St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church/
First German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Avon Ave. & S. 10th Street
Newark, New Jersey 07108

October 10, 1833 - Present

Images

 

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized on October 10, 1833 by the Rev. Frederick William Geissenhainer, D. D., president of the New York Ministerium. This church holds the claim as the oldest Lutheran Church in New Jersey. The original services were held in a hall over a carpenter shop on Harrison (now Halsey) Street, between Market and William Streets. Later they moved to hall at Market and Beaver Streets.

The first church at 28 Mechanic Street was dedicated on November 10, 1840. This location was between Broad and Mulberry Streets on the North side. The church of the Messiah (Universalist) at 84 Halsey street, opposite Cedar Street was purchased in March, 1862. The congregation worshipped there until 1910, when a new church was opened on Avon Avenue. In 1840 a division in the church occurred, giving life to another St. John's German Lutheran Church. The reverend at the time was John Frederick Marschoff.

Newspaper Articles

October 25, 1885 - Church Jubilee
May 24, 1903 - New German Pastor
March 6, 1910 - First German Lutheran Church Property on Halsey Street Sold

Reverends Addresses Archive
Information

 

Reverend From To
L. Schmidt 1833 1833
Philip Merkle April 13, 1834 October 2, 1835
F. Winkler October 2, 1835 December 6, 1840
John Frederick Maschop 1840 1855
Seibel 1855 1857
H. Raegener 1855 1857
C. A. Ehert 1857 1867
Philip Krug Grave 1867 1893
G. Doering April, 1893 1903
Oscar E. Braune June 21, 1903 1951/57
Carl T. Uehling 1951/57 after 1957


Address From To
159 Market Street 1839 1841
28 Mechanic Street November 10, 1840 1862
84 Halsey Street/113-115 Halsey Street (# change) March, 1862 1910
Avon Avenue 1910 after 1957

Archive Information (Last Known location)

The recent records of this church are in the church and the older ones are held by the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia.

Some records are also available at:
Redeemer Lutheran Church of Irvington
134 Prospect Ave.
Irvington, NJ 07111
973-374-9377