Zarephath, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zarephath, New Jersey
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Pillar of Fire chapel in Zarephath, New Jersey
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 Zarephath, New Jersey
Location in Somerset County, New Jersey
Zarephath, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Zarephath, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Somerset |
| Township | Franklin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.44 sq mi (1.13 km2) |
| • Land | 0.40 sq mi (1.04 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2) 9.12% |
| Elevation | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 69 |
| • Density | 172.5/sq mi (66.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code |
08890
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| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-83290 |
| GNIS feature ID | 02584041 |
Zarephath is a small community in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. It is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Princeton. In 2020, 69 people lived there. This was a big increase from 37 people in 2010.
Zarephath was once the main home for the Pillar of Fire Church. It was also the worldwide center for Pillar of Fire International. This group includes Somerset Christian College and the radio station WAWZ-FM. The name Zarephath comes from a place in the Bible. It is where the prophet Elijah was helped by a "widow woman".
The original Zarephath campus was located near the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Millstone River. However, floods in 2011 from Hurricane Irene caused a lot of damage. Because of this, the college and all Pillar of Fire groups had to move. The old campus was planned to be taken down. A new campus was built in Somerset.
Contents
Location and Size of Zarephath
Zarephath is a small area. It covers about 1.15 square kilometers (0.445 square miles). Most of this area is land, about 1.05 square kilometers (0.404 square miles). A smaller part, about 0.105 square kilometers (0.041 square miles), is water. This means about 9% of Zarephath is water.
Who Lives in Zarephath
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 37 | — | |
| 2020 | 69 | 86.5% | |
| Population sources: 2010 2020 | |||
In 2010, there were 37 people living in Zarephath. These people lived in 19 different homes. Only 7 of these homes were families. The population density was about 91.5 people per square mile.
Most people living there (97.3%) were White. About 2.7% were Black or African American. A small number (5.4%) were Hispanic or Latino.
The people in Zarephath were of different ages. About 19% were under 18 years old. More than half (51.4%) were 65 years or older. The average age was 66.5 years.
How Zarephath Started
Zarephath began on a farm owned by Peter Workman Garretson. His wife, Caroline Van Neste Field, became a follower of Alma Bridwell White. Alma White was the founder of the Pillar of Fire Church. Caroline Field gave her land to the church. The church agreed to pay off the farm's debts. Once the debts were paid, the church would own the land.
Alma White chose the name Zarephath. She felt her move to the farm was like the Bible story of Elijah and the widow. The Pillar of Fire Church got its name from the Bible too. It comes from a part of the Book of Exodus. This part talks about a "pillar of fire" guiding people.
Alma White started the church in 1901. It was first called the Pentecostal Union. The group moved to Franklin Township around 1907 or 1908. They changed the name to Pillar of Fire in 1917. The people in Zarephath built their own buildings. They also farmed some of their land. This showed their belief in being self-reliant.
Learning and Education
Zarephath was a place for education. The Zarephath Bible Institute opened in 1908. It trained people to be missionaries, preachers, and teachers. Later, it was called the Zarephath Bible Seminary.
In 1912, the Zarephath Academy started. It had 50 students. This school offered education from elementary to high school. It was later renamed Alma Preparatory School. The first high school students graduated in 1916. The school was approved by the New Jersey State Board of Education that same year.
College-level classes began in 1917. Alma White College was officially started in 1921. It operated until 1978. In 1923, a group called the Ku Klux Klan provided money for the school. This made it one of the first schools in the North to receive funding from this group.
Today, Somerset Christian College continues the tradition. It started in 2001. This college can give two-year degrees in Biblical studies. Since 2006, it has also offered four-year degrees.
Big Floods in Zarephath
Zarephath has faced several big floods. Tropical Storm Doria in 1971 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 caused record floods. These floods came from the Millstone River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Even with a high flood wall, Zarephath was covered in water. In 1999, the water was seven feet deep in some areas. The church had about $2.5 million in damage.
Hurricane Irene in 2011 also caused a lot of damage. Because of these floods, the Zarephath campus had to be left. It was in a floodplain, an area that floods often. The school is now called Pillar College. It has moved to other locations in Somerset and Newark.
Davis Burial Ground
The Davis Burial Ground is a cemetery in Zarephath. It is located on Weston Canal Road, near the Delaware and Raritan Canal. There are about 100 graves there. About 50 of the gravestones can still be seen. Some important people buried there include Simeon Van Nortwick II. On the other side of the canal, there is another similar cemetery.
Images for kids
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Music ensemble broadcast at Alma White College, Pillar of Fire Church, on WAWZ Radio, Zarephath, New Jersey circa 1920
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Historical photo of Zarephath campus from Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty, 1926
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The Old Canal Bridge, Zarephath Academy Zarephath, New Jersey
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The Main Building in Zarephath, New Jersey, built in the early 1900s, in 2015.
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See also
In Spanish: Zarephath para niños
