New Jersey Churchscape


No. 49 July 2005 The authoritative source on early churches in New Jersey ISSN 1543-3250 About this site We've created a database and photographic inventory containing more than half the 18th & 19th century churches in the state and add to it each month. We solicit all contributions and suggestions from visitors. photo gallery Architects & Builders find a church index to the articles *— Highlights —* Last month's feature dissent over abolition Book reviews When Church Became Theatre Can you identify this church? Trenton - Word to the World Vintage photo of the month Pompton Plains Reformed Endangered churches A dozen at-risk buildings are noted. Submit your nomination for the most endangered churches in the state. We will research the submissions and feature one each month, then maintain that list indefinitely. Annotate this article Do have additional information about any of the buildings in this article? Or perhaps an old photograph or an article that can enrich our knowledge? Please submit that information for the benefit of other visitors. *How to use this site* Consult the database Annotate the database Upload a photo Suggest a church for inclusion Glossary List of churches, by county Photographic notes Links to related sites Contact us	Feature of the month a chronology of political, social & economic events As we seek to understand why the Jersey churchscape differs from that of other states it is essential to focus on political, economic, and social events, not just the religion of the early settlers (most of whom were not affiliated with any religion) or on architectural styles. Some of these events, like construction and completion of the Morris Canal, were largely regional in their impact, whereas others affected all areas of the state and the country. I have sketched out a chronology of significant events affecting New Jersey's churchscape, adding only the briefest of notes regarding the significance. 1626 Dutch establish New Netherlands, headquartered on Manhattan Island 1630-1660 Dutch settlements in Bergen & Hudson counties 1660 Fire burns London; Christopher Wren commissioned to rebuild churches; his plans will become influential in colonial cities • Religious freedom tolerated by Dutch West India Company 1664 English oust the Dutch from New Netherlands; Charles I grants ownership & governance to his brother, the Duke of York, who will later become James II • Puritan settlers from New England buy land in Elizabethtown; Baptists & Quakers buy into Monmouth County 1666 Proprietors establish religious freedom as an important term of settlement • The colony attracts dissenting sects, especially Baptists, Quakers, Presbyterians, and some German Pietists 1666 Puritan congregations from Massachusetts & Connecticut settle Newark & Woodbridge; given wide latitude over civil governance 1676 East & West Jersey established as proprietary colony • Scotch-Irish important in East; Penn & other Quakers obtain significant interest in West Jersey 1670s Initial Quaker settlements in Burlington, Salem, Gloucester • Settlers from Barbados settle in Essex & Morris, establishing the slave system in those counties, which spreads to Monmouth • Dutch settlers from Long Island move into Somerset & Monmouth 1685 Revocation of Edict of Nantes in France causes flight of Huguenots (French protestants), some of whom settle in Jersey 1682 Penn acquires proprietary rights to Pennsylvania & establishes Philadelphia; formerly substantial Quaker immigration to Jersey is shunted to Pennsylvania 1688 English oust James II (who was sympathetic to Catholics), ascension of Protestants William & Mary 1702 SPG established; begins to subsidize missions in Jersey as a counterweight to dissenting sects • Earliest surviving church (St. Mary's) erected in Burlington 1703 East & West Jersey established as a crown colony • Anglicans favored by royal governors, but dissenters are too strong to be repressed 1704 English Parliament passes the Test Act for Ireland, disenfranchising dissenters—especially Presbyterians • Scotch-Irish Presbyterians from Ulster (Northern Ireland) emigrate to Jersey and Pennsylvania 1719 Most Puritan (Congregational) congregations affiliate with Presbyterian Synod in New Jersey 1720s Heavy German immigration into Pennsylvania; overflow to West Jersey 1720-40 Great Awakening gets started in Raritan Valley; Frelinghuysen, Whitefield, Tennent are leading preachers • Old Light-New Light splits Presbyterian church; Coetus- Conferentie dispute riles the Dutch Reformed church 1746 College of New Jersey (Princeton) established to train Presbyterian clergy 1755 Braddock's defeat sends Pennsylvania settlers fleeing to the east 1765 Stamp Act arouses colonists; resistance abetted by Presbyterian ministers in several congregations 1766 Queens College (Rutgers) established to train Dutch Reformed clergy 1776 Independence declared • Most Episcopal (Church of England) ministers leave the state • Methodist ministers recalled to England by John Wesley; all but Francis Asbury leave the country 1776-1784 War disrupts the economy; churches used to house troops, hospitals, and some are destroyed 1784 Asbury pledges Methodist loyalty to America, secures acceptance of Methodist church by Washington & officialdom 1789 Revolution in France brings wealthy aristocrats & their architects to America; initial impetus for Greek Revival style 1801 Success of Cane Meeting in Kentucky signals rise of camp meetings and revivals as recruiting method • Extensive organizing by itinerant and circuit preachers, especially in rural areas by Methodists, later by Baptists & Campbellites 1816 Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal church in Philadelphia; several early AME congregations in Jersey 1820s Beginning of substantial immigration from Ireland and Catholic areas of Germany 1820-1840 Second Great Awakening; even Presbyterian & Reformed congregations conduct revivals; church membership rises 1826 Hicksite schism in Society of Friends prompts construction of additional Quaker meetinghouses 1830s Construction of Morris Canal and Delaware & Raritan Canal brings Irish laborers to central counties, at least temporarily. Mines and ironworks reopen, bringing new affluence to some regions • Methodists become largest denomination in the state; Methodist leader Nathan Bangs urges Methodist to take more prominent role, which encourages them to build larger & grander churches • Sunday School movement, started in the U.K. in the 1780s, gathers adherents here, often as a substitute for formal education; Many schools lead to establishment of permanent congregations 1833 Balloon-frame construction of a church in Fort Dearborn (IL) revolutionizes building methods in this country • President Andrew Jackson withdraws federal funds from the Bank of the United States and deposits them in state banks which offer easy credit on purchase of western lands; population in many Jersey counties declines because of westward migration 1837 Panic of 1837 brings bank failures, suspension of most building 1830s-1840s Completion of canals and railroads stimulates agricultural areas by opening urban markets for produce 1837-1850s Abolitionist movement gathers momentum, brings schisms in Methodist, Baptist & Presbyterian denominations & congregations 1840s Rise of industrial economy concentrates immigrants in manufacturing centers of Hudson, Essex & Passaic 1844 Adoption of new state constitution ends official discrimination against Catholics; the church is now allowed to own land 1846 Episcopal Bishop Doane sets Gothic Revival style as the only appropriate one for Anglican churches 1848 Revolutions in Europe prompts German Catholics & Jews to immigrate in substantial numbers 1840s Railroads cause boom in rural areas by improved accessibility to urban markets 1850s Catholics become largest denomination in the state • Steam-powered sash-and-blind (and other architectural elements) manufacturing is widespread, dropping the cost of elaborate styles 1861-1865 War-based economy benefits the state; rise of a mercantile class in cities • Builders & contractors begin to call themselves architects 1860s Substantial manufacturing centers in Paterson, Newark, Jersey City, Trenton, Camden attract immigrants 1873-1879 Financial Panic of 1873 disrupts the state's economy for several years; most church building suspended 1880s Substantial Italian immigration, largely to urban areas • Extension of railroads enable affluent commuters to work in the city and live in the country; gives rise to upscale churches in Madison, Morristown, Summit, Short Hills, Bernardsville, etc. • Immigration of Jews from eastern Europe & Russia; establish- ment of Jewish agricultural communities in south Jersey 1890s Establishment of nationality-based Catholic parishes in many urban areas following extensive immigration Note that this is a selective or interpretive chronology, including events that seem significant in my understanding of the development of religious architecture in this state. A chronology for Pennsylvania, and certainly for Virginia or Connecticut, for example, would be rather different, although some events would have similar importance throughout the country. As always, corrections and suggestions are solicited. If the website looks a bit different on your screen it is because it has been optimized for Mozilla's Firefox browser instead of Internet Explorer. Firefox is superior in compliance to web standards, usability, performance, and is not nearly as susceptible to security problems. I have urged all my friends and family to make the switch. Firefox is an open source program, which means it is free. You can download it at www.mozilla.com. EWeek Magazine calls it "the best standalone browser available today and generations ahead of Microsoft's Internet Explorer."


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