Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-07-14
METHODISTS.

N- ~
| As early as r772, transient Metlio
dist preachers addressed people Of
that faith in this city. In the diar,
of Bishop Francis Asbury for Febru
airy 27th. of that Year, is found tht
following: CATER having preached il
a large upper o at Mr.. rs in Am
boy, where many came to hear, and J
was much favored in my own soul; al
%innkeeper invited me to his houst
and was kind enough to desire that
[ would call on him when | came
again.
No regular arrangement for a
preacher was made for several years.
Meetings and services we're held il
the courthouse, in a store on Higl
street, two doors above Smith street.
and in an addition which was built tc
the house of Mr.. Coddington OF
Smith street. This addition, if erected
in the same place today would block
King street. That thoroughfare hao
not then been cut through, and was
not, for many years later.
The church was founded June ct.
1893, and a lot at the southeast corner
o. High and Commerce streets was
decided by William Lupton, of New
York. Several preachers, each stayin;
FIR a short time, came to this place
In 1878, the congregation was form
lilly organized with fifteen members
Rev. Isaac Cross was one of thost
preachers who had OBLIGATED here a,
intervals. After several years he be
anne greatly interested III the churcI
md lent his earnest efforts to attcmr
20 raise funds for the erection Of a
church-building on the lot at High
and Commerce streets.
On the 18th of February 1875, a
meeting of the churches in the dis
trict was held, and a committee was
appointed to report on the estimated
cost of a church in Perth Amboy
This committee submitted an cstimat,
of $1,000. This was rejected as be
ing too high. Rev. Mr.. Cross did
not cease his efforts, nor did the con
gregation lose heart. In 1887, their
labor proved successful, and a small
but substantial frame structure was
built. At that time the congregation
had sixty members. Up to this tim,
the church had had no settled pastor
but II year later, MIR. Cross became
the first regular pastor Of the church.
On account of his earnest and sue
cessful efforts for the interests of the
congregation, he was greatly beloved
and admired. He could remain here
but two years, however, according tt
the laws Of the church. When hUl
left in 1889, the congregation con
aimed cighty-fivc members, showing
1 great growth during his %pastorate.
The second pastor was Rev. Benjamin
Day. He was succccdel by Rev
Josiah +. Garfield, who remained but
one year. The fourth minister was
Rev. Curtis Talley. Rev. Robert
Luton served from IS44to 1896. In
the first year of the passionate of Rev.
Alexander Gilmore, who served dur
ing I846.47. David O. Noe, the
eightieth anniversary OF whose birth
and the isixtieth of whose joining the
church was recently celebrated, was
chosen as one of the trustees of the
church, AT this time the congregation
numbered 100. Mr.. Noe served sew
eral consecutive terms until 1883.
In 1884, Rev. James II. Dandy,
after whom Major James II. Dandy
Post No. 43, of the Grand Army, of
this city was named, was called to
the pastorate Of the church. The
number of members of the congIega-
ton was then I15, the largest up to
that time. During his stay, in 1856
a committee was appointed to pur-
chase a sitefor a new church edifice.
InpI8s6, duriug the ministry here of
Rev. Benjamin Kelley, land on J~effer-
SON street was purchased on which it
was proposed to erect a parsonage
The cost Of the parsonage, built short
" afterwards, was $2,34o.52. In
1868, during the passionate of Rev. ].
Reeves Daniels, a site for the new
church, at the northwest corner of
High and Jefferson streets, was pur-
! chased. Work on the church, the