The authoritative source on
  early churches of New Jersey

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We've created a database and photographic inventory on more than half the 18th & 19th century churches in the state and add to it each month. We welcome and solicit all contributions and suggestions from our visitors.

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   Photographic Inventory

First Presbyterian Church
Salem, Salem County

Salem's First Presbyterian church is the highest of the high Gothic style. The congregation was organized in 1821 and this church built in 1856. The church was built to a plan apparently created by Samuel Sloan, a noted Philadelphia architect, for it appears in one of his books, although the credited architect is John McArthur, Jr., another architect from Philadelphia. McArthur studied with another famous Philadelphia architect, Thomas Ustick Walter, but not with Sloan. It was not uncommon for an architect to work up detailed plans from those found in published plan books such as Sloan's—in fact, that was one of the purposes of those books.
      It is a delight to see, but difficult to photograph because of the exceptionally tall steeple.

National Register

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Copyright (c) 2001 Frank L. Greenagel