The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-04
ST. PAUL'S, HOBOKEN
History of One of the Old
est 2. E. Churches in
Hudson Couaty.
STEVENS GIFT
Clergymen Who Held the Rector.
ship and Their Salaries
Among the Churches.

The Oldest church in Hoboken and one
of the most ancient and prominent In
Hudson County is st. Paul's Protestant
Episcopal Church on Hudson street, be-
tween Eighth and Ninth.
The first services of St. Paul's were
held in 1882. At that time William Tyrop,
a communicate OF the church, a teacher
in the village school, and a candidate for
holy orders, began holding services in the
small village school building, the only
available place. Objection being made to
the use of the building, the services were
discontinued, but there lived in the village
two staunch and loyal churchmen, John
end Abraham l.. Van Boskerck, and they
caused to be built another building. which
was used for school purposes during the
week, but on Sunday was used for re-
ligious services only.
The members of the church held a meet
ing on March 2, 1885, TO form a permanent
organization. The Rev. Robert Davies, a
missionary, who came to the village from
time to time to preach and administer the
sacraments, was made chairman, ana
later duly elected rector. The venerable
John Stevens, whose magnificent gift OF
ground and money CAV the church sound
footing, was elected senior warden. m
Gore King, who was always noted for MS
wisdom and liberaiity, was elected junior
warden and treasurer. The vestrymen re-
presented the best social and moral in
terests of the village. They were Robert
l.. Stevens, Thomas A. Conover, Thomas
B. Gautier, John Van Boskerck, Abraham
L. Van Boskerck, Peter Ritter, p. J. Van
Rensselaer,, George w. Morton. DR..
Richard f. Cook and William Tyron. Sec
rotary.
The vestrymen being Informed that
Senior Warden John Stevens was about to
give them a plot of ground upon which
they could erect an edifice, elected as q
&c mmittee the Rev. Robert Davies, James
G. King and George w. Morton to wait
upon Senior Warden Stevens and receive
the deed. So, on March 16, 1885, the yes
trymen again met, and then formally
and legally incorporated the church or
ganization under the laws of New Jersey
and the canons of the Protestant Episco-
pal Church of the United States of Ameri-
ca. On motion of George w. Morton, it
was resolved that the corporate name
and title of the congregation should be-
lic w SAAo 80 1AS]t ~
st. Pauls Church, Hoboken, n. j."
At the next meeting of the vestry, a
committee of finance was appointed to
raise subscriptions for the erection of
a suitable house of worship. A building
lot on the northeast corner of Third
and Hudson streets, where Busch's Hotel
now stands, had previously been given
them by John Stevens. On this it was
lnaidn1 fn h11j11 and in a very ShOI
time enough money was raised TO JUSTIFY
obtaining plans and specifications ana
breaking ground. Among the subscribers
were:-John Stevens, $i00; James u. KING,
$500. and sums from the Astors and Loril-
lards of New York.
On the Easter Monday election of 1885,
the first delegates to the Diocesan Con-
vention were appointed from the parish.
They were John r. Sands, Thomas A.
Carroll and William Tyron. On May II.
1886, the corner stone was laid with ap-
propriate ceremonies by thai
ed preIate of the Church of God, the Rt.
Rev. George Washington Doane, Bishop
of New Jersey. So rapidly was the work
of erection pushed that on October ",
1886. exactly five months after the laying
of the cornerstone, the building was
wholly completed. 1t was a frame struc-
ture, with a square tower IN front, pre-
senting a very comfortable, though plain
appearance. Though it cost $1,000. it was
wholly paid for before it was occupied.
In consequence, on All Saints Day, No
vember /, 1886, the building. was formally
set apart and consecrated by Bishop
Doane for the service and worship of
Almighty God. In 1851, it was found nee
essary to enlarge the church. The Rev.
Victor Bruce had been invited to take
temporary charge of the parish.
In 1871, it was decided to sell the old
church property and to purchase and
build further uptown. Business interests
were fast encroaching upon the church
premises. The tide of population was
constantly moving northward. After ma
ture elaboration the vestry decided to
accept an advantageous offer made by
the Hoboken Land and Improvement
Company, and purchased the land upon
which the present church stands. On
May Is, 1871, the last service was said
in the old church. AT that time there
Communicates, IA teachers and $50 schol-
airs in the Sunday School. The sale of
the old church property which had orig
inally cost $1,000, Noted the handsome
erty cost $52, 600. The difference etwee
these two amounts contains the germs
of all the financial trials and struggles
of the next fourteen years.
the ladies had by their own individual
efforts, bought and paid for a building
lot, on which they had built a small rec
tory. Up to his time they had kept it
themselves, independent of the church.
But during one of the financial squab-
bles they turned it over to the yestry.
1t was soon sold to meet some of the
pressing financial needs of the church..
The proceeds were turned into the gen
eral treasury of the church, and were
soon swallowed up by one of many finan-
cial earthquakes.
The first rector of the parish was the
Rev. John H. Ward. He off1ciated for
the first time on the fourth Sunday in
Lent, 1885. A call was extended to him
at a salary of 5000 per annum, with the
use of the rectory. This he refused. A
second call was extended, at a salary of
$500. This he accepted. His rectorship
began some time in October, 1885. In a
short time the finances of the church
would not permit of an expenditure of
$500 for minister's services. And in the
records of 1887 a communication from Mr..
Ward appears, in which he offers to con-
tinue with the parish at $500 a year and
an unknown sum which James G. King
had agreed TO. pay him personally. This
was agreed to and he continued with the
parish as rector until some time in 1910,
when a change was made.
In 1S40, the Rev. DR.. Cruise was called
to the rectorship of the parish. No rec
ord was KEPT of his ministry, and a gap
covering the period from October II, 1S4l,
to October 16, 1S43, is plainly discernible.
DR.. Cruse's rectorship lasted until 1874,
when he rendered his resignation, which
was accepted. On September %, 1874, a
call was extended to the Rev. r. 7. Burn
ham at a salary Of $3.50 a year. The call
was accepted. DR.. Durham continued
in active charge until 1S4S, when his
health falling he obtained a leave of abb