The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-15
BAPT|STS
owe THEIR START
TO LYONS FARMS
Splendid Growth from a Small
Beginning More Than a Hum
bred Years. Ago.
ORIGIN OF FIRST CHURCH,
NOW PEDDIE MEMORIAL.
Baptisms in the Passaic River
During the Early Times.
List of Pastors.

When few Baptists who attended
services in the old Lyons Farms
Church, In the year 1900, were given per
mission to organize In their W town,
with the aid Of members of the old
church, a Baptist society, the custom
was to immense candidates for mem
bership in the Passaic river, or in near
streams. But this custom was aban-
doned after the Baptists were able TO
have large baptismal fonts, or tanks,
in their churches. The custom Of i'm
mersion has always been followed, for
the belief Is that candidates should be
baptized as John baptized Christ and
others in the Jordan river, in the
early years of Christianity.
June s 1901, William Ovlngton, John
Ransley, kipps Baldwin, George Hob
dey, Michael Law, Mrs. Mary Ransley,
Mrs. Mary Lou, Joanna Grummon and
Phoebe Headden, two of them from
Newark, were constituted by the Lyons
Farms Church into a regular Baptist
church, in the ''Towne of Newark
and they were soon incorporated as
The First Baptist Church Of New
ark" The day of the organization
Elisha Crane was received by letter as
a member from Lyons Farms, and Jo-
seph Smith, Abigail Hobdey, Reuben
Kellum and Jenunie Bruen were hap
tized In the Passaic river Services
were held for about five years in the
old White Schoolhouse,' near which
is now Lincoln Park, where the early
Methodists, or Wesleyans, also held
their services.
In the year 1905 a lot S7x10O feet, at
Academy and Halsey streets, was pur-
chased for a Meeting House and
.Bround,' as the old records
have it, and in 1906 a frame church
building, S5x45 feet, was completed,
and on September Is of that year dedi-
Gated. The congregation increased so
that, in 1910, the old church was taken
down n on the site was erected a
frame building 4Sx6S feet, at a cost of
IS, 900. For thirty years the church had
a hard struggle, but In 1S41 the build
ing was repaired, and a vestibule, a
Sunday-school and lecture-room added,
at cost of $4,000.
nSXan fWt3 SeVG4Vcch m044WCFWs t
The first pastor was the Rev. Charles
Lobott, who began his work in 1902.
with seventeen members; served four
years, and left thirty-two members
when he retired. He was succeeded by
the Rev. s. Peter Thurston, Daniel
Sharp, John Lamb, David Jones, Dan
iel Putnam, Ebenezer LOOMS, c. F..
Frey, P. L. Pratt, Daniel Dodge, Will
lam Sym, Henry v. Jones, during
whose pastorate of seven years 10S
members were added, making a total
of 1858, when he was succeeded In 1850
by the Rev. E. e. Cummings.
The Rev. DR.. Henry Clay Fish be-
came pastor Of the church in 1851, and
his long pastorate, which ended
with his death In the fall of 1877, there
were $50 members added to the church
roll, a total Of 1,199, the largest in the
history Of the church. He was a bril-
orator and clever author, an
American patriot, and durins
the Civil War the First Baptist Church
building in Academy street, near Broad
vas used no only for patriotic
purposes, but what became known as
the Gallant One Hundred and Sew
nearly all men of the church,
enlisted for the war.
While the Rev. DR.. Fish was pastor
the third church building was erected
in Academy street. 1t was dedicated
May %, 1850, and the cost of the
land, the building and furniture ex-
s 5000. The structure vas Of
Romanesque In architecture,
was 81 feet front on Academy street,
10 feet deep. extending north to the
Morris canal, had q lecture-room and
Sunday schoolroom and other rooms on
the first floor; with an auditorium
above hat would seat fully 1900 per-
.
This building and the land was solo
to the Federal government, which used
the old structure as a part Of the post
building until 1t was demolished
and the present p~ostofice building
The cornerstone of the present First
Baptist Peddie Memorial Church in
Broad street was laid June Is, 1888, and
in May. 1880. 1t was dedicated. The
site and the building were a gift from
the late Hon. Thomas B. Peddie, who
had been Mayor of Newark two terms,
o COlI8 KcSSildtI, lOutuOI VI 4 CQQiC
and other institutions. and
his widow made a large endowment
gift also.
Other Pastors.
The pastors who succeeded the Rev.
DR.. Fish were the Rev. DR.. Thomas
a native of Dublin. Ireland.
a brilliant orator. who spoke at a
great meeting in the old Newark Opera
House in honor of Charles Stewart
Parnell. the Irish patriot, at which
meeting the Hon. George b. Jenkinson,
a partner of Thomas B. Peddie, and
of Richard C. Jenkinson. pre-
sided: the Rev. DIR. Edward Glen Tay-
lor, from 1882 for three years; the Rev.
DR.. Willard w. Boyd. from 1887 for
seven years. and the Rev. DR.. Charles
Hastings Dodd, who was Installed in
1894, and it vas during his passionate,
in 1901, that the centennial anniversary
Of the church was celebrated. and it
was continued for a week. The Rev.
DR.. Thomas JEFFERSON vfllers, the pres
emit pastor, succeeded the Rev. DR..
Dodd in 1906.
The Rev. DR.. villers was born in vir-
efnja in 1854. was graduated In 1885
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