Old Tennent Church - Manalapan, NJ
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 40° 17.022 W 074° 19.567
18T E 557283 N 4459463
Old Tennent Church on Tennent Road in Manalapan was founded in 1695. The church that stands there now was erected in 1751. The church, on the outskirts of the historic Monmouth Battlefield, was once used as field hospital for wounded soldiers.
Waymark Code: WM6K75
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 06/13/2009
Views: 4
"At 3.8 m. is (R) the MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD, which has its western boundary at the little hill, well covered with old trees and gravestones, that is crowned by OLD TENNENT CHURCH (open daily 9 a.m. until sunset; apply to custodian on grounds). The plain white building, shingled with cedar, was built in 1751 to replace an earlier structure erected 1731. A small spire rises from the high gable in front, topped with an early Dutch weathercock. Within is an old-fashioned pulpit with over-hanging sounding-board, high-back narrow pews, and a gallery that was reserved for slaves. From the time-worn communion table David Brainerd is said to have given the Sacrament to Indian converts. George II, in 1749, charted the congregation, now oldest of the Scotch Presbyterian groups in the area. The church was first called Old Scots Meeting House and later the Old Freehold Church. In 1859 it was renamed in honor of one or both of its earliest ministers, the Rev. William Tennent and the Rev. John Tennent, his brother. William, a strong supporter of the Colonial cause early in the Revolution, died in 1777 and is buried beneath the center aisle."
--- New Jersey, A Guide to its Past and Present, 1939
The Battle of Monmouth was a significant point in the history of the American Revolution. Here, General George Washington forced the retreat of the British Army...a triumph for both General Washington and the Continental Army.
On the northwest corner of the historic Monmouth Battlefield, the Old Tennent Church is an important part of our country's history. During the Battle of Monmouth, this church was used as a field hospital for wounded soldiers. Far from being safe itself, the building was scarred with musket holes, which, in order to preserve the entire building, had recently been patched. The pews inside are still scarred by surgeon's saws, and blood stains from many patriots are still visible.
Unfortunately, the church was not accessible today. I didn't have a chance to go inside and see the stains, but walked through this historic cemetery, with graves of many Revolutionary, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I and II patriots.