The Penn's Grove record., 1907-08-30
ri uNyfll TABLET
Interesting Exercises to be Held at
r1oravian Church Under Auspises OF
Historical Society.

| GnAAAh OhA(A p "
Historical Society.
Preparations are well under way for an
interesting programme of exercises at
the old Morayian Church, between
| Swedesboro and Woodstowp, Saturday,
August 81, when the Gloucester County
Historical Society will unveil a tablet Oh
the walls OF this quaint structure, which
stands unaltered and III its primitive sim
/ plicitv. a monument to the religious &C
| tivity Of the early settlers OF West New
Jersey.
The exercises will be held out doors,
weather permitting, and will cover both
morning and afternoon, being i'll the
nature of a picnic and reunion OF the old
families whose names are associated with
the development and growth OF that part
of Fenwick's colony. Rt. Rev, John w.
lowering. of Bethlehem, Pa, head OF the
Moravian Church in America, will deliver
the principal address. Senator John
Boyd Avis, a direct d~escendent OF George
Avis, owner OF the ground on which the
church was built, will present the tablet
for the Historical Society, and Rev. &. NJ.
Perkins, OF Vineland, Dean OF the Do
cese, will accept the same on behalf OF
the Protestant Episcopal denomination,
under whose charge the property now is.
Other addresses will be made, and a
| paper containing much interesting and
heretofore unpublished data concerning
theiMoravian movement, is being pre-
pared by George NJ. Macaltioner, OF
Woodstown.
The tablet to be placed on the outside
wall, between the two doors, will be iu-
scribed thus:
Near this site, A. d, f747,
the MOravianS erected d log church
and dedicated it August 81, l749,
in the presence OF Bishop A.G.
Cpangenberg.
The construction OF this oil church was
begun III June, l7S6, and dedicated July
5, 1883, by Bishop j. EttwtIn.
The Gloucester County Historical Society
placed this tablet August 81, 1907.
This interesting old building stands d.
rectly on the "King's Highway" the first
road OF Importance opened in South Jer-
sey, running from Salem through Wood
bury to Burlington. 1t is plain in archi-
lecture, no attempt being made to mod
ernie it, and the inside furnishings are
of the simplest kind. A plain but well
preserved high pulpit, under which is the
reading desk all surrounded by a railing,
with pews of implanted wood, comprises
the furniture.
According to a narrative OF DR.. Nicholas
Collin, which The National Standard
printed in 1908, ''the old Moravian
Church was built as the outcome of a
schism created by the Moravians, who
had hitherto worshipped with the
Swedes at PENIS Neck and Swedesboro.
1t seems that in 1741 there was a vacancy
in the rectorship of the two churches,
and before the coming OF Rev. John
Sardin to fill this vacancy in 174S the
Moravians, or United Brethren, as they
were called, left their former faith and
erected this meeting house on Oldman's
creek about three miles from Woodstown.
1t is supposed that the church was built
about 1744, for Peter Tranberg, who had
formerly preached at PENIS Neck and
Raccoon, and had been promoted to the
rectorship-Gt Chrislila jnLelaWare i'll
1741, occasionally came over the river to
su~pply-this Moravian congregation. The
mode of worship Of the Swedes and
Moravians was naturally very much
alike, so after a time the parishioners
withdrew from this church which they
had built IL probably went back to
worship again with the Swedes. At any
rate the church stood idle for many years
and was rapidly going to decay, when, in
1910, Rev. John Wort, the Episcopal
minister at Swedesboro, seeing the condi-
ton of affairs, went to Bethlehem, Pa,
and interview the authorities of the
Moravian Church. The result was
that.this old property was then decided
to the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
Rev. Mr.. Wort returned and had the
church repaired, and held SCI vices there
on Sundays for anumber of years. After
he lett the church was probably opened
once a month, and finally abandoned.
On July l, 1877, Henry Shiveler, of
Swedesboro, started a Sunday-school
there, with a church service once a
month. Finally the church service was
given up but the Sunday school was
continued. w 4GAN1MA