First Presbyterian Church - Merchantville, NJ
N 39° 57.015 W 075° 02.937
18S E 495818 N 4422236
Attractive, 86-year old stone church sits along locally historic W. Maple Avenue, just across from the municipal building. It is a rather long building which projects out laterally across the block taking up a lot of space.
Waymark Code: WM95YY
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 07/03/2010
Views: 4
According to the cornerstone located on the far right of the building next to a side entrance, this structure was erected in 1924. This is a very odd place for a cornerstone and for the life of me I could not figure out why it was not next to or near the front entrance. I think this is the second church for this organization as the history I uncovered had a picture o the original late 19th century church and it looks nothing like the one in this waymark. Naturally, the church neglected to include a history of its organization and church on its website.
I found a really neat book which talks about this town and specifically this church. The book was written in 1899. The book is called History of Merchantville, Camden County, N.J. and was written by Francis F. Eastlack. The book can be found HERE. The following comes from this 111-year old history. Pay attention, the author actually figures in this historical account, referring to himself in the third person.
The first meetings looking up to the formation of this church were held in the Oak Grove Academy in 1871, but it was nit until 1872 that an actual organization was effected, which met in the old Merchantville Ha. The Rev. Robert Ellis Thompson was its first permanent pastor, the Rev. Nathaniel L. Upham following in November, 1874. It is but just to say that under the energetic management of Mr. Upham that the church edifice was built and presented to its trustees absolutely free from debt. Its tower was left unfinished. This needed $240 to complete. Within a week one of its determined members raised more than the necessary amount from contributions from all denominations.
It was formally dedicated June 12, 1876. Mr. Upham resigned and was followed by Matthew C, Wood, then by Rev. Roderick Cobb and finally by Rev. J. Mench Chambers. Its Sunday school was started October 13, 1873. Mr. & Mrs. Francis Eastlack succeeded in gathering some children who attended no Sabbath school, and on that day thirteen presented themselves at Mr. Eastlack's house. Dahlias were in bloom; each little one having one of these flowers pinned to his or her bosom, were marched two by two to the Merchantville Hall, where the school was formally opened.