St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church ( Polish: ''Kośćiół Świętego Józefa'') is a historic Roman Catholic church at 1010 Liberty Street in

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

, Camden County, New Jersey, United States. It is one of two churches in Camden named St. Joseph. The other is St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral.

History

The parish was started by a group of Polish immigrants in 1891 and incorporated the following year on October 24. The parish rented a building on Broadway to use as a church. Land was bought at Tenth and Liberty Streets and a combination church and school was completed in 1895.

George I. Lovatt, Sr. George I. Lovatt Sr. (February 13, 1872 – September 5, 1958) was an American architect who designed numerous Roman Catholic churches in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and elsewhere during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Childhood ...

, a Philadelphia architect, designed the present church in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style. Construction was begun in 1913 and the church was dedicated in May 1914. The church building cost $100,000 to build. The interior was painted in 1923 for $15,000. The

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 ...

were donated as memorials over the years.

Architecture

The exterior of the structure is covered in gray Vermont granite. A Romanesque style entrance is located in the tower. The building is cruciform in shape. There are three bells in the tower: Mary (quarter-ton), John (half-ton) and

Adalbert Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names inclu ...

(one-ton). The bells were dedicated on December 2, 1917. The interior of the church features a 63-foot (19.2 m) nave and an apse that is crowned by a half-rounded cupola above the main altar. There are two side altars in nitches that flank the main altar. A choir loft is above the main entrance. The church has a seating capacity of 1,000 people.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Josephs Polish Catholic Church Christian organizations established in 1891 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1914 Roman Catholic churches in New Jersey Polish-American culture in New Jersey Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Churches in Camden County, New Jersey Roman Catholic churches in Camden, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Camden County, New Jersey 1891 establishments in New Jersey Polish cathedral style architecture 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States

History

Architecture

See also

References