CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
NORTH BAPTIST CHURCH
317 Linden Street
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North
Baptist Southeast Corner of 2nd & Pearl Streets Illustration
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The North Baptist Church was organized on November 15, 1859. The church had been in existence as a mission school for four or five years already. The church building at 2nd and Pearl Streets was dedicated on February 25, 1865, and the church on Linden Street below 4th was first used for public worship on May 29, 1894. During the 1870s, school enrollment in Camden increased rapidly and the Board of education was constantly looking to purchase more land. The 1871-1872 school year began with 4,588 pupils on the register, but the average daily attendance was only 2,762 pupils. The North Baptist Church offered to rent its building to the board for a primary school, provided the Church could use the facility for Sabbath school purposes. The board declined the offer since the rules prohibited using the schools for any other purpose, but secular education. Instead, they purchased three parcels of land. One on Third Street, between Pearl and Elm Streets; a second, on Mount Vernon Street, above Broadway; and a third, at the northeast corner of Third and Walnut Streets. The church building at 2nd & Pearl Street was sold to the newly-organized Calvary Presbyterian Church, a split from the old First Presbyterian Church, in the summer of 1895, for $18,000. Calvary Presbyterian Church occupied this site until June of 1924, when the building was acquired for use in the construction of the Delaware River Bridge, later renamed as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. This building is still in use as a church today. |
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Church
Building 1943 The building was then the home of the Faith Baptist Church. Click on Image to Enlarge |
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The
following is derived from |
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NORTH
BAPTIST CHURCH In 1855 Rev. E. V. Glover and Mrs. H. P. Hale, members of the First Baptist Church of Camden, began a series of meetings in private houses remote from the church, designed for the benefit of infirm and indifferent members who seldom enjoyed the services of the church. In the search for a suitable place for holding meetings in the vicinity of Coopers Point, a large population was found destitute of both religious and secular instruction. In 1856 an attempt to establish a Sunday school failed for want of a suitable room. In 1857, a large hall in the silk factory on the northwest corner of Front Street and Pearl was offered gratuitously by the proprietor, German Foss, in which to hold a Sunday school. September 7, 1859, an organization was effected by choosing Rev. E. V. Glover, superintendent; Adam Angell, assistant; Henry Samuel, secretary and librarian ; Mrs. H. P. Hale, superintendent of the infant department. The following were appointed teachers: Joseph Whitman, Mrs. Louisa Hindle, Mrs. Anna Briggs, Miss Louisa Woolston, Mrs. H. Foss and Miss Addie McCully. The school began with eighty-eight scholars. It continued to meet in the silk-factory until January 1859, when it was transferred to the factory of E. W. Williamson, corner of Second Street and Birch, where it was held until July 31, 1859. The influence of the school made itself manifest and the number of members rapidly increased. An
equally important factor in the new enterprise was the meeting for
adults begun on Sunday, October 18, 1857, and continued, on Sunday at
the hall and on Tuesday at the residence of Mr. Ellis, on Birch Street,
until the removal to the building of Mr. Williamson. The
need of larger and permanent quarters had now become so pressing that on
January 26, 1859, the First Baptist Church appointed Key. E. V. Glover,
J.D. Tustin and J S. Collings to take proper steps to procure a suitable
house. Elwood K. Fortiner was
afterwards added to the number, and aided greatly in the erection of the
new building, which was situated on Elm Street, below Second, and was
dedicated July 31, 1859. On
the 10th of November 1859, at the house of Rev. E. V. Glover, a meeting
was held, of which Rev. E. V. Glover was chairman and J. D. Tustin
clerk, for churches held November 29th, and the services in recognition
of the new church were conducted at the First Baptist Church by Revs.
G.Q. Ferguson, E. D. Fendall, J. E. Wilson, F. T. Cailhopper and J.
Hyatt Smith. The
names of thirty-seven members thus recognized as the North Baptist
Church of Camden are these:
Of these original thirty-seven, six are still members. The church began its history with a small body, but with a live root; and this living root, planted in a favorable place, soon showed a vigorous growth. On December 2, 1859, Rev. E. S. James, D.D., was called to the pastorate, began January 1,1860, and continued till the last Sunday in 1863, when the church, having decided on the erection of a larger meeting house, and Dr. James feeling his strength unequal to the extra labor involved, resigned, and on January 12, 1864, Rev. S.C. Dare, previously pastor of the church at Cureton, N. J., was chosen. During this pastorate the present church edifice, corner of Second Street and Pearl, was built at a cost of about thirty-five thousand dollars and the church was largely prospered in spiritual as well as in temporal matters. Mr. Dare resigned February 16, 1868, and on March 23, 1868. Rev. A.G. Thomas, pastor of the church at Mount Holly, was unanimously elected to the pastorate. His administration continued until December 25, 1870, when, in consequence of a serious affection of the throat, he resigned. Rev. J. E. Chambles, of Baltimore, was called to become pastor March 8, 1871. He began his work the 1st of April ensuing and continued until May 1, 1873. On July 9, 1873, a call was extended to Rev. E.G. Moses, lately of Plymouth, England. During this pastorate, which continued for eight years, one hundred and sixty-eight were added to the church,' a new mission building was built at a cost of four thousand dollars and large improvements were made in the meetinghouse. This pastorate ended with the year 1881. April
4, 1882, a call was extended to Rev. A.E. Rose, pastor of the First
Baptist Church of Bradford, Pa. Mr. Rose began his pastorate April 9,
1882. The membership of the church was increased by an addition of one
hundred and sixty — one hundred and twenty-four by baptism, thirty-five
by letter and one by experience. A new organ, costing two thousand
dollars, was placed in the gallery. Mr. Rose resigned his pastorate, to
take effect August 5, 1883. On
December 10, 1883, a call was extended to Rev. W. T. Burns, pastor of
the First Baptist Church of Lynn, Mass., which was accepted, and Mr.
Burns began his pastorate February 1, 1884. During this pastorate one
hundred and sixty-eight have been added to the church. Of these, one
hundred and ten have joined by baptism, forty-five by letter, twelve by
experience and one by restoration. An addition has been made to the
property of a building for the primary department, costing three
thousand dollars; a church library of two thousand volumes, costing
about two thousand dollars, and involving alterations costing one
thousand dollars more, has been added. A library-sustaining fund of five
hundred dollars a year, for five years to come, has (1886) been
subscribed. The
enlarged accommodations furnished the Sunday school by the building of
the annex for the primary department, have been taken up by the growth
of the school, the average attendance for May, 1886, showing an advance
of twenty-one percent over that of May, 1885. The growth of the school
is largely due to the energy and faithful personal attention to its work
of the superintendent, F. Wayland Ayer, seconded by a faithful and
well-disciplined corps of teachers. In December 1885, letters were
granted to fifty-three members of this church for the purpose of uniting
to organize the Linden Baptist
Church, to be situated at the corner of
Ninth Street and Linden. Notwithstanding this large subtraction from
the roll of the church, the vacant places have been very rapidly filled. |
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Additional Noted by Phillip Cohen |
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A new church building at 317 Linden Street was first used for public worship on May 29, 1894. The Calvary Presbyterian Church purchased the old church building in the summer of 1895 for $18,000. The North Baptist Church on Linden Street was quite active in Camden for many years, until declining membership forced its closing. By the early 1970s the property had been acquired by Rutgers University's Camden campus, which used the building for a few years. By the mid 1970s the church and all other buildings on the block had been razed to make way for expansion of the college's operations. |
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North 317 Linden Street |
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Philadelphia February 22, 1900 Broadway
Methodist Episcopal Church Arthur
Stanley Daniel B. Murphy Rev. James
W. Marshall Ancient Order of United Workmen
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Children
of North Baptist Church |
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Camden Courier-Post - February 10, 1928 |
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Choral
Group of Organ Club Has New Name The Choral Association of the Camden Chapter, National Association of Organists, has become a separate organization. From now on it will be known as the Musical Art Society The group, at its start here, was sponsored by the Camden Chapter with an aim to establish it as a separate group as soon as a successful working basis was reached. Patronage has been forthcoming which has assured the society of a place in the musical activities of the community. The plan is to develop a sound choral group, capable of producing serious choral works in artistic manner. The society’s membership list is still open. Voices, both male and female, are needed. Singers with ability at reading are especially urged to make themselves known. Applications, under the new society’s plan, should be sent to Edna M. Llewellyn, Fourth Avenue and Kings Highway, Haddon Heights. Rehearsal
will continue at the First
Baptist Church
here on the first, second and third Mondays of every month.
Present
patrons are Wilfred W. Fry,
Mrs. Fry, Charles K. Haddon, Mrs. Walter
J. Staats, Hon. E.G.C. Bleakly,
Mrs. Elwood A. Harrar, Mrs.
F. Morse Archer, A. Wilbur
Nash, Dr. Edward M. Sullivan, J. Walter Levering, Dr.
Joseph E. Roberts, William G. Moore, Mrs. Mary L. Neer, Mrs. J.
Harry Knerr, Mrs. Ada M. Eckenhoff, Mrs. Charles A. Reynolds, and Joseph
D. Brisby. The former choral association will retain its officers under the new title of the Musical Art Society, with the exception of the post of secretary. Miss Llewellyn will replace Walter M. Smith temporarily. The
officers are: Henry S. Fry, director; Miss Llewellyn, treasurer; Ada M.
Eckenhoff, librarian; Robert M. Haley, president; Marion V. Taylor,
Evelyn Lawrence, Stanley Nelson, Harry W. Schwartz, Marjorie Riggins
Seybold, F. Marie Wesbroom-Dager and Howard S. Tussey, executive board. The
society will present at least two public concerts in the spring, one in
April at the North Baptist
Church and the spring concert, which has been tentatively scheduled
for May and will probably take place in the First
Baptist Church. |
| CAMDEN COURIER-POST - OCTOBER 15, 1931 |
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Miss Ruth Boogar Becomes Bride of Charles C. Watson Miss Ruth Viola Boogar, daughter of Mrs. Stella Boogar, of 325 Bailey Street, this city, became the bride of Charles C. Watson, of 1930 Pine Street, Philadelphia, last evening, in the North Baptist Church. The ceremony took place at 7 o'clock, with Rev. George B. Finney, pastor of the church, officiating, Forrest W. Newmeyer, organist of the church, played the wedding march and accompanied Mrs. Ella Alden Hartung in vocal selections preceding. The bride, who was given in marriage by her grandfather, Frank Verlander, of this city, wore a gown of ivory satin, rich in its simplicity, with a tulle veil arranged cap effect. Her bouquet was a shower of roses and lilies of the valley. Miss Mildred Boogar was her sister's maid of honor and Miss Rhandena Ayer Fry, of Camden, and Miss Grace Cleeland, of Highland Park, Pa., were bridesmaids. Miss Boogar's gown was a lovely model of eggshell taffeta and flame colored velvet and with it she wore flame colored velvet hat and slippers. She carried a round bouquet of roses to match her frock. The bridesmaids appeared in taffeta and velvet also, but in a turquoise-blue shade, trimmed in cornflower yellow. Their hats and slippers matched the corn-color velvet that trimmed their frocks and they carried round bouquets of tea roses. William W. Rowan, of West Philadelphia, was best man and Harold Boogar, of this city, brother of the bride, and James Hilly, of Stonehurst, Pa., ushered. Mrs. Boogar had selected a gown of black chiffon with black soliel hat and a corsage of white gardenias. A reception was held at the Hotel Walt Whitman following the ceremony, after which Mr. Watson and his bride left for a trip to Bermuda, On their return they will make their home in the Stenton Hall Apartments, Germantown. |
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Camden Courier-Post - June 25, 1933 |
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| CAMDEN COURIER-POST - FEBRUARY 29, 1936 |
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VON NIEDA TO ADDRESS GARDENERS' INSTITUTE Mayor Frederick von Nieda will be guest speaker at the Gardeners' Institute Forum tomorrow at 3 p. m. in the Friends Meeting House, Market street above Seventh. The choir of the North Baptist Church also will attend. Dr. James G. Rodger will conduct the meeting. |
| CAMDEN COURIER-POST - FEBRUARY 1, 1938 |
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BUCKNELL GLEE CLUB LISTED AT CHURCH HERE Melvin LeMon, who will direct the Bucknell University Men's Glee Club of 67 voices in its concert at 8 p. m. February 8 in the North Baptist Church combines the musical scholar with the gifted conductor. Assistant professor of music at Bucknell, LeMon teaches classes in harmony, counterpoint, and other technical aspects of music. Yet it is on the conductor's podium, as he leads the Bucknell gleemen through a wide repertoire, that he is most at home. Since LeMon took charge of the Bucknell Men's Glee Club six years ago, he has built it into one of the outstanding organizations of its kind on Eastern campuses. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N. Y., where he was trained as an organ performer and received both his bachelor's and master’s degrees, LeMon also teaches organ at Bucknell an he is director of the university band. |
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Camden Courier-Post - February 7, 1938 |
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