The First Presbyterian Church of Newton (or Newton Presbyterian Church) is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

house of worship affiliated with the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

located in the Town of Newton in Sussex County, New Jersey. This congregation, established in the 1780s, is overseen by the Presbytery of Newton. The first church building was erected in the 1786 at the time Rev. Ira Condit, a 1784 graduate of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

was installed as the congregation's first pastor. This first edifice was razed for a larger, second building at the site, erected 1828-1829. The third and present edifice was built in 1869–1872 of native blue limestone and described as being "plain but beautiful...in its simple style of architecture."United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. (filed 1 October 1992, approved 12 November 1992), Section 7, pages 34-40. NRIS Reference Number 92001521. Retrieved 16 July 2013. While described as simple, the building is a combination of architectural styles that is chiefly Italianate and

Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

but incorporates elements associated with the

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

and Romanesque Revival styles. The church was damaged in an 1893 fire, and restored with funds from parishioners, including Newton industrialist

Henry W. Merriam Henry Wilson Merriam (20 June 1828 – 26 October 1900) was an American Industrialist and owner of the H. W. Merriam Shoe Company, a 19th- and early-20th century manufacturer of shoes for ladies and children founded in New York City, and after 1873 ...

(1828–1900). At this time, Merriam donated several

stained glass windows Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

, including one over the altar depicting

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in the Garden of Gethsemane. On 26 October 1979, the First Presbyterian Church of Newton was placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. It is also included as part of the

Newton Town Plot Historic District Newton, officially the ''Town of Newton'', is an Local government in the United States, incorporated municipality located in Sussex County, New Jersey, Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is situated approximately by road northwe ...

which was approved and entered on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on 12 November 1992. The current pastor (2013–present) of the First Presbyterian Church of Newton is the Rev. David E. Young. Ordained in 1987, he is a graduate of

The College of Wooster The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian Church as the University of Wooster, it has been officially non-sectarian since 1969 when ownership ties with the Presbyterian Church ...

;

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

; and Princeton Theological Seminary, and has served Presbyterian congregations in

Stillwater, New Jersey Stillwater Township is a Township (New Jersey), township located in Sussex County, New Jersey, Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Kittatinny Valley, Stillwater is a rural farming community with a long history of dairy farm ...

;

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

; Midland, Minnesota; and

New Albany, Indiana New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 37,841 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Floyd County. It is bounded by I-265 t ...

, before accepting a pastoral call to Newton.First Presbyterian Church of Newton
Rev. David Young
(2013). Retrieved 12 March 2014.

References

External links

* {{official website, http://www.fpcnewtonnj.org/
Presbytery of Newton
Newton, New Jersey Presbytery of Newton Churches in Sussex County, New Jersey Presbyterian churches in New Jersey Churches completed in 1872 History of Sussex County, New Jersey Italianate architecture in New Jersey Renaissance Revival architecture in New Jersey Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey 1786 establishments in New Jersey Italianate church buildings in the United States

See also

References

External links