The History of St. James' Church - Continued
He hoped the income from the school would supplement his salary as Vicar. Construction of the building began in July of 1872 and the school opened In January of 1873. Fr. Martin stayed for 4 years; The Rev. Levi Johnston -- the last of the old "Missionary Rectors" -- followed, and remained Vicar for 6 years.
In 1883, only 12 communicants were reported to the Diocesan Convention. The Parish was deeply involved in debt. The Reverends Snyder Kent, Charles Wood and J.C. Joralemon each remained for a year. Things were so difficult that, in 1886, the mortgage on St. James Church was foreclosed. The building became Vernon Hall Theater; photographs depict performances of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Reportedly, the shows were so terrible that pennies and other things were thrown at the performers. The Parish Hall became a bicycle shop and some sort of "bottling works".
Rev. Pixley came from Dover and, by May of 1895, resumed services in the Parish Hall. He was assisted by students from the General Theological Seminary in New York. On October 1, 1896, Father William Mitchum was assigned as a full-time Vicar to Hackettstown. By October of 1899 -- the 40th anniversary of St. James Church -- he had raised enough money to buy the Church and property, and a Service of Purification was held on April 30, 1900. Not only did he purchase the church, he was instrumental in the construction of Lady Chapel and the Rectory (cornerstone laid In 1902), the installation of chimes in the belfry, and the enlargement of the Parish hall. The number of communicants had risen to 99 by 1926. He was subsequently asked to become priest-in-charge of Christ Church, Stanhope and was a member of the Hackettstown Board of Education. He served in the Red Cross during World War I and was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity Degree In 1942 by Nashotah House Seminary. Fr. Mitchum served St. James Church for a total of 31 years.
The building itself has not changed much since early times as far as the exterior Is concerned, but the interior has been almost completely transformed. The recess chancel was, then, large and commodious. It was well lighted by a large, stained-glass window. On either side were "robing rooms" as they were called in those days. The rest of the windows were diamond-shaped, dark, leaded glass which was supposed to give the interior a dim, religious light. There was a large body of pews in the center of the Church, with aisles on either side. These, in turn, were flanked by short "slips" fastened securely to the side walls. The pews ran to the back of the Church and under the gallery, which was also filled with pews in the same general arrangement as the lower floor. This gave St. James' a seating capacity nearly double that of the present Church, but it presented a heating problem which has never been properly solved. In those days stoves were used, later replaced by a hot-air furnace -- sufficient space having been excavated beneath the Church for this purpose. There was a bell in the tower which has since been given to the Board of Education and presently hangs In the High School belfry.
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Acknowledgment The Ven. Sydney E. Grant The Rev. Arthur Wing III