St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (Beverly, New Jersey) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
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 Location in Burlington County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 158 Warren Street, Beverly, New Jersey |
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| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1853-1855 |
| Architect | Thomas Harris; Frazer, Furness and Hewitt |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001363 |
| Added to NRHP | November 25, 1999 |
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a historic building in Beverly, New Jersey. It stands proudly at the corner of Warren and Wilmerton streets. Even though people started worshipping here in 1837, the church building you see today was officially opened in 1855. It's a really old and important part of Beverly's history!
Contents
How St. Stephen's Church Started
The idea for St. Stephen's Episcopal Church began in 1837. About 44 families asked Bishop Doane of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey to have church services in Beverly. Their first church was a simple white wooden building on Copper Street. It even had a cemetery next to it, which is still there today. When Beverly became an official city in 1857, St. Stephen's was its very first church.
Building a Bigger Church
By 1853, the first wooden church was too small for everyone. So, the church bought land at Warren and Wilmerton Streets. This new spot was perfect for building a much larger and more beautiful church. Being on Warren Street was important because it was a main road. It connected Beverly to other towns along the Delaware River. The church's tall steeple was like a lighthouse for boats on the river. On October 1, 1855, the new St. Stephen's Church was officially opened. Bishop George W. Doane, the second bishop of the New Jersey Diocese, led the special ceremony.
The Church's Special Design
St. Stephen's Church was built between 1853 and 1855. Its design shows a popular style of church building from that time. People wanted to bring back the look and feel of old English Gothic churches. They aimed to create a worship space that felt very spiritual and also showed off smart design. This meant using special details, materials, and a simple layout.
The Ecclesiology Movement
This return to the English Gothic style became popular in England in the 1830s. It was very big in America when St. Stephen's was built. This movement was called Ecclesiology. Before this, new churches were being built in many different ways. The Ecclesiology movement worried that this lack of a clear style was distracting. They believed it took away from the church's main purpose.
The people in the Ecclesiology movement had simple rules for church design. These rules are clear in St. Stephen's Church. They wanted a simple layout, basic materials, and decorations that matched the church's overall simplicity.
Inside the Church
An Ecclesiological church has a simple layout. It has a nave, which is the main area with the center aisle and pews. It also has a chancel, which is the part with the altar and choir. Ideally, churches should be made of stone. But wood was okay if stone wasn't possible at first. The decorations in St. Stephen's are simple but elegant. They show how the Ecclesiologists wanted to create a medieval feel. They believed this style made a place of worship feel most spiritually true.
Even though a lot has changed outside St. Stephen's Church, the inside looks much like it did 130 years ago. When you look from the entrance towards the altar, you can see how grand it is. The ceiling has a special roof support system. It looks a bit like the inside of a ship's hull. These big wooden beams might seem heavy. But they are actually secondary to the main supports hidden above the ceiling.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
St. Stephen's Church has an amazing collection of stained glass windows. They show many different styles from the 1850s to the early 1900s. The oldest windows are usually found near the altar. The newer ones are closer to the entrance.
You can see windows with textured glass from the mid-1800s. There are also works by J.R. Lamb, who was a competitor of the famous Tiffany Glass studios. Some windows are even more modern, from the 1970s and 80s. These were made by an artist named F. Paul Skelly from Cherry Hill.
Saving St. Stephen's Church
The St. Stephen's community worked hard to preserve their church. They got help from an architecture company called Farewell Mills & Gatsch. They went through a seven-year process to get grants from the New Jersey Historic Trust. These grants helped them create a preservation plan, do engineering studies, and finally start construction.
A company called Wu & Associates, Inc., from nearby Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was chosen for the restoration. They focused on fixing the church's steeple, which was like a "beacon." In 1983, lightning struck the steeple, burning away two-thirds of it. A lightning rod was put in to prevent future strikes. But animals kept damaging the new cedar roof shingles.
The New Jersey Historic Trust wanted to keep the church's original look. So, the community and construction team researched its history. Old photos and a 1909 postcard showed the steeple looked dark, like the roof. This suggested the original roof was slate, which is what they decided to use for the new roof.
Now, steel beams support the steeple. These beams are anchored in the stone walls of the tower. This is much stronger than the old 150-year-old wooden beams. Other improvements included new flooring, fresh paint colors that matched the original ones, a clean church bell, and a repaired stained glass window in the tower.
The stained-glass windows and woodwork inside the church are very detailed. But the work by Wu & Associates to make the building strong again was just as important. They helped save the church's history and its special place in Beverly.
The money for the project came from the grants. But church members also helped a lot. The children of the church even raised over $4,000 with a "Mile of Nickels" campaign! Businesses and other people in the town also contributed to saving this historic building.
