Grace Bible Baptist Church Cemetery - Shamong Twp., NJ - Worldwide Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

The listed coordinates were taken at the front entrance to the church. This church is located in the beginnings of Quaker Bridge Road (across from Atsion Lake) off of Route 206, in Shamong Twp., NJ. There is a sign at the guard rail so you cannot miss the turn. The turn off Route 206 is located at: N 39° 44.482 W 074° 43.565. It is two wheel drive accessible.

The village 0f Atsion, in the Wharton State Forest, barely appears on maps anymore, but in the last century it was the site of a thriving iron furnace (as well as other businesses). A few hundred yards in from the highway, off a dirt road (Quaker Bridge Road) you can find this church and cemetery which has been occupied by many religious denominations. It was once called the Richards Church and then the Free Union Church. It was built in 1828, probably by the proprietor of the furnace, about the time it was organized. Services are still held, and it is now known as the Grace Bible Church. The church is said to have burned in 1869 and rebuilt soon after. I personally counted 197 head stones, some dating as far back as the 1830s.

Nearby is an abandoned one-room school building (a great example of a typical 1880s school house), the Atsion Mansion, the Atsion general store, barn and various other structures. There was actually an older church and graveyard some where back in the woods near the old railroad tracks. Many a diverse source claim it to be in one place or another. I think this information would make a nice addition to this waymark so expect an update when the weather warms and I can get back out there to investigate these claims.