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 9
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* Mr. Dagworthy removed from Lawrence. He owned and lived on the plantation of the late Caleb Smith Green, and died in Trenton, September 5th, 1760.
+ This house was built by John Dagworthy, about the year 1760. It was two stories high, built of mud, and stuccoed. It was quite a large building. The front door was reached by eight steps, which extended either way, from north and south, and similar to those fronting the building which now occupies the same spot. This building afterwards came into the possession of Thomas Sterling. Upon the lot was built the fish market, and near the market stood the Union engine house, both of which were removed in 1837, when the present dwellings were erected thereon.
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desiring that body to constitute them a separate body. This petition was opposed by commissioners appointed by some of the members of the congregation who were unfavorable to a separation ; these commissioners, as well as those who favored a separation, met the Presbytery, and both parties being heard, and the subject ably discussed before that body, it was at last agreed, "That inasmuch as the Presbytery judge it their duty that when new erections are made, particular care be taken that old standing congregations be not hurt or ruined."
To prevent any evil from this course, which was now requested to be pursued, it was agreed, by the parties present of both con- gregations, that if they could not agree, by a majority of both parties of the respective churches, where to locate a meeting- house, they would refer the location of it to the Presbytery, and this agreement was signed, on behalf of the applicants in favor of the new erection, by Benjamin Stevens, John Anderson, Samuel Hunt, and Joseph Burt ; and in favor of the old congre- gations, by Enoch Armitage, Thomas Burroughs, Edward Hart, and Timothy Baker. The Presbytery then, with entire unanimity, elected the applicants into a separate congregation or society. The new congregation then requested to be set off from the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and united to the Presbytery of New Brunswick. The Presbytery informed them that, in consequence of the afore-mentioned agreement, they could not, at present, accede to their request, but if the business of locating the meeting-house should be satisfactorily settled, then the Presby- tery would, upon their application, take their request under further consideration.
And again, in May, 1739, it was brought before the Presby- tery, when they referred it to the Synod for advice. At this meeting there was a call presented to Mr. Guild, from the old congregation of Hopewell, desiring his labors there. The con- sideration of this call was deferred by the Presbytery, until the opinion of the Synod on the subject submitted to them should be known.
At this meeting, also, the following minute was made, viz., "The subject of Mr. Guild's ordination was resumed, and the Presbytery are of the mind that the affair of Hopewell was
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determined in such a manner, by the Synod, that the way is clear for the people to proceed in making out a call for Mr. Guild ; yet they were desirous of settling him, and wished Presbytery to appoint one of their members to come and assist them in that affair." Accordingly, the Rev. Mr. Cross was appointed to attend to the business, and the Rev. Mr. Cowell was to accom- pany him.
At a meeting of the Presbytery, September 18th, 1739, the people of Hopewell and Maidenhead presented a call for Mr. Guild, who took it into consideration, until the meeting was to be held at Hopewell, by the appointment of the Synod, to settle the affairs of these congregations, which had been referred to them by the Presbytery for advice. Circumstances, however, prevented this meeting of the Synod at Hopewell.
At a meeting of the Presbytery, September 17th, 1741, Mr. Guild declared his acceptance of the call from Hopewell and Maidenhead, having had it under consideration during this period, &c., and measures were adopted for his ordination, which took place on the 12th of November, 1741, at Hopewell. The Rev. David Evans preached the sermon on the occasion .*
In May, 1743, the new society in Maidenhead and Hopewell presented a call to the New Brunswick Presbytery, for the Rev. John Rowland to settle among them, but we have no evidence that he accepted it. From this time, supplies were furnished them until the meeting of the Presbytery in October, 1748, when they presented a call to the Rev. Timothy Allen. This call he took into consideration, but never accepted it, although he continued to preach for them until May, 1752.
In October, 1753, these congregations called the Rev. James Davenport, and he accepted the invitation, and was installed in October, 1754, and continued their pastor until nearly the close of the year 1757, when he departed this life. During his ministry Mr. Davenport lived on the place in Maidenhead which had been occupied by the Rev. Mr. Morgan.
In June, 1758, they presented a call for the labors of the Rev. Thomas Lewis, which he took into consideration. In May of
* Minutes of Philadelphia Presbytery.
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this year, the Rev. David Cowell and the Rev. John Guild, with the congregations of Trenton, Hopewell, and Maidenhead, were, by an act of Synod, attached to the Presbytery of New Brunswick. Until this time they belonged to the Presbytery of Philadelphia, except the new society formed in 1738 from parts of the congre- gation of Hopewell and Maidenhead. In May, 1760, the Rev. Mr. Lewis returned the call which he had received from Hope- well and Maidenhead.
In 1763, Mr. Guild was settled over the two churches, Maiden- head and Hopewell. The same year the people made application to Mr. Enoch Green, (who had in December, 1761, been licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and ordained an Evangelist in September, 1762), to supply them the Sabbaths that Mr. Guild did not preach for them, and in October, 1794, they gave him a call to settle among them. But the Presbytery advised him not to return the call until he and Mr. Guild could bring about a reconciliation and union of the two congregations of Maidenhead and Hopewell which had been so long divided, but this they failed to accomplish after various efforts. In the mean- time Mr. Green was to be their stated supply. In 1766 he returned the call.
In 1769, the Rev. Elihu Spencer preached in the old house (Ewing) in town, and in Maidenhead, and dying in 1785, Mr. Guild continued to preach in Maidenhead and Pennington.
In 1740, the Church in Pennington was built on lands of Mr. Pinkerton about one mile west of the village of Pennington. In this church they continued to worship until their new one was built, which was a brick structure and erected in the village. Having finished this one, they abandoned the old church.
In 1785, Rev. James Francis Armstrong, of the Presbytery of New Castle, supplied the three churches, as Mr. Spencer had done before them.
In April, 1786, the Rev. Mr. Armstrong was present at the meeting of the New Brunswick Presbytery, a call having been presented for that gentleman at a previous meeting of the Pres- bytery. Mr. A. was at first admitted on trial for the gospel ministry by the New Brunswick Presbytery, in 1775, and about this time the British army, holding possession of this part of
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New Jersey, Dr. Witherspoon gave Mr. Armstrong a letter to the Presbytery of New Castle, where he was licensed and ordained, and was for some years a chaplain in the army.
In April, 1787, Mr. Armstrong accepted the call from Trenton and Maidenhead. In 1790, the congregation of Lawrence asked for his labors half of the time, and from this time till 1806 they were equally divided between Lawrence and Trenton. In this year the city congregation asked for his labors the whole of the time, and thenceforward he was wholly employed in the city till the 19th or January, 1816, when he departed this life in the sixty-sixth year of his age, and the thirty-eighth of his ministry, and was buried in the burial ground of the First Presbyterian Church in Trenton.
December 17th, 1816, Rev. Samuel Blanchard How, who had previously received a call from the congregation of Trenton city, was installed their pastor. In April, 1821, having received a call from New Brunswick, he accepted it, and dissolving his pastoral relations here entered upon his new field of labor.
On the 28th of November, 1821, Rev. William Jessup Arm- strong, D. D., was ordained and installed pastor of the church in this city, and on April 24th, of the following year, having received a call from Richmond, Virginia, he accepted it, and his pastoral relation here was dissolved.
March 8th, 1826, Rev. John Smith was ordained and installed pastor of this church, and on the 6th of August, 1828, the pastoral relation was dissolved at his own request.
On the IIth of February, 1829, the Rev. James W. Alexander was installed pastor of the city congregation, and on the Ist of October, 1832, in consequence of ill-health, Mr. Alexander asked leave to have his pastoral relation dissolved, which was granted. He then returned to Princeton and accepted a profes- sorship in the college, which he held for a number of years, when he accepted a call in New York city, to preach in the Duane Street Church. Subsequently, however, he returned to a professorship in the Theological Seminary at Princeton. The Duane street congregation resolved to erect a new edifice higher up town than their old one, and having finished it, they offered the pastoral charge to Mr. Alexander, which he accepted.
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On the 7th of October, 1834, the Rev. John W. Yeomans was installed pastor of the congregation in the city. During his ministration the new church edifice was erected, and dedicated by him on Sunday, the 19th of January, 1840 ; his text upon the occasion was the 4th verse of the 65th Psalm : " Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts ; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple." His sermon was afterwards published by the congregation and distributed among the members of his church. He was dismissed by his own request, April 27th, 1841, having been appointed to the presidency of Lafayette College, at Easton, Pennsylvania. He afterwards accepted a call at Danville, Pennsylvania, where he remained until his death.
On the IIth of August, 1841, Rev. John Hall, the present pastor, was ordained and installed.
In 1870 the church was considerably improved, newly painted and new pews put in, and they are having a splendid organ built at a cost of about four thousand dollars. The church contains one hundred and forty-four pews, with a gallery across the southern end, and will seat about eight hundred persons.
Tne officers of the church are Rev. John Hall, D. D., pastor ; Thomas J. Stryker, Jonathan Fisk, Samuel Roberts, George S. Green, Augustus G. Richey, Henry W. Green, John S. Cham- bers, and William J. Owens, elders; B. Wesley Titus, Julius Johnston, William R. Titus, and James H. Clark, deacons ; Charles E. Green, treasurer ; James S. Gray, sexton.
The following statistics during his ministry were furnished by the pastor : Received on first profession, three hundred and twenty-two ; from other churches, three hundred and ninety- four-total, seven hundred and sixteen. Original number, (1841), three hundred. Baptism of children, three hundred and seventy-four ; baptism of adults, one hundred and fifty-nine. Marriages, three hundred and twenty-seven ; funerals, eight hun- dred and fifty.
The Second Presbyterian Church of Trenton, was organized by a committee of Presbytery on the 15th of November, 1842, Rev. Messrs. Eli F. Cooley, Bayard Hall, and John Hall, D. D.,
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serving on this committee. Various efforts had been previously made to maintain public worship in the vicinity of the present location of the church edifice, which is in the fourth ward, not far from the Delaware bridge.
As far back as 1823, the Trenton and Lamberton Baptist Church, under the pastoral care of Rev. William Boswell, became divided, and a party following the lead of their pastor, to whom they manifested a strong attachment, and under the influence of more than ordinary excitement caused by their maintaining "open communion" or fellowship with brethren of various Christain denominations, and other doctrines in which they were violently opposed by the Baptist brethren, they at once commenced building a small, but substantial brick edifice where the Second Church now stands, and in six weeks' time it was completed and occupied as a house of public worship. This house was about forty feet front by fifty-six deep. Here Mr. Boswell continued his ministerial labors with much zeal and to the great acceptance of his hearers until near the period of his removal by death, which occurred on the roth of June, 1833, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. A decent grave-stone covers the place of his burial in the ground immediately back of the place he occupied as a pulpit.
The shepherd died and the flock became scattered, and finally after many difficulties were disbanded.
For some length of time their house was not occupied, or it was open to any denomination who might chance to worship there. The Methodists not unfrequently held meetings in it, and at one time made a vigorous effort to obtain means for its. purchase, but without success.
Finally some of the laymen connected with the First Presby- terian Church of this city, in view of the great destitution among the rapidly increasing population in the vicinity of the church edifice, occupied it for the purpose of gathering in the children in the neighborhood and instructing them in the Sabbath-school, and occasionally having preaching there, until, at length, at a meeting of the Presbytery in Kingston, August 2d, 1842, a com- mittee to whom the business had been referred, "reported that
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a place for public worship had been purchased and handsomely fitted up and opened for public service."
At this meeting "The Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D., was appointed to preach there the second Sabbath in August, and the Rev. B. H. Rice, D. D., the third Sabbath in August, and the further supply of the pulpit till the next stated meeting of the Presbytery was referred to Rev. John Hall and Rev. Dr. Miller."
The venerable and Rev. Charles Webster was employed as a stated supply for a limited time, and he was succeeded by the Rev. Daniel Dereuelle in 1843, who was regularly called and settled as their first pastor, with whom he continued to labor in word and doctrine for about five years. About the commence- ment of his pastorate, a brick Sunday-school edifice, one story high, was erected on the south side of the church edifice, which was also used for a session-house and lecture room. Mr. Dereuelle finally obtained permission of the Presbytery to resign his pastoral charge on account of his health.
On the 23d of July, 1848, the Rev. A. D. White, who had been preaching for them a number of times, received a unanimous- call to become their pastor, and on finally accepting it he was duly installed by the Presbytery as pastor of the congregation on the 9th of October, 1848.
There was now a steady increase in the congregation and membership of the church until the spring of 1851, when a vigorous effort was made for enlarging the church edifice. John McArthur, Jr., architect, of Philadelphia, was employed to furnish plans and specifications-and pastor, elders, trustees, members, "people of the world," and all hands, male and female, old and young, who felt any interest in the undertaking, were set to work to give of their means according to their several ability, and to procure means, both in and out of the congrega- tion, until they should be permitted to see the desire of their hearts accomplished.
The unsightly and dingy old edifice was rejuvenated at the mystic touch of the hand of genius ; forty feet were added to the eastern end, making the entire length ninety-six feet. Large new windows and a front view of the Romanesque style of archi-
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tecture were added, and the entire edifice newly plastered and painted inside, and a rough coat on the outside, in imitation of granite, presenting at once a neat, plain, and chaste house of worship, capable of seating six hundred people, and the entire improvement, including furnace, carpets, gas fixtures, &c., cost- ing about six thousand dollars, which amount was paid and the congregation left free of debt.
While this improvement was progressing, the congregation, by permission of the board of freeholders, met in the Mercer court- house for public worship. The present edifice in its improved form was first occupied as a place of worship on the first Sabbath in October, 1851, and on the Tuesday following, the Presbytery of New Brunswick held their regular fall meeting there, according to previous adjournment.
A Sunday-school edifice was built in 1857, on grounds adjoin- ing the church edifice, on the north side, which cost about four thousand dollars. The edifice is of brick, rough-cast like the church, thirty-two feet wide and sixty feet long, two stories high, and is capable of seating six hundred children. The lower story is also occupied as a lecture room, prayer meeting room, session room, &c.
Soon after the enlargement of the church edifice in 1851, the name of the First Presbyterian Church of South Trenton was changed by legislative enactment to the " Second Presbyterian Church, Trenton," when South Trenton was no longer a separate "borough," but was included within the corporate limits of the city.
The Rev. Ansley D. White was succeeded in the pastorate of the Second Church by Rev. George S. Bishop.
This was Mr. Bishop's first charge, he being called here directly from the Theological Seminary at Princeton. He was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry and installed as pastor of the church, June 15th, 1864.
His pastorate continued only about twenty months, during which time there were added to the communion of the church thirteen on certificate and thirteen on examination, being a total of twenty-six. Mr. Bishop removed hence to the Calvary Church, of Newburg, New York.
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HISTORY OF TRENTON.
The pastorate of Rev. James B. Kennedy, the present pastor, began here on the 11th of October, 1866, on which day he was installed, and upon which occasion Rev. A. Gosman, D. D., of Lawrence, presided and proposed the constitutional questions, Rev. Samuel M. Studdiford, of the Third Church, preached the sermon, Rev. William M. Blackburn, of the Fourth Church, gave the charge to the pastor, and Rev. John Hall, D. D., of the First Church, gave the charge to the people. During the five years which have since elapsed there have been added to the church, on certificate, thirty-four, and on examination forty- nine, making a total of eighty-three.
The present membership is about two hundred and thirty- eight, being little, if any, in advance of what it was in the latter part of Mr. White's pastorate, which fact is accounted for by constant removals from the section of the city where the church is located to up-town localities.
The church property consists of the lot on Union street on which the church edifice stands, together with the lecture and Sabbath-school rooms, the value of the whole being about thirty thousand dollars.
The present officers are Rev. James B. Kennedy, pastor ; William H. Brace, John B. Clugston, Lewis Wooley, and Albert Drake, elders ; Edward H. Stokes, Lewis Bronson, George Brearley, Jacob Stuckert, Lewis Parker, Jr., Charles M. Hutchinson, and E .. R. Cook, trustees ; George Brearley and John Hunt, deacons; Lewis Parker, Jr., treasurer ; John Bucknum, sexton.
In the year 1848, the Third Presbyterian Church of Trenton was formed, and in 1849 they erected the edifice they now occupy, in Warren street, which was built by Mr. John Grant, of stone taken from the Ewing quarries. Their first pastor was the Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler. He commenced his ministration here in 1848, before their edifice was completed. At that time, they held their meetings in the Odd Fellows Hall, corner of Greene and Hanover streets. In June, 1853, Mr. Cuyler resigned his charge, and the Rev. Jacob Kirkpatrick, Jr., being chosen, accepted the call, but did not enter immediately upon his duties, and the church, for several months, received supplies
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of ministers from other places. During the summer season, the First Church being vacated, to undergo some important repairs, the Rev. John Hall, D. D., accepted an invitation to occupy the pulpit of the Third Church, and for his congregation to worship there, while their church was being repaired.
Rev. Henry B. Chapin succeeded Mr. Kirkpatrick on the 5th of February, 1859, and continued until January Ist, 1866. On the 25th of April, 1866, he was succeeded by Rev. S. M. Stud- diford. Upon the occasion of his installation, Rev. P. A. Stud- diford, brother of the pastor, preached the sermon, Rev. P. O. Studdiford, D. D., gave the charge to the pastor, and Rev. Samuel Hammell, D. D., the charge to the people.
The present officers of the church are Samuel M. Studdiford, pastor ; Joseph G. Brearley, Edward W. Scudder, William A. Clark, George S. Grosvenor, elders ; Edward J. C. Atterbury, Henry W. Closson, John Mutchler, Henry C. Worthington, deacons ; Joseph G. Brearley, treasurer ; Joseph Pycraft, sexton.
The church has one hundred and twenty pews, with capacity for seating about six hundred persons. The present membership is about three hundred.
On the 4th day of November, 1858, sundry persons to the number of one hundred and two, represented by their commis- sioners, Messrs. John McKelway, Elias Cook, Andrew R. Titus, and William F. Phelps, appeared before the Presbytery of New Brunswick, then in session at Jamesburg, and petitioned that reverend body to organize them into a church, to be known as " The Fourth Presbyterian Church of Trenton."
Whereupon, it was resolved that the prayer of the petitioners be granted, and that the Rev. John Hall, D. D., the Rev. A. D. White, and Hon. Stacy G. Potts, ruling elders, be a committee to organize said church when the way should be clear.
On the 6th of November, and at the request of the petitioners aforesaid, this committee of Presbytery met at the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association, No. 77 Warren street. The Rev. Dr. Hall, moderator of the meeting, opened the same with prayer. The object of the meeting having been stated, the cer- tificates of the following persons were presented, and being found
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in order, at their own request they were organized into a church to be known as "The Fourth Presbyterian Church of Trenton :"
From the First Presbyterian Church of Trenton, Andrew R. Titus, Mrs. Mary E. Titus, Watson F. Van Camp, Mrs. Hannah Van Camp, Charles Brearley, Mrs. Sarah A. Brearley, Edward T. Green.
From the Third Presbyterian Church of Trenton, Benjamin S. Disbrow, Mrs. Elizabeth Disbrow, Sarah Disbrow, John W. McKelway, Wm. W. L. Phillips, Labaw Dennis, Mrs. Marcia McNeely, George G. Roney, Anna Maria Lloyd, Joseph P. Lloyd, Anna H. Lloyd, William F. Phelps, John P. Hutchin- son, Elizabeth Hutchinson, Nathaniel R. Titus, Mrs. Ann Titus, Elizabeth Titus, Penelope Titus, William White, Mrs. Hannah H. White, Wilbur F. Wood, John C. Titus, Mrs. Letitia Titus, Sumner C. Webb, Robert P. Galager, Mary E. Galager, James H. Farrand, Mrs. Louisa C. Farrand, Mary E. Farrand, Ange- lina McChesney, Joseph C. Potts, Anna W. Potts.
At the same time and place, Messrs. Nathaniel R. Titus, Ben- jamin S. Disbrow, and Sumner C. Webb were elected ruling elders, and their installation was appointed to take place at the close of the public services on the afternoon of the Sabbath fol- lowing, November 7th.
On the afternoon of Sunday, November 7th, 1858, the first sermon was preached to the Fourth Church by the Rev. Dr. Hall, in the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association, from these words, " God is faithful by whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ." Ist Cor. I., 9. And the ruling elders above named were duly installed.
These services concluded, a notice was read calling a meeting of the church and congregation to be held at the same place on Monday evening, November 8th, for the purpose, if the way be clear, of electing a pastor.
Pursuant to said call, the church and congregation assembled Monday evening, November 8th. The Rev. Dr. Hall officiated as moderator, and Edward T. Green as clerk. At this meeting the Rev. Edward D. Yeomans, of Pennsylvania, was unanimously chosen as pastor, and Messrs. Webb, A. R. Titus, and McKel- way, were appointed a committee to prosecute the call.
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It was also resolved that Messrs. G. G. Roney, C. Brearley, O. H. Hazard, and P. K. McClurg, be appointed a committee to organize a Sabbath-school in connection with this church.
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