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History of Churches in Glassboro

Cross of the First Presbyterian Church

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First Presbyterian Church
The Beginnings of the First Presbyterian Church

Established in 1867, the church originally held services for two years in a schoolhouse, located at what is now 38 State St (39°42'13.2"N 75°06'28.2"W). The old Presbyterian church building was built in 1869, on the west side of Church Street and north of Wilmer Street. Services in this building continue until 1883, when the church decided they wanted to be more central in the community. The building was moved to 12 North Academy Street. However, in 1912, the congregation outgrew the small building and purchased a lot on University Boulevard in Chestnut Ridge. The first service in the new church was on August 25th, 1912, and the new building was officially dedicated on June 15th, 1913. It can be assumed that there was a new building built on the same spot, as the cornerstone of the current building says 1954.

In August of 1912, the old building was purchased by St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. It was rebuilt and refurbished for use as a parish house. Following the fire at the Academy Street School in 1917, the building was used as an emergency classroom until 1920. In 1939, the building was sold to Frank Camiola, who used it as a rear to a new modern building. That building became Capital Cleaners, which still exists today (2018).

As for the First Presbyterian Church, we cannot say the same. In an interview with a community member, he informed us that the church closed its doors following Easter of 2018 due to a lack of funds and membership. The link for the website still exists, but it cannot be accessed. The Facebook page is gone, and the number is no longer in service. It is also listed for sale on multiple real estate websites.
Reflections on the First Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church was a bit of a mystery upon first researching it. There was only one article in the archives about it. All contact information for the church had been discontinued. Although someone we interviewed said it had closed, there was no news of its closing online or even discussed by community members on Facebook. However, after searching the address, it was clear that the property was no longer being used, since it was up for sale. Going off of the interview, if we were to assume that the church closed because of lack of membership, it raises the question of: Why? Well, for one, the church was not very central in Glassboro. It was the furthest away from the other churches, which have all clustered around Main Street. With the emergence of Glassboro as a college town, people who want to attend church will attempt to go to parishes nearby. For many, that means the churches on Main Street. Instead of moving once more, the Presbyterian Church did not go with the change and chose to remain in its location. This was ultimately its downfall, since college students are lazy.

Article by Sarah McClure

Resources
Walton, Edward H. “Old Presbyterian Church now Houses Tailoring Operation”. The Enterprise, April 9, 1980.
Introduction: Religion and Cultural Geography
Religion and spirituality are one of the major aspects of human belief and culture. The many different beliefs and practices have formed into full-formed religions. Each religion had found their way of identifying a location of prayer, meditation, and worship. Although arguably spirituality can occur anywhere people have associated religious traditions in places of worship like churches, mosques, and temples. For most people, these religious spaces hold a deep importance and create a physical place to a concept that most consider intangible.
When looking at Glassboro in particular religion reveals many aspects of life and history. One major aspect the churches reveal is the idea of migration and movement. Before any of the European settlers came to New Jersey it was inhabited by different indigenous people. It is likely that the Lenape tribe was located around the general region. These people held spiritual traditions focused on the ideas of spirit and the connectivity of life. In terms of location, there was a lack of distinct places of worship. In contrast when migration began settlers often desired churches to be built. This likely came from the European Christian tradition of having buildings of worship to perform various rituals and traditions.

These migrants from Europe often came in ethnoreligious groups such as Germans Protestants, Irish Catholics, and Swedish Protestants. In addition to being part of a religious community, they also had their own ethnic traditions and practices. These made these new found places of worship have an inherently ethnic aspect to them. Additionally, the major reasons that people migrated to Glassboro are for work. The glassworks became a center for work for many groups. When moving to find work they often distanced themselves from their original church. The lack of reliable and fast transportation forced people to create their own churches in Glassboro. Soon many of these churches became centers of both spirituality and socialization. After time passed in Glassboro, many of the churches became a growing and almost all of them had to build an new church to accommodate the growing membership. When choosing a location for the new church many picked a more central location on North Main Street and moved closer to the glassworks.
In the modern era of Glassboro, the advances in transportation and the increase of migration have led to a new landscape of people and religion. Many churches now have a diversified group of parishioners with many coming from much farther away due to the space-time compression. Others also have adapted their spaces to accommodate with changing ideas about religion such as adding features like a coffee room. As more people came to Glassboro number of churches has increased dramatically with different denominations, beliefs, and forms of worship. In addition to churches, there is also a mosque and Moorish Science Temple. These new religious spaces show the evolving demographics of Glassboro and the diversity of religion. As Glassboro continues to grow, these religious spaces are a fundamental part of the town's identity.