Christ Church (Middletown, New Jersey)

Christ Church is a historic church in Middletown Township, New Jersey built in 1744.

Christ Church
Christ Episcopal Church
Christ Church
40°23′38″N 74°07′04″W
Location	Middletown Township, New Jersey
Country	United States
Denomination	Episcopal
Churchmanship	Anglican Communion
Website	christchurchmiddletown.org
History
Status	Church
Founded	17 October 1702 (1702-10-17)[1]
Dedicated	1738 (1738)[1]
Events	Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornwallis leaving the Battle of Monmouth meet at the Church corner. Some of the wounded were housed in the Church.[1]
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Neo-gothic
Years built	1744-1745
Groundbreaking	1744 (1744)
Completed	1745 (1745)
Specifications
Length	53 feet (16 m)[1]
Width	40.25 feet (12.27 m)[1]
Height	16.5 feet (5.0 m)[1]
Materials	Large, hand-shaped rough stone[1]
Bells	1
Administration
Episcopal area	Episcopal Church in the United States of America[2]
Diocese	Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey[2]
Province	Province II[2]
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Rt. Rev. William "Chip" Stokes[3]
Rector	Rev. Michael Way http://christchurchmiddletown.org/welcome/clergy
Assistant priest(s)	Rev. Dr. Cathy Bickerton[4]
Laity
Organist(s)	John Balme
Churchwarden(s)	Barbara Garrity and Paul Dawson http://christchurchmiddletown.org/welcome/vestry
Parish administrator	Christine Ruland[4]
Christ Episcopal Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Location	Middletown Township, New Jersey
Built	1744
Architectural style	Neo-gothic[1]
NRHP reference No.	71000511[1]
NJRHP No.	2022[5]
Significant dates
Designated	November 12, 1971 (1971-11-12)
Designated NJRHP	July 19, 1971 (1971-07-19)

History

Early years

Though not officially named as such, it is believed that the first Church of England services held in Middletown was in the private home of Alexander Innes, the former chaplain of the Fort of New York, as early as the 1680s. Middletown, at the time, wasn't the best place in the region due to its proximity to the shore and the perpetuation of its residents to house visiting pirates.[1]

In 1701, New Jersey British Governor Lewis Morris wrote to the Bishop of London about the "wicked" Middletown. The letter described the Sunday Meetings (presumably church services) at the local publick house being filled with fights and running of races.[6] By 1702 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts arrived by way of their missionary George Keith. Along with Innes, the men formed what was to become Christ Church on October 17, 1702. For several years, services were held in private homes until 1705, when Judge John Johnson - a friend of Innes - gave over the rights to the old Monmouth Patent courts for use of a church.[1]

In 1738, King George II granted the church an official charter that was signed by Governor William Burnet. By 1744, a building was constructed and finished the next year allowing services to being.[1]

American Revolution

The church survived the battles unscathed despite its proximity to several battles and skirmishes. Following the Battle of Monmouth, the battle-beaten Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornwallis met at the church and some of the wounded were held in the Church.[1]

Following the successful end of the War, the Church sent delegated to the first General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States.[1]

Pirates and the church

In 1736, William Leeds, a reputed cohort of the pirate Captain Kidd, had left a sizable glebe for the church. But the controversy over how the glebe came to be is what made the donation a topic of controversy.[6]

Leeds, following a successful career as a pirate and profiteer, had settled, along with some of his fellow shipmates, in the Ideal Beach section of Middletown and married some of the township women. In order for him to make good after his deeds as a pirate, he set up a trust that would be given to both the Middletown and Shrewsbury Christ Churches following his death. The trust included any money and his property at Swimming River, in Leedsville (now Lincroft).[6]

Is it believed that his sizable wealth came, most likely, as a result of is plundering since Leeds was a Society of Friends member and took no part in any piratical violence. Leeds died in 1739.[6]

References

1. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form - Christ Church". National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
2. "Find A Church". The Episcopal Church. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
3. "New Jersey". The Episcopal Church. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
4. "Clergy & Staff". Christ Church of Middletown. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
5. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places" (PDF). NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
6. DeNicola, Linda (25 February 2012). "The Truth About Christ Church: A Legacy of Piracy in Middletown". Middletown Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved 13 February 2015.