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St. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey)

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Historic church in New Jersey, United States United States historic place
St. James Lutheran Church and Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
St. James Lutheran Church in 2017
St. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey) is located in Warren County, New JerseySt. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey)Show map of Warren County, New JerseySt. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey) is located in New JerseySt. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey)Show map of New JerseySt. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey) is located in the United StatesSt. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey)Show map of the United States
Location1213 U.S. Route 22, Pohatcong Township, New Jersey
Coordinates40°40′49″N 75°8′45″W / 40.68028°N 75.14583°W / 40.68028; -75.14583
Area2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Architectural styleEarly Republic (Federal)
NRHP reference No.16000737
NJRHP No.5521
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 24, 2016
Designated NJRHPAugust 25, 2016

St. James Lutheran Church, also known as Straw Church, is a historic church built in 1834 and located at 1213 U.S. Route 22 in Pohatcong Township, Warren County, New Jersey. St. James Lutheran Cemetery is located across the street in Greenwich Township. The church and cemetery were added as a historic district to the National Register of Historic Places on October 24, 2016 for their significance in architecture and exploration/settlement. The adjoining building, Fellowship Hall, and the schoolhouse by the cemetery entrance are not part of this listing. The one-room brick schoolhouse, built 1858, is listed separately on the state register.

History

The congregation was founded c. 1760 as a union church of German Lutheran and German Reformed Protestant settlers. By tradition, the first church was called Straw Church, a log building with a straw thatched roof, built c. 1767 in the cemetery area. Christian Streit preached here and at the nearby Lutheran church in Easton, Pennsylvania. The second church was built with stone starting in June 1790. The third church, the current building, was built with brick and has a cornerstone dated May 1, 1834.

The first regular, resident pastor, starting in 1769, was John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, eldest son of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, considered the patriarch of American Lutheranism.

The cemetery is fronted by a low limestone wall with the date June 1790 engraved in a stone by the gateway. The earliest identified headstone is a brown sandstone, dated 1771, for the child David Metz. The obverse of the headstone for Peter Heintz, dated 1777, features a tree of life motif, carved by an anonymous German craftsman from Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

Description

The church is a brick building designed with Federal architecture style and featuring Flemish bond on the front. The wooden cupola was added in 1960. It is the third church building at this location.

Gallery

  • Fellowship Hall and Church Fellowship Hall and Church
  • One-room schoolhouse, built 1858, by entrance to cemetery One-room schoolhouse, built 1858, by entrance to cemetery
  • Cemetery and Church Cemetery and Church
  • Headstone for David Metz, dated 1771 Headstone for David Metz, dated 1771
  • Obverse of headstone for Peter Heintz, dated 1777 Obverse of headstone for Peter Heintz, dated 1777

See also

References

  1. "St. James Lutheran Church and Cemetery". National Park Service.
  2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Warren County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. December 28, 2020. p. 10.
  3. ^ Carson, Chris (November 18, 2015). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: St. James Lutheran Church and Cemetery" (PDF). National Park Service. With accompanying 37 photos.
  4. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Warren County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. December 28, 2020. p. 3. ID#3654
  5. Chambers, Theodore Frelinghuysen (1895). "Appendix V: Later Lutheran Churches – The "Old Straw"". The Early Germans of New Jersey: Their History, Churches, and Genealogies. Dover Printing Co. pp. 625–626.
  6. ^ Church, St James Lutheran. "St. James Lutheran Church". St. James Lutheran Church.

External links

National Register of Historic Places in Warren County, New Jersey
Districts Warren County map
Places of
worship
Houses
Buildings
Sites
Structures
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Warren County, New Jersey and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
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