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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    Ocean County

These are the churches that have been recently photographed and are included on the photographic inventory. [partial list--not complete; I expect there are less than 60 pre-1900 churches in total.]

Municipality	Church	Sect	Fnd	Built	Style
Barnegat	St. Mary's Roman Catholic	RC		1870s	vernacular
Barnegat	Barnegat Friends Meeting	Quak	1767	1767	meetinghouse
Barnegat	Barnegat Methodist Episcopal	ME	1829	1886	vernacular
Barnegat	Wright Memorial Presbyterian	Pres	1876	1870s
Bayhead	All Saints	Epis		1889	shingle
Bayhead	Bayhead Tabernacle			1890s	meetinghouse
Bayhead	Bayhead Chapel		1888	1889	shingle
Bayville	Trinity Methodist Episcopal	ME	1855	1873	Wren-Gibbs
Brick Twsp	Herbertsville Methodist Episcopal	ME	1860s	1875	traditional
Brookville	Brookville Methodist Episcopal	ME		c1865	traditional
Forked River	Forked River Methodist Episcopal	ME		c1884	Wren-Gibbs
Island heights	Methodist Episcopal Ch of Island Hts	ME		1882	eclectic
Island Hieghts	Episcopal church	Epis		1880s	traditional
Jackson Twsp	Harmony Methodist Episcopal	ME		1870	traditional
Jackson Twsp	Holmanville Mormon	Morm	1828?	1828	vernacular
Lacey Twsp	[Christian Bible Baptist Church]			1870s	vernacular
Lakewood	First Methodist	ME	1837	1869	Greek Revival
Lakewood	First Presbyterian of Lakewood	Pres		1884	Gothic
Lakewood	St. John AME Zion	AME		c1865	vernacular
Lakewood	First Baptist	Bapt		c1898	Romanesque
Lakewood	[unknown]	Bapt?			vernacular
Lakewood	All Saints	Epis	1865	1884	Gothic Revival
Laurelton	Burrsville Baptist (Orient Bapt)	Bapt		1857	Greek Revival
Lavalette	First Christian Association	non	1883	1887	vernacular
Manahawkin	Manahawkin Methodist Episcopal	ME	1806	1870s	Gothic
Manahawkin	Manahawkin Meetinghouse	non	1749	1860	meetinghouse
Mantoloking	St. Simon by the Sea	Epis		1889	stick
Murray Grove	Good Luck (Potter)	Univ	1765	1841	meetinghouse
New Egypt	New Egypt Methodist Episcopal	ME		1851	Greek Revival
New Egypt	Plumstead Presbyterian	Pres		1850s	Greek Revival
New Egypt	Zion Methodist Episcopal	ME		1837	meetinghouse
Ortley Beach	Saint Elisabeth's Chapel	Epis		1885	meetinghouse
Parkerton	Calvary Baptist	Bapt		1893	Gothic
Pleasant Grove	Pleasant Grove Methodist	ME	1847	1880s	vernacular
Point Pleasant	Point Pleasant Presbyterian	Pres		1870s	traditional
Point Pleasant	First Baptist	Bapt		1880s	traditional
Point Pleasant	St. Mary's-by-the-Sea	Epis		1889	traditional
Point Pleasant	Harvey memorial Methodist Episcopal	ME		1872	traditional
Stafford Twsp	Warren Grove Methodist Episcopal	ME	1874	1874	traditional
Tom's River	Christ Church	Epis		1882	Gothic
Tom's River	First Presbyterian	Pres	1841	1856	traditional
Tuckerton	Little Egg Harbor Friends Meeting	Quak	1704	1863	meetinghouse
Tuckerton	First Presbyterian	Pres	1859	1861	Gothic
West Creek	West Creek Methodist Episcopal	ME	1815	1868	eclectic

 

Some explanation is needed. Churches in boldface are either listed on the National Register or are otherwise of special interest. If the name of the church is in brackets [ ] I am in doubt as to the founding congregation. The Sect is the original religious denomination when the church was built. Fields left blank are those for which I have no solid information.