Cold Spring Presbyterian Church

{{Short description|Historic church in Cape May County, New Jersey, US}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Cold Spring Presbyterian Church

| nrhp_type =

| image = Cold Spring Presby from SE.JPG

| caption =

| location = 780 Seashore Road
Cold Spring, New Jersey

| coordinates = {{coord|38|58|35.26|N|74|54|59.11|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = USA New Jersey Cape May County#New Jersey#USA

| area =

| built = 1823

| architect = Thomas Hurst Hughes

| architecture = Federal

| added = June 14, 1991

| refnum = 91000785{{NRISref|version=2013a|dateform=mdy}}

| designated_other1_name = New Jersey Register of Historic Places

| designated_other1_abbr = NJRHP

| designated_other1_link = New Jersey Register of Historic Places

| designated_other1_date = May 1, 1991

| designated_other1_number = 999{{cite web | title=New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Cape May County

| url=https://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/1identify/nrsr_lists/Cape%20May.pdf | publisher=New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office | page=4 | date=March 27, 2019 }}

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| designated_other1_color = #ffc94b

}}

The Cold Spring Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian 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, New Jersey. The current church building, known as "Old Brick", was constructed in 1823{{cite web|title=Old Brick; About Us|url=http://www.oldbrickpresbyterian.com/ABOUTOLDBRICK.htm|publisher=Cold Spring Presbyterian Church|access-date=2012-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828044546/http://www.oldbrickpresbyterian.com/ABOUTOLDBRICK.htm|archive-date=2008-08-28|url-status=dead}} by Thomas H. Hughes, who was also the architect of Congress Hall in Cape May, New Jersey. This red brick building replaced a frame and shingle church erected in 1764, which itself replaced a 1714 log meetinghouse.{{cite news

| title =Famous Old New Jersey Church, A Presbyterian Congregation Formed 182 Years Ago

| newspaper = The New York Times

| date =May 3, 1896

| url =https://www.nytimes.com/1896/05/03/archives/famous-old-newjersey-church-a-presbyterian-congregation-formed-182.html

}}, 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 descendants anywhere outside Massachusetts. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1991, for its significance in settlement, architecture, religion, and government.{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=91000785}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cold Spring Presbyterian Church |publisher=National Park Service|first1=Robert |last1=Craig |date=November 20, 1990 }} With {{NRHP url|id=91000785|photos=y|title=accompanying 25 pictures}}

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 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. Another Log College graduate, Daniel Lawrence, was pastor from 1752 until his death in 1766. His tombstone in the adjacent graveyard was inscribed

{{Blockquote|In yonder sacred house I spent my breath,
Now, silent, mouldering here I lie in death,
Those silent lips shall wake and yet declare,
A dread amen to truths they publish there }}

The two hundredth anniversary of the church was celebrated on August 16, 1914. President Woodrow Wilson sent a congratulatory letter.{{cite news|title=Church 200 Years Old|accessdate=August 17, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 17, 1914|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1914/08/17/archives/church-200-years-old-john-wanamaker-gives-to-cape-may-presbyterian.html}}

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

{{Category see also |Burials at Cold Spring Presbyterian Church}}

{{Infobox cemetery

| name = Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery

| image = Cold Spring Presbyterian Church cemetery.jpg

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption = Veterans Field of Honor at the cemetery

| map_type =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| established =

| abandoned =

| location =

| country =

| coordinates =

| type =

| style =

| owner =

| size =

| graves =

| interments =

| cremations =

| leases =

| website =

| findagraveid=1648965

| footnotes =

| nrhp =

| embedded =

}}

File:Richard Wickes Gravestone.jpg|Richard Wickes

File:Cold Spring Presby stone 1a.JPG|Memucan Hughes, II (1857)

See also

References

{{Reflist}}