The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-23
ENGLISH LUTHERANS.
Trinity Congregation
Buys the MeGee Man
sion as a Place Of
Worship.
WHAT THE BUILDING COST
Church's Progress Under Rev.
Eugene MISUNDERSTANDING
the Churches.

One OF the most successful church move
ments ever started in this city was thai
Of the Holy Trinity English Lutheran
Church. The position which tina church
now holds shows what an energetic pastor
and a willing congregation can bring
about with a little effort. The English
Lutheran Church has attained quite a
foothold in this city within the past two
years, in fact a most surprising one.
A few days ago. or, to be precise. on
July IS. the trustees of the Holy Trinity
Church closed the negotiations with MIR.
John Mullins for the purchase Of the old
McGee mansion, which stands on the east
ern corner of Barrow and Montgomery
street, and which was bought some time
ago by him at an auction sale. The price
paid was $4,000. The building IS a hand
some one, being situate in one Of the
prettiest parts of the city, also one of the
arisfocratic sections. Van Worst Park is
almost opposite the site. The building is
a tnree-story and basement one and is Of
brown stone. Very spacious are the
grounds surrounding ii and which are now
flied with flowers. Handsome vines cling
10 the sues Oh The QDuSN. lullilS WHY
much to the beauty Of the spot.
Very few alterations will be necessary
to make the new house Of worship ready
for occupancy, only two partitions having
to be torn down. The trustees and the
pastor. the Rev. Eugene e.. Neudewitz,
are of the opinion that it will be at least
two years before an attempt will be made
to erect a church on the new property, as
It will take very nearly all that time to
pay for the property and to raise sufficient
funds with which to build a suitable place
of worship for the rapidly increasing con-
gregation.
The Holy Trinity English Lutheran
Church now occupies the house in which
the late Leon Albeit resided. which IS sit
uated on the eastern corner of Jersey
venue and Montgomery street. When
the movement was first started in this
city. the building formerly occupied by
the Young Mems Christian Association,
on Wayne street, between Jersey avenue
and Barrow street, was used as a place
Of worship by the small band of follow
ers Of the Lord. This was on September
.. 1898. The building was rented by the
Mackenzie estate. Adjoining the build
ing occupied by the congregation of the
Holy Trinity Church, were lots which
were bought some time before by the
ST. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran
Church, as that church intended to build
a church there in the near future. The
Church was built during the past year.
The members of the St. Matthew's con-
gregation did not like the idea of having
another church of a different deno1nina-
ton next door to their place of worship,
and at a meeting of the trustees it was
decided to buy the house and property I'M
known to the congregation of the Holy
Trinity Church. This was done. and the
price paid was $4,000. The occupants
were then given notice TO vacate the
premises. The trustees were very much
surprised at this notice, and an investi-
CATION was begun. 1t then developed that
the trustees of the ST. Matthew's Church
had purchased tho property with the in
tention of ousting them. They felt very
sore over the way they had been treated
because, as Mr.. William Hoffman, one of
the trustees. says, I'VE were treated very
meanly. Our trustees were under the i'm
| preston that they could buy the property
at any time. In fact. it was offered to US
for $4,000, and then we heard that it had
been sold over our heads for $1,000 more,
| why the congregation naturally felt angry
| about it."
d7or a time the trustees of the new
| church were at sea as to what TO do, but
| finally after much skirmishing the Abb
bett house was decided upon. Or. Leon
ard Gordon, one of the Library trustees,
which body had purchased that site for
the new Library building, which is short
" to be erected. was consulted, and ne
| agreed to let the trustees have the build
ing. for an indefinite period as a place of
worship. On March g. 1897, the first SER
vice was held in the new home, and
since then the church has %psespered.
There are fully two hundred member in
| the CONGREGATION, and nearly twice that
number of scholars in the Sunday school,
/ which is held zach Sunday morning at
half-past nine o'clock.
The pastor, the Rev. Eugene E.. Neude-
WITT, has been connected with the church
since it was organized, and he has la
bored faithfully. Not only has he built
| this church up. but he organized the new
English Lutheran Church on Linden ave-
nue.. G~reenville. This was done about
two months ago, and the Rev. G. =. Bur
ger is in charge Of the work in that sec
ton. This church. too, has been success
full. having a membership roll Of more
than one hundred. 1t has not yet been
decided just how soon the present quar-
tiers of the Holy Trinity Church will be
vacated. but the vacating will probably
take place within a month.