The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-04
EVAN JONES BEAD.
He Was a Prominent Citizen
in Jersey City Thirty
Years Ago.
BUILT MANY EDIFlCES
Moving Church From New
York to Washington st.
One of His Feats.

Evan Jones. a prominent resident OF
Jersey City thirty years ago, died at his
home il Plainfield IN Thursday night.
Mr.. Jones built a number OF houses IN
the vicinity of Montgomery and Barrow
streets, among them the house on the
corner of those streets until recently oc-
cupied by Flavel MCGEE. hat house was
Mr.. Jones home. He lived there at the
time OF the Draft Riots in 1865. He
was An active Abolitionist. and 1T was
feared for that reason that his would be
the first house attacked. Mr.. Jones fol
that reason sent his wife and family to
Plainteld and. he remained with his work
men - Jersey City to protect his prop
erty. When all danger of attack was over
Mrs. Jones and the family had become
attached to Plain6eld. with the result
that they have livad there for the past
thirty years.
A number OF pna,ie buildings in this
city Were built bT Lr. Jones. One was
the old City Hall and another M%etropoli-
tan Hall. He moved the old Presbyterian
Church in Wall street, New York, to this
city, where it was placed opposite the
old Gregory Mansion. now the Post Office.
This was considered q feat. At that time
Mr.. Jones was associated With William
Bumsted. Mr.. Jones quilt the Bethesda
Baptist Church and helped to support it.
van Jones was born in A~berayron,
Wales, in 1920. His father was a well to
do farmer and the son was instructed in
the art of filling the soil. In 1888 he came
to this country and learned the mason
trade. but returned two years later and
married. He n the young woman Of his
choice were the first persons to be mar
ried in the Congregational Church at the
home Of his birth and the event was one
of great note. After the wedding Mr..
Jones and his wife. together with his
father and brother. returned to America.
and settled in Jersey City, where the
newly married man engaged in the mason
trade. also that of building. AT one time
Mr.. Jones employed as many as one hun-
bred men. He was a hard working man
and in a few years he accumulated quite
a fortune.
He became closely identified with re-
ligious work and became a Baptist. How
ever. he did not favor the close COM
munion Baptist, and it was through his
efforts that the Bethesda Baptist Church,
Of Jersey City, was built and supported.
although there was considerable opposi-
ton to the church. This was previous to
the Civil War. When the war broke out
Mr.. Jones became an anti-slavery man,
and he helped to construct means for the
escape of Union men from the Rebel
forces. His ~sympathies and support were
always with the oppressed, and he eve
lost an opportunity to do good when he
could.
He was a prince of entertainers n his
home. corner Barrow and Montgomery
streets. was always open to friends. In
those days he entertained man notable
men including Henry Ward Beecher.
Wendell Phillips. S. J. Tilden. Frederiek
Douglass and many others of note in the
religious n scientific world.
Mr.. Jones was a hard student. and in
this way he accumulated a vast amount
Of knowledge. He was thoroughly con-
versant on all important topics and was
well read.
When Mr.. Jones moved to Plainfield the
late ex-Mayor of Plainield, Job Male, was
also a resident of Jersey City, and through
the efforts of Mr.. Jones he was induced
to move to Plainfield. At that
time Mr.. Jones was worth a half million
dollars and he began at once to invest his
money in property and make improve
ments. During the early days he owned
and where the Plainfield Seminary
stands and where the Revere House and
Public Library is situated. He also
owned land where the Mrs. Baldwin and
Marion S. Alderman residences now
stands. The property on which stands
the Crescent Avenue Church was secured
through the efforts of Mr.. Jones, and he
also gave the LAND and 81. 000 to help the
church. He had Park avenue cut through,
widened and Strengthened, and that sec
ton OF the city where Carbon, Putnam
and Kensington avenues now are was all
owne dby him, graded and trees were set
out.
Although not a member of the First
Baptist Church he attended that house of
worship and assisted the members in
many ways. He was a teacher in the
Sunday che and had a large class. In
those days she salary of the pastor was
small, and in addition to giving LOCO to
the church., he was the means whereby
the pastors salary was increased to
double the amount then given. 1t various
times he gave freely to those in need. He
gave $500 to erect the Mt. Olive Baptist
Church. He also gave $500 toward erect
ing the old railroad station at Neither
wood. He built the Revere House, then
known as the Park House, and for the
first few years it was a great success.
Mr.. Jones was also interested in educa-
tional matters. Besides being a trustee
of the P1ainfield Seminary, he educated
a number of eelored girls and for years
afterward they devoted their time to