The authoritative source on
  early churches of New Jersey

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We've created a database and photographic inventory on more than half the 18th & 19th century churches in the state and add to it each month. We welcome and solicit all contributions and suggestions from our visitors.

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Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church
Jersey City, Hudson County

St. Matthews was founded in 1861 as a German Lutheran congregation. They either built or purchased a building about 1863, located on Fifth Street, between Erie and Jersey; the records are confusing and apparently contradictory. The current church, built in 1897, is on Wayne, between Jersey and Barrow, in what was once a very upscale section of the city. The building is of a fairly conventional design—a squarish tower on the central axis of the gable-ended church; the roofline is rather steep, characteristic of the Gothic influence, which can also be seen in the windows and the buttresses. There was originally a tall spire atop the tower. The ornate interior remains in a remarkable state of preservation. St. Matthew's sponsored several missions, one to the Lafayette area (Christ Lutheran) and St. Paul's.

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Copyright (c) 2001 Frank L. Greenagel