Old Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Upper Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey
Marker Inscription
Old Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church Formerly organized in 1741, though services have been held as early as 1720. The old church was built in 1767. School here came to be called "Pittsgrove College", because of number of students prepared for college by ministers
Erected by New Jersey Commission on Historic Sites
The Story
Old Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church in rural Salem County was formally organized in 1741, though worship had gathered here as early as 1720. The stone church built in 1767 still anchors the community. Its ministers were so skilled at preparing young men for higher study that the associated school earned the nickname 'Pittsgrove College.'
Why it matters
The congregation reflects the deep colonial roots of Presbyterianism in New Jersey and the way frontier churches doubled as centers of learning.
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