St. Michael's Church, Trenton, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Established in 1703, St. Michael's Church in downtown Trenton, New Jersey
, is the founding parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
. Its present building located at 140 North Warren Street was built between 1747 and1748 and was renovated in 1810 and 1847 to 1848,. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 29, 1982 as St. Michael's Episcopal Church. Its congregation, now a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, has involved itself in the history and culture of the city of Trenton from its founding in 1703 to the present.
building was erected on "Breese Farm" in 1704. In 1708 the parish was gifted with articles from Queen Anne of Great Britain
. These articles now reside in the New Jersey State Museum
.
The main sanctuary of St. Michael's Church was built 1747-1748 at its present location on North Warren St. in Trenton. The building was extensively renovated in 1810. The distinctive turrets facing Warren Street remain from the 1810 renovation, but the bell tower is no longer standing.
In 1776, during the American Revolutionary War
the building was closed and the congregation disbanded due to the evenly split Revolutionary / Loyalist sympathies of the congregation. The building was subsequently used as a hospital and the churchyard a burial ground for Hessian soldiers fighting to retain British control of the American Colonies.
During the 2005 and 2006 Patriot's Week re-enactments of the Battle of Trenton
, Continental Army
re-enactors passed by the Warren Street entrance to the sanctuary, but spared the delicate, plaster walls the insult of a legendary cannon blast.
Trinity Cathedral in Trenton (which currently serves as the seat
of the Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey
) was itself founded by a delegation of parishioners from St. Michael's Church.
In 1973 St. Michael's became a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
. In 2006 St. Michael's Church was awarded a $50,000 grant for an architectural feasibility study due to the history of the building and grounds.
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, is the founding parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey forms part of Province II of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is made up of the southern and central New Jersey counties of Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem,...
. Its present building located at 140 North Warren Street was built between 1747 and1748 and was renovated in 1810 and 1847 to 1848,. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 29, 1982 as St. Michael's Episcopal Church. Its congregation, now a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, has involved itself in the history and culture of the city of Trenton from its founding in 1703 to the present.
History: 1700s
St. Michael's was organized as a parish in 1703 in Hopewell Township. A Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
building was erected on "Breese Farm" in 1704. In 1708 the parish was gifted with articles from Queen Anne of Great Britain
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
. These articles now reside in the New Jersey State Museum
New Jersey State Museum
The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey, United States, overlooking the Delaware River. The Museum is operated as part of the New Jersey Department of State. General admission is free....
.
The main sanctuary of St. Michael's Church was built 1747-1748 at its present location on North Warren St. in Trenton. The building was extensively renovated in 1810. The distinctive turrets facing Warren Street remain from the 1810 renovation, but the bell tower is no longer standing.
In 1776, during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
the building was closed and the congregation disbanded due to the evenly split Revolutionary / Loyalist sympathies of the congregation. The building was subsequently used as a hospital and the churchyard a burial ground for Hessian soldiers fighting to retain British control of the American Colonies.
During the 2005 and 2006 Patriot's Week re-enactments of the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
, Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
re-enactors passed by the Warren Street entrance to the sanctuary, but spared the delicate, plaster walls the insult of a legendary cannon blast.
Trinity Cathedral in Trenton (which currently serves as the seat
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
of the Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey forms part of Province II of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is made up of the southern and central New Jersey counties of Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem,...
) was itself founded by a delegation of parishioners from St. Michael's Church.
History: 1800s
In 1801, St. Michael's was host to the first General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the site where the delegates ratified the 39 Articles which created an American Episcopal Church which was part of the Anglican Communion, yet not subject to oaths of loyalty to the British crown.History: 1900s to date
Notable in more recent history is the voluntary racial integration of St. Michael's in 1955 through merger with the African congregation of St. Monica's Parish, occasioned by the Episcopal Church Women of their respective congregations. Through the end of the millennium at least St. Michael's parish has remained integrated with respect to race, national origin and language.In 1973 St. Michael's became a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey forms part of Province II of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is made up of the southern and central New Jersey counties of Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem,...
. In 2006 St. Michael's Church was awarded a $50,000 grant for an architectural feasibility study due to the history of the building and grounds.
Sanctuaries and churchyards
- The Hopewell Sanctuary: In 1704 the Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
building was erected on "Breese Farm" (later the site of the New Jersey State Hospital in an area which became Ewing Township, NJEwing Township, New Jersey-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 35,790 people, 13,171 households, and 7,980 families residing in the township. There were 13,926 housing units. The racial makeup of the township was 63.1% White, 27.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.2%...
, in 1834). - The North Warren Sanctuary (1748- : The principal sanctuary of St. Michael's was renovated to resemble Lambeth PalaceLambeth PalaceLambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
with two turrets and a bell tower. The bell tower of St. Michael's is no longer standing, but the turrets and towers remain. Inside the main sanctuary are two TiffanyTiffany glassTiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany....
stained-glass windows. - The churchyards and their notables: The churchyards of St. Michael's contain the graves of persons notable for their contributions to the history of the United StatesHistory of the United StatesThe history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
:- The Hopewell Churchyard: Mary Trent, wife of William Trent, founder of TrentonTrenton, New JerseyTrenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
was buried in the Hopewell Graveyard. - The North Warren (Trenton) Churchyard: In the churchyard of St. Michael's on North Warren Street, a large, granite slab with prominent Masonic insignia marks the grave of David BrearleyDavid BrearleyDavid Brearley was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention and signed the U.S...
, a New Jersey delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Constitutional ConventionPhiladelphia ConventionThe Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...
, signer of the U.S. Constitution and first New Jersey Supreme CourtNew Jersey Supreme CourtThe New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
Chief Justice. The niece of Napoleon Bonaparte (daughter of Joseph BonaparteJoseph BonaparteJoseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
, exiled to nearby Bordentown, New JerseyBordentown, New JerseyBordentown City is in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,924. Bordentown is located at the confluence of the Delaware River, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek...
) also rests in the churchyard.
- The Hopewell Churchyard: Mary Trent, wife of William Trent, founder of Trenton
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, New Jersey
Resources
- The primary source for much of St. Michael's history is the work of Hamilton Schuyler. A History of St. Michael's Church Trenton: In the Diocese of New Jersey from the year of our Lord 1703 to 1926: Told from the Minutes of the Vestry and other original sources, together with Biographical Sketches of Bishops, Rectors, and Men prominent in the Vestry and the Parish. Also Transcriptions from the Parish Register of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials; from the earliest entries down to 1855. Fully illustrated. Authorized for publication by the Vestry. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 1926. Of a printing of 500 copies, the church is fortunate as of 2007 to have at least two copies.
- Other sources which reference St. Michael's Church, Trenton include
- William White's A sermon delivered before the general convention of the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States of America: In St. Michael's Church, Trenton, ... the Right Reverend Bishop Moore of New-York.
- Samuel Starr's 1850 A word of self-defence: Read by the rector, at a full meeting of the wardens and vestrymen of St. Michael's Church, Trenton, New Jersey, and published with their unanimous approval, September 1850
- Trenton (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)) by Cathleen Crown and Carol Rogers (Paperback - April 1, 2000)
- History of St. Michael's, 1700-1925 (Unknown Binding)