 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "St. Peter's Episcopal Church" Morristown, New Jersey – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
St. Peter's Episcopal Church | |
 St. Peter's Episcopal Church and churchyard | |
| Location | 121 South Street Morristown, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Built | 1889–1913 |
| Architect | McKim, Mead, and White |
| Architectural style | English gothic |
| Website | Official website |
| Part of | Morristown District (ID73001126) |
| Designated CP | October 30, 1973 |
St. Peter's Episcopal Church is an active and historicEpiscopal church in theDiocese of Newark inMorristown, New Jersey. Located on South Street, St. Peter's congregation has roots going back to the 1760s. Officially founded in 1827, with the current building consecrated in 1911,[1] it is notable for itsgothic-revival architecture, medieval interior and fine stained glass. St. Peter's congregation has traditionally worshipped in theHigh Church tradition. The church was added to theNational Register of Historic Places, listed as acontributing property of theMorristown District, on October 30, 1973.[2]
St. Peter's Church was founded on January 1, 1827, as the Episcopal church for the growing community in Morristown. Its first services were held in the home of George Macculloch –a prominent town member and builder of theMorris Canal whose mansion stands near the church. The parentAnglican and Episcopal congregation had existed in the area and called itself St. Peter's since the 1760s,[1] but with the anti-Church of England sentiments during and following theRevolutionary war, St. Peter's, like other Episcopal congregations, did not recover and become mainstream until well into the 1820s.[3]
In 1840, the Reverend William Staunton introduced the parish to amovement that emphasized the Episcopal Church'scatholic origins andapostolic succession as the ties to theApostolic community and itsEucharistic worship. The current building was designed to include the styles and art of early and medieval Christian liturgy to engage modern worshipers in the Eucharist in this same way.
By 1887, the large congregation, and growing men and boys choirs, justified the erection of the current, massive edifice. The architect of this structure wasCharles McKim of the firmMcKim, Mead and White that built the oldPenn Station, New York, as well asColumbia University, and theRhode Island State House.
Over 24 years of construction, McKim and the congregation built one of the finest examples of neo-gothic architecture in the United States.[3][failed verification] St. Peter's is modeled on classicEnglish-medieval parish churches. It also incorporates elements from other Christian periods including chancel mosaics, abaptistry, and the Siena-marble altar each in theByzantine style, and a Spanish-baroquerood screen. TheNorman-style bell tower has 119 steps, and acarillon with 49 bells–one of the largest in the country.[4] The entire parish complex is made up of a cemetery,rectory, great hall and parish house, in addition to the Church, and is known to have at least two secret passageways still in use, concealed behind bookcases and in cloisters connecting the various parts of the property. It was consecrated on November 2, 1911, by the Rt. Rev.Edwin S. Lines, Bishop ofNewark, after a parish breakfast that hosted over 500 people.[1]
In its affluence, St. Peter's was the parent church to several other Episcopal parishes in the area. These include St. Mark'sBasking Ridge, St. John'sDover, andGrace Episcopal Church inMadison, New Jersey —all built in the 1850s while Dr. Rankin was rector of St. Peter's.[1]
St. Peter's continues its choral and sacramental liturgies today with Sunday services at 8:00am, 9:15am and 10:30am, and a choral evensong each first Sunday of the month at 5:00pm, along with Sunday school and children's choir.[5]
Media related toSt. Peter's Episcopal Church (Morristown, New Jersey) at Wikimedia Commons