Church of the Redeemer/Church of the Messiah
The erection of a "Memorial" Presbyterian Church in the eastern section of Paterson was first suggested in 1870 by Dr. W.H. Hornblower, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. The project failed at that time because of a lack of financial support.
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Dr. David Magie, successor to Dr. Hornblower, formally announced his approval of the movement in November 1883. A conference of elders and trustees of the First Presbyterian Church accepted the offer of Mrs. Mary Ryle and her family to donate the property at the corner of Broadway and Graham Avenue (currently called Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and Rosa Parks Boulevard, respectively) for the church.
The society of the Church of the Redeemer was organized on May 16, 1884. At a congregational meeting held on June 15, 1884, the following persons were elected trustees: Henry A. Williams J.S. Barkalow, William T. Ryle, Edward T. Bell, Garret A. Hobart, Eugene Stevenson, Francis C. VanDyk.
The sketch and plans for the church edifice were submitted by Messrs. J.C. Cady and Co., architects, on October 10, 1884, and were unanimously accepted. Mr. Cady was an outstanding architect who had designed The Metropolitan Opera House, The Museum of Natural History, fifteen buildings for Yale University and several buildings for the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
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Ground was broken for the new church on April 6, 1885, and the cornerstone laid July 2, 1885. The Reverend David Magie, D.D., officiated at the ceremony, assisted by members of the Presbytery of Jersey City and representatives from the various churches of Paterson.
The Sunday School rooms were completed before the sanctuary and the first classes were held in them May 11, 1886. Opening services in the new sanctuary were held on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1886.
The dedication of the Church of the Redeemer and the installation of Dr. Magie as pastor took place on December 2, 1886. Dr. Magie served as pastor for 21 years.
The belfry and spire were a special contribution to the church from Mrs. Mary E. Ryle. The original organ was built by Messrs. Hook and Hastings of Boston from special designs and donated to the church by Mrs. Mary Danforth and Mr. William Strange.
The Church of the Redeemer congregation was composed of many prominent leaders in the industrial and civic life of the city of Paterson. Garret A. Hobart, Vice President of the United States, was a prominent member of the Church of the Redeemer. When Vice President Hobart died, his funeral service was conducted from the Church of the Redeemer. Among the mourners that day were President William McKinley and Governor of New York Theodore Roosevelt, who succeeded Hobart as Vice President and then became President when President McKinley died.
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The Church of the Messiah is the union of two Presbyterian Churches -- the Second Presbyterian Church and the Church of the Redeemer. The two great congregations became one on December 3, 1928. The union of the two churches could be considered a re-union, since the First Presbyterian Church of Paterson has produced both the Redeemer and the Second Presbyterian churches. The Redeemer church building was located at a spot considered at that time the outskirts of the city. The Second Presbyterian Church was established in 1840 as a result of a split with the First Presbyterian Church over the issue of slavery.
In 1926 the Presbytery of Jersey City surveyed the population of Paterson, particularly Presbyterians, with the idea of merging churches with overlapping fields. As the Second Presbyterian Church and the Church of the Redeemer were only two blocks from each other (the Second Presbyterian Church was located at Broadway and Summer Street), a merger was considered by the officers of both churches. The merger did not take place at that time because neither church was in favor of it.
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In the late afternoon of Thursday July 5, 1928, a terrible thunderstorm broke over the city, and a bolt of lightning hit the steeple of the Church of the Redeemer, setting fire to the main edifice and completely consuming the interior. Many offers of help from neighboring churches were received, but the stricken congregation accepted the offer of the Second Church to use their facilities. The congregation worshiped together in morning and evening services. Preachers, organists and choirs took alternate Sundays; each Sunday School had its own services. When a merger was proposed again, it was decided to join the two congregations under the roof of the rebuilt Church of the Redeemer on the corner of Broadway and Graham Avenue, but under a new name, the Church of the Messiah.
At the time of the merger when the Church of the Messiah was organized, the congregations accepted with regret the resignations of their pastors -- The Reverend Alvin Sawtelle of the Second Presbyterian Church and the Reverend Frederick W. Evans of the Church of the Redeemer. New official boards were elected, composed of equal numbers from each church. The Reverend D.D. Hutchinson was appointed Moderator; the Reverend Dr. Charles Weibel acted as supply minister.
The Memorial Parish House was dedicated on Sunday, September 15, 1951. This much-needed facility was made possible by the contributions of the members of the congregation.
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Photo: www.TDPPhotograpy.com
click on image to enlarge
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The historic edifice of the United Presbyterian Church is one of the most beautiful sanctuaries of any church in the area. The graceful flowing lines of the angelic figures carved in the high-vaulted ceiling make them appear ready to swoop down to protect the congregation from trouble and despair. The ceiling of the sanctuary is an exact copy of Westminster Hall in London, England.