Our History
When the Reverend Harry Finch became the rector of Christ Church in Shrewsbury, located on the southern extreme of Shrewsbury Township, several members residing in Eatontown suggested a parochial chapel be built in their community.
The year was 1830 and the village, named for Eaton's grist mill, consisted of thirty houses, five or six stores, two taverns, a Quaker Academy, and, of course, the mill. Mr. Finch (parish priests were not called Father) was agreeable to the suggestion.
For more than thiry years he and other rectors of Christ Church had held services for the little congregation in homes of members and at the local Baptist Church and Masonic Temple. By 1866, membership had grown sufficiently to organize a parish. On March 7, a congregational meeting was held to elect the first wardens and vestrymen (women were not permitted to serve on vestries at that time). Mr. Gabriel West, donor of the church building, and Dr. O. C. Goodrich were chosen wardens. The Reverend Thomas J. Taylor, who presided at the meeting, was elected the first rector--although he did not remain in the parish for long.
The church began construction in the fall of 1866. Sandstone quarried at Stonyhill (near the corner of present-day Highway 36 and Grant Avenue) was used in a style known as "Carpenter Gothic." In the spring of 1867 the church was completed for the sum of $6,000 and the first services were held. Bishop William H. Oldenheimer consecrated the new church in the presence of a large congregation on June 10, 1868. St. James the Great, son of Zebedee, was made the patron to honor a departed member of the West Family, James B. West.
Early days presented many problems. The church had no running water nor electricity. a pot-bellied stove (near the present lectern) provided heat. Yet people held on to their faith and struggled to survive. Priests came and went in rapid succession. The longest tenure for a rector belonged to the Reverend Anthony Ten Broeck, who served six years from 1874 intil his death in September, 1880.
Although the railroad came relatively early (1860) the village remained chiefly a farming community until the boom in the late 1940's. Between 1873 and 1893, a race track brought excitement and prosperity to the area. The village was incorporated as Eatontown Township in 1873, which included Oceanport. And over the years, a number of small industries were established including a cannery, manufacturer of hats, leather goods, carriages, and stone monuments. The trolley rolled the streets in 1897. But despite good transportation and local industry, the community grew slowly from 800 in 1870 to only 1200 in 1940.
Throughout the years, the little church on Broad Street maintained a small band of faithful followers. a pipe organ was installed and several older residents can still recall "treading the bellows" on Sundays.
When new housing appeared in the late 1940s, St James took on new life. Under the direction of seminarians and deacons, St. James' prospered. In 1956 Father Alan H. Tongue became vicar and the present parish house was built during his tenure.With the decline of Fort Monmouth in the early 1970s, parish membership began to decline.
However, since 1975 it has slowly been on the rise. In 1978 a renovation program began and St. James has been completely restored. More importantly, the past few years have seen an even stronger tide of spiritual renewal at St. James Church. Members are stressing Christ as Lord, the importance of Adult Bible Study and the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
Historic Links
New Jersey Churchscape (The authoritative source on
early churches of New Jersey)
The Borough of Eatontown History
The year was 1830 and the village, named for Eaton's grist mill, consisted of thirty houses, five or six stores, two taverns, a Quaker Academy, and, of course, the mill. Mr. Finch (parish priests were not called Father) was agreeable to the suggestion.
For more than thiry years he and other rectors of Christ Church had held services for the little congregation in homes of members and at the local Baptist Church and Masonic Temple. By 1866, membership had grown sufficiently to organize a parish. On March 7, a congregational meeting was held to elect the first wardens and vestrymen (women were not permitted to serve on vestries at that time). Mr. Gabriel West, donor of the church building, and Dr. O. C. Goodrich were chosen wardens. The Reverend Thomas J. Taylor, who presided at the meeting, was elected the first rector--although he did not remain in the parish for long.
The church began construction in the fall of 1866. Sandstone quarried at Stonyhill (near the corner of present-day Highway 36 and Grant Avenue) was used in a style known as "Carpenter Gothic." In the spring of 1867 the church was completed for the sum of $6,000 and the first services were held. Bishop William H. Oldenheimer consecrated the new church in the presence of a large congregation on June 10, 1868. St. James the Great, son of Zebedee, was made the patron to honor a departed member of the West Family, James B. West.
Early days presented many problems. The church had no running water nor electricity. a pot-bellied stove (near the present lectern) provided heat. Yet people held on to their faith and struggled to survive. Priests came and went in rapid succession. The longest tenure for a rector belonged to the Reverend Anthony Ten Broeck, who served six years from 1874 intil his death in September, 1880.
Although the railroad came relatively early (1860) the village remained chiefly a farming community until the boom in the late 1940's. Between 1873 and 1893, a race track brought excitement and prosperity to the area. The village was incorporated as Eatontown Township in 1873, which included Oceanport. And over the years, a number of small industries were established including a cannery, manufacturer of hats, leather goods, carriages, and stone monuments. The trolley rolled the streets in 1897. But despite good transportation and local industry, the community grew slowly from 800 in 1870 to only 1200 in 1940.
Throughout the years, the little church on Broad Street maintained a small band of faithful followers. a pipe organ was installed and several older residents can still recall "treading the bellows" on Sundays.
When new housing appeared in the late 1940s, St James took on new life. Under the direction of seminarians and deacons, St. James' prospered. In 1956 Father Alan H. Tongue became vicar and the present parish house was built during his tenure.With the decline of Fort Monmouth in the early 1970s, parish membership began to decline.
However, since 1975 it has slowly been on the rise. In 1978 a renovation program began and St. James has been completely restored. More importantly, the past few years have seen an even stronger tide of spiritual renewal at St. James Church. Members are stressing Christ as Lord, the importance of Adult Bible Study and the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
Historic Links
New Jersey Churchscape (The authoritative source on
early churches of New Jersey)
The Borough of Eatontown History