First Congregational Church (Chester, New Jersey)
First Congregational Church is a historic church located at 30 Hillside Road in Chester Borough, New Jersey. The congregation was founded in 1740. The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 1977, for its significance in architecture, art, and religion.
History and description
The Greek Revival temple church was built in 1856. It is the third building used by the congregation, the first was built 1747, and the second in 1803. It features a full portico with pediment and four Doric columns. The interior decoration was painted 1857–1870 with Trompe-l'œil style. In 1873, an Opius 128 organ built by the J. H & C. S. Odell firm was installed.
Social Action
The church has fundraised for a variety of causes, including:
- Dayspring Ministries, a Christian organisation which supports a school, orphanage, food program and family health clinic in haiti
- Good News Home for Women, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for adult women
- Market Street Mission, which provides support to the "homeless, helpless, and hopeless"
- Carmen Ministries, who organise bible study sessions for incarcerated and ex-incarcerated men to help improve their lives and stop repeat offences
- Child Evangelism Fellowship, who provide opportunities to connect young people with God
- Free food to members of the local community
- Support for local people living in desperate poverty
Gallery
-
Front door with church history above
-
Morris County historical information
-
Chester Cemetery
-
Nathan Cooper (1751–1834) family monument
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Morris County, New Jersey
- Nathan A. Cooper
- Bergen County, New Jersey
References
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#77000892)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Morris County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. February 12, 2018. p. 3.
- ^ "About Us – wwp". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- ^ Karschner, Terry (August 10, 1977). "NRHP Nomination: First Congregational Church". National Park Service. "Accompanying 4 photos, from 1976".
- ^ "History of the First Congregational Church". First Congregation Church of Chester, NJ.
- ^ "Missions We Support – wwp". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to First Congregational Church (Chester, New Jersey).
- Official website
- "First Congregational Church". The Historical Marker Database.