| Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery of Hopewell | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. Historic district | |
| New Jersey Register of Historic Places | |
 Hopewell Old School Baptist Meeting House and Cemetery in 2024 | |
  Show map of Mercer County, New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Show map of the United States | |
| Location | 46 West Broad Street, Hopewell, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°23′18″N 74°45′53″W / 40.38833°N 74.76472°W / 40.38833; -74.76472 (Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery of Hopewell) |
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 100011029 |
| NJRHP No. | 5931 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 25, 2024 |
| Designated NJRHP | October 8, 2024 |
The Old School Baptist Church is a historic church building located at 46 West Broad Street in the borough of Hopewell in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The brick church was built in 1822 and was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1936.. The adjoining Old School Baptist Cemetery was established in 1747. The church and cemetery were listed as part of the Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery of Hopewell historic district in the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 2024, for their significance in art and architecture. The 4-acre (1.6 ha) district includes one contributing building, one contributing site, one contributing structure, and three contributing objects.
History
The Baptist congregation in Hopewell was organized in 1715, led by Johnathan Stout. In 1747, John Hart donated land for the church and cemetery. The first church building was erected from 1747 to 1748. Its first minister was Reverend Issac Eaton, who served until his death in 1772. In 1822, the current Federal architecture church was built on the site of the first church. In 1974, there were no surviving members of the congregation and the property changed from a religious organization to a private foundation and museum.
Cemetery
The earliest burial dates to 1747. A marble tombstone is affixed to the exterior church wall for the Reverend Issac Eaton, who had been buried inside the original church building. In 1873, a cast and wrought iron fence, made by Joseph B. Yard of Trenton, was erected around the cemetery. The ornate gravestones for John Hobbs (d. 1761) and Elizabeth Hobbs (d. 1767) were carved and labeled by professional tombstone maker Jonathan Hand Osborn of Scotch Plains.
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Area view of the cemetery
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Entrance gate in iron fence
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John Hobbs and Elizabeth Hobbs gravestones
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John Hart monument
Notable burials
- John Hart (1713–1779) – donated land for the church, signer of the Declaration of Independence
See also
References
- "National Register Information System – (#100011029)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- "Weekly List 2024 11 29". National Park Service. November 29, 2024.
- "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Mercer County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. December 20, 2024. p. 5.
also known as Old Baptist Meetinghouse, First Baptist Church of Hopewell, Old Brick, Hopewell Baptist
- "Old School Baptist Church". Historic American Buildings Survey. 1936.
- ^ Alderman, Christie (July 2023). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery of Hopewell (Draft)" (PDF). National Park Service.
External links
Media related to Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery (Hopewell, New Jersey) at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NJ-199, "Old School Baptist Church, Main Street, Hopewell, Mercer County, NJ", 2 photos, 9 measured drawings, 3 data pages
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey | ||
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