The Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel - Moorestown, NJ
N 39° 57.765 W 074° 56.910
18S E 504398 N 4423624
This is one of four churches all within .1 miles of another and all of which contribute to the Moorestown Historic District. This is the oldest of the downtown churches, being 113 years old. Their property stretches far to the west, to 130 W. Main.
Waymark Code: WM42Q5
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 06/29/2008
Views: 51
They have a top notch website you can visit to learn more about their parish. It is a big parish. I was able to have a nice conversation with the business manager of the church and he told me about an award the church recently won for its grounds. There is a Celtic cross on their grounds within their prayer garden. This Celtic cross once stood atop the church and is 127 years old! There is a bell tower which chimed its song at 6:00 PM. Next to the church is the parish rectory and their memorial walkway which also is quite beautiful.
History
I found this on their website:
On February 27, 1879, Bishop Michael A. Corrigan of the diocese of Newark elevated the status of The Church of Our Lady and Saint Patrick from that of a mission-church to a parish with a resident priest. Sometime in the early 1890's, the building sustained such damage from a "wind storm" that a new and larger church was necessitated.
On July 14, 1895, the corner stone was laid and sixteen months later the new church was dedicated under the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The same imposing edifice built of Stockton gray stone graces Main Street, Moorestown, today. But the Parish has grown beyond all the dreams of those early settlers.
Located at 40 West Main Street in downtown Moorestown, this is one of 351 contributing buildings/structures to this historic district.
The Department of the Interior sent me the following narrative/information on this church:
"Built 1895. Transitional Mid-Gothic Romanesque Revival Church with Romanesque form and massing Gothic detail. Grey stone church with two entries on street elevation. Arched stone door surrounds, double leaf recessed paneled door with Gothic detail and pointed arch infilled transom. At first story, two pointed arched windows, one 7-light infilled with ventilator slats. At second story, clerestory of five pointed arch windows. Third story multi-light stained glass rose window and two narrow lancet stained glass windows. Belfry tower flanked by buttresses has ventilator opening with wood surround, Gothic wood modillions, and fish-scale shingles. Crenellated tower with hipped slate roof. Gabled slate roof over body of church with three small ventilation dormers and brownstone detail along ridge line. Side elevations 7-light lancet windows separated by buttresses capped with flat stone. Recessed ground story entrances beneath gabled slate roofs. - Contributing.”
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