1896: The New St. James P.E. Church Dedicated

I have been posting interesting historical graphics from St. James P.E. Church. The one hundred plus year old church started with a small group of Wilbur residents back in the 1890's, where they held their services in a place called the "Wigwam" on East State Street near North Olden Avenue. The nearby area known as Millham (today's East Trenton) and Wilbur had many English immigrants who came to America to work the many potteries in the neighbhorhood. The little congregation grew rapidly and it soon became apparent that a more spacious facility was needed. The article above recalls the construction of their first real church building, built on a plot of land on East State Street, near the intersection of Garfield Avenue. The building is still there occupied by the Rehoboth Church.

The Glover family were followers of the Protestant Episcopal persuasion. My mother and father were married in Christ P.E. Church on Whittaker and Hamilton Avenue in 1923. Before I converted to the Roman Catholic faith, I attended St. James and a number of other P.E. churches. My very early years were spent at St. Paul's P.E. on Centre Street. I was confirmed at St. Michael's on No. Warren Street. With St. James Church being located closer to our Hartley Avenue home, I became a parishioner back in the 1940's, when Rev. Gerald Minchin was the Pastor.