The History of St. James' Church - Continued
In June of 1834, Bishop George Washington Doane was on tour In the northern part of his Diocese and officiated at the service of Evening Prayer in Hackettstown in the Trinity Methodist Church. We find no further evidence of Episcopal services here until July 31, 1858 when Rev. Charles Hoffman of St. Mary's, Burlington, conducted two services in the area -- one in the morning at Balmont Hall on Schooley's Mountain and Evening Prayer, again, at Trinity Methodist Church. Episcopal events other than these were not recorded and have been forgotten, inasmuch as the Gazette commented on Fr. Hoffman's visits by saying, "This Is the first time in the history of Hackettstown that an Episcopal service has been conducted.'' Fr. Hoffman was a very energetic minister of the Faith. The day following these services, he began making plans for a church In Hackettstown. He came again later that summer to initiate fund-raising for the building.
By the fall of 1858, Hackettstown had its first resident Episcopal clergyman -- The Rev. Peter Brown Morrison. A graduate of Nashotah House, he married Mary Breck, niece of the founder Nashotah, William Lloyd Breck. Fr. Morrison rented a house (which is still standing) on Grand Avenue, directly across from the new post office, and brought his wife and two sons -- Samuel and Lloyd -- to live there. He then found a suitable place for conducting Church Services, utilizing the Village Academy which stood next to the Presbyterian Church on Main Street. The latter had been built in 1813 and, a little farther down the street, the Methodists had erected a small frame structure in 1832. Services were held In the Academy for two years. During this time -- on December 19, 1858 -- a Parish meeting was organized to elect Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Church and the Parish was incorporated as "The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Church, Hackettstown. Eben Winton -- editor of the Gazette -- and William Gardner were chosen Wardens. John Johnson, Laban Matthewson, Aaron Clark and Warren Potter were elected Vestrymen.
On April 26, 1859, Fr. Hoffman came from Burlington to assist with the laying of the cornerstone at St. James. At the Diocesan Convention in Burlington on May 25, 1859, St. James was admitted as a Parish. Records do not indicate the actual date of consecration.
Land had been purchased from Elizabeth Sharpe by Eugene Hoffrman -- later Dean of the Episcopal Theological Seminary. She once owned much of present-day Hackettstown. He, in turn, sold it to the "Protestant Episcopal Church of Hackettstown". There were many problems that plagued the construction of St. James. A windstorm tore down the framework of the steeple. Two workmen brought suit against the parish for injuries. In 1870, $100 was stolen from the Sacristy.
The Diocese had no Board of Missions as yet, so there was nowhere to turn for assistance. The second Vicar of St. James left after 3 months due to lack of funds for his salary. The Rev. H.B. Stewert Martin found his stipend too small to live on so he erected the Parish Hall for use as a private elementary school.
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Acknowledgment The Ven. Sydney E. Grant The Rev. Arthur Wing III