one thousand three hundred and fifteen dollars. In all, four thousand one hundred and thirty dollars has been contributed abroad-a sum but little less than that expended by the Conven- tion to originate and sustain the church, which was five thousand and fifty-three dollars.
The Sunday-school has always been a preferred department of labor among us. The home school was established in 1853, with twelve teachers, eighty scholars, and the pastor for superin- tendent.
There has been added in all to the church from the Sunday- school, one hundred and twenty-three.
The Home school reports three hundred and seventy-one members ; one hundred and thirty of them are baptised believers. The revival has recently added thirty-seven baptized disciples to the school.
The pastor gave up the charge of the Home school to Mr. D. P. Forst, who filled the office of superintendent for five years, and was succeeded in January, 1861, by Mr. J. E. Darrah, the present superintendent, who, with the exception of nine months during which Mr. William Stickney held the office, has con- tinued in the discharge of its duties.
Mr. L. Cheeseman, librarian, has occupied the position for eleven years.
A mission-school was established in 1860, in the northwestern part of the city by Mr. Collins, who was its first superintendent. Mr. Forst, the present superintendent, has discharged the duties of the office four years. The school has been the means of good to many and is growing in numbers and usefulness. There are one hundred and ten names on the register. Two other mission
130
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
schools have been organized, one in the new chapel, Perry street, with Mr. T. C. Hill as superintendent ; the other in East Tren- ton, with Mr. H. B. Green as superintendent.
The rebuilding of the house of worship was a great undertak- ing for so feeble a folk. But invigorated by the expenditure and enriched in faith by its fruits, that enterprise was no sooner com- pleted than other projects for " church extension" were taken hold of. In 1865, lots were purchased for mission purposes. A parsonage was bought in 1866, and the mission chapel erected and opened for public service the same year.
The officers of the church are T. S. Griffith, pastor ; E. Cheeseman, D. P. Forst, William McKee, A. J. Byram, T. C. Hill, deacons ; C. B. Vansyckel, A. Jameson, A. J. Byram, R. M. Wilkinson, T. C. Hill, William McKee, D. P. Forst, trus- tees, of whom T. C. Hill and D. P. Forst were members of the first board of trustees chosen by the church ; James Buchanan, clerk; L. Cheeseman, treasurer.
Before the year 1850, efforts were made to organize the Ger- man Protestants in and around Trenton into a congregation ; but partly the small number of German families, and partly the incompetency of the men undertaking such a work, were the causes of repeated failures. Early in the year 1851, commis- sioned by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania, Rev. A. J. Geissenhaimer, who was living at that time in New York city, came at regular intervals to Trenton, to preach the word of God to the Germans in their own language, and to administer to them the Holy Sacraments. The meetings were held in a public hall, and the interest in this good work was increasing, so that Rev. Mr. Geissenhaimer found it necessary to move his family to our city, to be enabled to devote his whole time and energy to the spiritual welfare of the small flock. As the mem- bers of this new organization were too few and their means too small to build or to buy a church, their faithful pastor, with his own money, bought a suitable property on Broad street, in the spring of 1852, and during the following summer erected on it a neat brick church, with the understanding that as soon as the congregation would refund him the expended money, he would give them a deed and clear title to the property.
I31
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
The location of the church is not only very favorable to the much scattered congregation, being as much central as possible, but the selection of this property was also very judicious, as there are historical reminiscences connected with it. On this lot is a small frame house, still well preserved, now used as the parson- age, which stood during the revolution and was then owned by Captain Alexander Douglass.
There it was, in a small front room of this humble mansion, that General St. Clair had his quarters after the American army had recrossed on the east side of the Delaware during the week after the Hessians were taken in Trenton, on the 26th of Decem- ber, 1776. General Washington's headquarters, it is said, were at Mrs. Richmond's, or at a hotel near the old stone mill, but on the day of the fight at the Assanpink bridge, Thursday, Jan- uary 2d, 1777, they were too near it to be tenable, and this pro- bably was the reason why General St. Clair's room was used as a headquarters on this memorable night. It was here that the celebrated counsel of war was held, which was to decide the fate of our struggle for independence. At that counsel Washington presided, and Greene, Sullivan, Mercer, Knox, St. Clair, Stevens, Dickinson, Cadwallader, Mifflin, Wilkinson, Stark, and other officers assisted.
On the lot next to the above described house stands the small brick church, built in the Gothic style-thirty-three feet wide, and sixty feet deep, with a tower and steeple in front. The church had sixty-two pews, and could seat two hundred and seventy persons. The building was finished in the fall of 1852, and dedicated on the 3Ist day of October in the same year-this being the three hundred and thirty-fifth anniversary day of the reformation. In the following spring a small frame school- house, eighteen by thirty-three feet, was built against the rear end of the church, where the Sunday-school, and, for several years, week-day-school was held.
Thus this little flock was provided with a house of worship, and with a place where their children were brought to the knowledge of Jesus.
The happy effects of this work were soon visible, for not only did the number of members increase, but it was also found
I32
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
desirable to have preaching in both the German and English languages. The increased immigration of Germans into Trenton, and the proportionate growth of that part of the congregation, made it necessary to devote to the Germans the whole time on Sundays ; and with the consent and advice of Rev. Mr. Geissen- haimer, they organized themselves into a separate and entirely Ger- man congregation, and were incorporated in the year 1856, under the name and title of the German Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church. A call was given to and accepted by Rev. G. F. Gard- ner, and on November 23d, 1856, he preached his introductory sermon, (text: I Cor., ii., 1, 2), in Temperance hall, where from henceforth the Germans held their meetings, whilst the English portion continued to meet in the church on Broad street.
In the spring of 1857, Rev. A. T. Geissenhaimer received and accepted a call from a congregation in a neighboring city, where- upon the German congregation bought from him the church property at cost price, viz., five thousand five hundred dollars, and took possession of it in April, 1857. This newly assumed debt, and the general stagnation of all kinds of business through- out our whole country at that time, made this a year of great trials for the yet small and poor congregation, but with the help of God and the kind assistance from sympathising friends in Trenton and abroad, these difficulties were gradually overcome. With the revival of business, new confidence came into the hearts of the congregation, and it was especially encouraging to see the Sunday-school increase from week to week, so that it became necessary to enlarge the school-house during the year 1860.
The church, which at first was thought to be large enough for many years to come, proved to be too small, and in the year 1865, side galleries were put in, to accommodate with seats all those persons who came to hear the gospel preached. The church, thus enlarged, and with some extra seats put up, will hold now about five hundred persons. In the same year a small lot, fronting on Cooper street, was purchased, so that the whole church property now extends from Broad to Cooper street, two hundred feet deep by sixty feet wide, and soon after this pur- chase the corner-stone for a large two-story school-house was laid. The new building, fifty feet front on Cooper street, by
I33
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
thirty-six feet deep, was finished by New Year, 1866, and dedi- cated on the following Sunday. On the first floor is a large school room, where upwards of ninety scholars can be seated, besides the dwelling, consisting of three rooms, for the sexton. The second floor has but one room, which, by folding doors, can be partitioned off into two rooms. The lower school room, on week days, is occupied by the German and English school, num- bering between ninety and one hundred scholars, and on Sun- days by the infant class. The upper room is used by the larger classes of the Sunday-school, and during the week evening ser- vices are held here.
The congregation, in the space of eighteen years, has grown from about thirty families to almost three hundred, and the Sunday-school has at present three hundred and fifty scholars, with thirty-two teachers. Rev. George F. Gardner is the present pastor of the congregation.
The following gentlemen compose the vestry : John J. Strasser, Peter Hartmann, and Jacob Young, trustees ; Charles Voelkert, Frederick Beckmann, Peter Weber, Frederick Rustow, Charles Oerkvitz, Andrew Ritter, John Padderatz, John Wagner, and Frederick Fritz, deacons; Charles Lebtien, secretary ; Chris- topher Kuhn, guardian of the poor.
There are two societies connected with this church, the one composed of male members, the other of female members of the congregation, known by the name of the " Gustavus Adolphus Association." The former was organized on the 26th day of September, 1863, and has now fifty-nine members. The latter was organized on March 20th, 1864, and has at present sixty- five members. The object of these societies is not only mutual assistance in case of sickness or death, but general benevo- lence, and the advancement of the welfare of the congregation. The timely assistance given during the past years, and their donations to the church, are the proud records of the past ; and the healthy state of their finances, the harmony among the mem- bers, and the constant additions that are made to their number, augur a prosperous future for these societies.
In the month of January, 1871, a sweet-toned bell of seven hundred pounds weight was put in the tower, to call the mem-
M
134
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
bers of the church to divine service, to give, as the inscription on the bell says, "Glory to God in the highest."
On the 5th of December, 1777, Isaac Collins started a weekly newspaper at Burlington, called the "New Jersey Gazette," and on the 4th of March of the following year he removed it to this city, and established his office at the corner of Queen and Second streets (now Greene and State streets), and at present occupied by Charles Scott, as a book-store.
It was in the building occupied by Mr. Collins as a printing office that the first Catholic services were held, in 1804, by a missionary of the church. The subject of his discourse was, "The devotions of the Blessed Virgin," explaining the Ave Maria.
We have no further account of any effort being made to establish the church until the year 1811, when Father Carr, the priest of Saint Augustine's Church, Philadelphia, and Father Hurley, officiated at the residence of Mr. John D. Sartori, in Federal street, in the frame building now used by the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company as an office. In 1813, Father Harold, of Philadelphia, an able and eloquent preacher, offici- ated in the same place.
The Catholics increasing in numbers, about the year 1814, through the influence of Mr. Sartori, and other gentlemen con- nected with the congregation, they purchased the lot on the corner of Lamberton and Market streets, and erected the present brick edifice thereon, which, with the grave-yard, was dedicated to the services of the church the same year, by the Rt. Rev. Michael Eagan, Bishop of Philadelphia.
They continued to worship in this building until, in conse- quence of their large increase of numbers, they found it entirely too small, and were obliged to seek better accommodations, and, in the year 1846, they erected their present handsome church on Broad street. This church is handsomely finished, built of brick, and stuccoed. It has a handsome, fine-toned organ.
In 1853, they found it necessary, for want of room, to enlarge this building ; consequently, the wing in the rear was added,
I35
1
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
materially improving its appearance, as well as allowing them the additional room needed.
During the early history of the church in this city, they had no regularly settled pastor, but received supplies from New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
In 1828, Rev. James Smith officiated, after which Fathers Doyle, Whalen, and Comnissky supplied the pulpit. Their first resident pastor was Father Geaghen. His health failing, obliged him to give up the charge, and Rev. Patrick Rafferty came here in 1832. He resided in Front street, near Warren.
He was succeeded by Rev. William Whealen, in 1833. Sep- tember, 1834, Rev. William Reilly ; he remained but a short time, and was succeeded in the same year by Rev. Patrick Costello. In 1835, Richard Hardy. June, 1837, Rev. Daniel McGorian. November, 1839, Rev. John Charles Gilligan. He was succeeded in 1844, by Rev. John P. Makin. Father Makin's health failing, he was obliged to suspend preaching and to travel, during which time the [church was supplied by Fathers O'Don- nell and Young.
On the 20th of May, 1861, Father Anthony Smith came here and took charge of the parish, and remained in charge of Saint John's until the return of Father Makin, and the formation of Saint Mary's parish, January Ist, 1871, when he took charge of the church, and Father Makin was again appointed to take charge of Saint John's Church.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.