Centennial Baptist Church - Indian Mills, NJ
N 39° 47.527 W 074° 45.386
18S E 520853 N 4404713
Neat old post card from the last quarter of the 19th century depicts this structure as it originally was with its bell tower intact.
Waymark Code: WMA443
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 11/13/2010
Views: 3
I was fortunate to take a photo of this former church and Red Man lodge which matched up to a photo I found later on the Indian Mills Historical Society website. I stood in front of the church, a little to its right and pointed my camera due west to create this waymark.
From my previous waymarks on this site:
According to a historic marker out front, this structure was originally a Baptist church in the last quarter of the 19th century from 1876 to 1881, before other uses were found for the structure.
There are no records for this church anywhere except what is on the marker. The historical society makes no mention of this Baptist church on its site except to quote the text on the sign. The building certainly looks like a church right up to what appears to be a sealed up bell tower rising over the front entrance. The church extends back to the rear about 40 feet or so and there appears to be recent construction, or addition, on the rear. Big stained glass still can be seen out front and to all appearances, this still looks very churchish. This appears to be what was once the center of town of this small, former town.
The historic marker out front is one of a large series of thirty markers all close by one another. This historic marker is located amid a five way intersection. Although the historical maker is sponsored by the Indian Mills Historical Society, some maps have this listed as Vincentown and Shamong as well as Indian Mills. These small, unincorporated towns dot the landscape in this part of New Jersey. Access to this marker and church can be had by parking in the church's parking lot to the rear. The marker is marked number thirteen on the Indian Mills Historical Society website. All the signs are green, made of metal and have the historical society name marked at the top in an arc. The sign reads:
RED MEN'S HALL
Originally constructed for use as
a Baptist Church in 1876. Later
maintained by Improved Order of Red
Men. Elections and town meetings
held here for many years.