The Cold Spring Presbyterian Church is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

church in Cold Spring, New Jersey, founded in 1714.

Building

The historic two-story red brick building located at 780 Seashore Road in the Cold Spring section of Lower Township, in

Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on the Cape May peninsula, bound by the Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The current church building, known as "Old Brick", was constructed in 1823 by Thomas H. Hughes, who was also the architect of

Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...

Cape May, New Jersey Cape May (sometimes Cape May City) is a City (New Jersey), city and seaside resort located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on the Atlantic Ocean ...

. This red brick building replaced a frame and shingle church erected in 1764, which itself replaced a 1714 log meetinghouse., reprinted in "The First Resort," Ben Miller, Exit Zero Publishing, 2009, Cape May, New Jersey. The church's cemetery, Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery, is the site of a 1742 grave (that of Sarah Eldridge Spicer) and of the most

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...

descendants anywhere outside

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. The church was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on June 14, 1991, for its significance in settlement, architecture, religion, and government. With

History

The congregation was founded in 1714. The first regular pastor was John Bradner, who served from 1715 until 1721. Hughston Hughes was pastor for one year, starting in 1726, before being dismissed for "his too free use of intoxicating drinks."

Samuel Finley Samuel Finley (July 2, 1715 – July 17, 1766) was an Irish-born Presbyterian minister and academic. He founded the West Nottingham Academy and was the fifth president and an original trustee of the College of New Jersey (later renamed as ...

was pastor for several years. Finley, who was a graduate of the Log College, later became president of the College of New Jersey, the predecessor of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. Another Log College graduate, Daniel Lawrence, was pastor from 1752 until his death in 1766. His tombstone in the adjacent graveyard was inscribed The two hundredth anniversary of the church was celebrated on August 16, 1914. President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

sent a congratulatory letter. File:Cold Spring Presbyterian Church and Cemetery, NJ.jpg, Church and Cemetery File:Cold Spring NJ Old Brick Presby PHS723.jpg, On a pre-1923 postcard File:Cold Spring Presby from SW.JPG, View from the southwest. Note that the rear section was added since the postcard picture

Notable burials

* T. Millet Hand (1902–1956), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1945 to 1957. * J. Thompson Baker (1847–1919), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the

from 1913 to 1915. * Thomas H. Hughes (1769–1839), represented New Jersey's at-large congressional district in the

from 1829 to 1833. * Charles W. Sandman Jr. (1921–1985), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the

from 1913 to 1915. *Lieutenant Richard Wickes (died June 29, 1776)

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, mortally wounded at the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet. File:Richard Wickes Gravestone.jpg, Richard Wickes File:Cold Spring Presby stone 1a.JPG, Memucan Hughes, II (1857)

References

External links

* *
Cape May Landmarks: Cold Spring Church
- '' Cape May Times'' Article
Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 Politics of the United States, American political figures and List of United States political families, political families, along with other informa ...

{{Authority control Lower Township, New Jersey Churches completed in 1823 19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Presbyterian churches in New Jersey Cemeteries in Cape May County, New Jersey U.S. Route 9 Churches in Cape May County, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Cape May County, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places 1714 establishments in New Jersey Cold Spring Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey

Building

History

Notable burials

See also

References

External links