Manuscript Group 1073, The House of Prayer Episcopal Church, Newark, NJ, Records, 1849 – 1976
Archives Documents, Manuscripts, Maps, & Photographs
Manuscript Group 1073, The House of Prayer Episcopal Church, Newark, NJ, Records, 1849 – 1976, 2 linear feetCall Number: MG 1073 + Box number
Incorporated in 1849 and consecrated the following year by Bishop George Washington Doane, The House of Prayer Episcopal Church became a leader in the area of social work. Samuel L. Southard, Jr. (1819-1869) served as its first rector, a position later held by Rev. Hannibal Goodwin (1822-1900). The collection includes parish registers with baptisms, 1849-1883; communions, confirmations, marriages, 1850-1887, deaths, 1850-1883; vestry minutes, 1849-1920, 1942-1959; registers of church services; the constitution and membership roster of the Men’s Guild of the House of Prayer, 1895-1903; material relating to the Confraternity of St. Osmund, church publications, news clippings, correspondence and newsletters.
Gift of the Wardens and Vestry of the House of Prayer Episcopal Church, 1978.
Manuscript Group 1041, Charles H. Pell (1853-1906) Papers: Contains papers concerning the Rev. Hannibal Goodwin.
| Box | Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1 | 1 |
Newark House of Prayer Minutes A record book of meetings and detailed accounts of the proceedings at the Newark House of Prayer, including: · By-Laws – the policy of conduct for members · Rules of Order – sequence of events to be executed at each meeting · Treasurer Report – expenses of building a church and rectory, receipts and disbursements · The record of appointed and elected officials (vestryman, secretaries, treasurers, wardens) ” First organization of a new congregation and Parish worshipping according to the forms of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the united States of America, in the city of Newark in the state of New Jersey.” – This opening statement was written at the first meeting, which was held on November 7, 1849 at 36 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey. |
November 1849 – September 1886 |
| 1 | 1 | Miscellaneous information: | |
| · The Declaration of Trust, by HL Southard | January 10, 1851 | ||
| · List of Wardens and Vestrymen of The House of Prayers | 1846 – 849, 1880, 1882, 1883-1892 | ||
| · The House of Prayer Quarto-Centennial, Order of services | November 25 – 27, 1875 | ||
| · A brief historical sketch of the origin, development, and growth of the parish (the original and a modern duplication) | 1875 | ||
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1 |
2 |
Newark House of Prayer Minutes A continuance of Minutes; reports of parish governance and general assembly records |
October 5, 1886 – August 20, 1920 |
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1 |
3 |
Newark House of Prayer Minutes A continuance of Minutes; reports of parish governance and general assembly records |
May 4, 1942 – December 5, 1949 |
|
1 |
4 |
Newark House of Prayer Minutes A continuance of Minutes; reports of parish governance and general assembly records |
January 9, 1950 – December 6, 1959 |
|
2 |
1 |
A collection of correspondence in the form of twenty-eight (28) handwritten letters and ten (10) envelopes; addressed to or from the House of Prayer Episcopal Church regarding various matters. |
1852, 1854 – 1856, 1888, 1903, 1904 |
|
2 |
2 |
Miscellaneous printed items and photographs: |
|
| · Published pastoral letter | 1881 | ||
| · Ash Wednesday announcement | 1884 | ||
| · Newark, NJ Ascensiontide “Hospital of St. Barnabas Message” Vol 6 No. 4 | 1919 | ||
| · Parish card | 1942 | ||
| · Calendar with parish timetable | 1943 | ||
| · Informational pamphlet | 1944 | ||
| · Easter announcement | 1949 | ||
|
2 |
3 |
Misc. printed material and service programs: |
|
| · In Memoriam of John Samuel Miller (Priest): a forty-eight (48)-page manuscript that was read on Sunday, September 7, 1919 at the dedication of a memorial window for the late Rector, the Reverend John Samuel Miller, and his wife. | 1919 | ||
| · Three (3) pamphlets of service entailing the consecrations of: | |||
| Reverend. Benjamin Martin Washburn | October 14, 1932 | ||
| Reverend. Theodore Russel Ludlow | January 25, 1963 | ||
| George Edward Rath | March 6, 1964 | ||
| · Sunday service booklet | February 7, 1954 | ||
| · Dinner program to honor the Bishop of Newark, William Frederick Stark, the Bishop of Newark | November 9, 1973 | ||
|
2 |
4 |
Newspaper and magazine article clippings |
|
| · Save the House of Prayer | May 10, 1926 | ||
| · Episcopal House of Prayer to be Razed for New Church, Newark Sunday News | January 31, 1965 | ||
| · House of Prayer Rectory Redecorated for New Rectory Family, The Newark Churchman (pg.14) | June 1973 | ||
| · Christmas in the Rectory, The New York Times | December 23, 1973 | ||
| · 1710 House Picked for Restoration | December 17, 1975 | ||
| · Inner City Newark Church Fights for Right to Live | n.d. | ||
| · Active Work Begun In Move to Save House of Prayer | n.d. | ||
|
2 |
5 |
One (1) scrap photo album of The House of Prayer | 1922 |
| Six (6) portraits of men marked as “Cabinet cards” | n.d. | ||
|
2 |
6 |
A typed history of the Newark House of Prayer |
1966 |
|
2 |
7 |
Collections Book |
September 1845 |
| A certificate indicating that Minnie Brierly received the Apostolic Rite of “laying on of hands” at a confirmation | 1884 | ||
| Two checks made out to the House of Prayer | 1879, 1889 | ||
|
2 |
8 |
Church Porch publications: The Newark House of Prayer parish newsletter [January and October, 1891; February and March, 1892; May 1893; March and July, 1894; February and Easter edition, 1895; January and March, 1896; New Year edition, 1897; Christmas edition, 1898] |
1891 – 1898
|
|
2 |
9 |
Church Porch publications: The Newark House of Prayer parish newsletter [June 1899, December 1899 (7 copies), November 1900, Christmas edition 1900, January 1901 (3 copies), November 1901 (3 copies), May 1902, April 1903, May 1903 (4 copies), June 1903, November 1904 (2 copies)] |
1899 – 1904 |
|
2 |
10 |
The Chimes: vol. 11, no. 7; A Newark House of Prayer publication |
1883 |
|
2 |
11 |
The Newark Churchman, (a Newark House of Prayer publication) Bishop Washburn and Suffragan Bishop Ludlow at the Sixty-fifth Diocesan Convention
|
May 1939 |
|
2 |
12 |
Parish Magazine of the House of Prayer vol.1, no. 1 |
March 1874 |
|
2 |
13 |
The Angelus
A weekly information sheet featuring mass hours, special events, and sermon descriptions |
1944 – 1946 |
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2 |
14 |
The Angelus
A weekly information sheet featuring mass hours, special events, and sermon descriptions |
1942 – 1943 |
|
3 |
1 |
The Constitution of the Men’s Guild, of the House of Prayer: a typed document containing thirteen (13) Articles and various Amendments (pg. 1-5). |
1899 |
| Sixty (60) signatures obliging to conform to the constitution (Pg. 4-6) | 1899 | ||
| A record of attendance at the Men’s Guild of the House of Prayer | 1899 – 1912 | ||
| An alphabetical list of officers of the Men’s Guild including the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer (pg. 26) | 1899 | ||
| “The Treasurer’s Report”; a loose sheet of paper listing receipts and disbursements | October 6, 1910 – October 12, 1911 | ||
|
3 |
2 |
The Service Record Book: a chronicle of Sunday and weekday services, more specifically containing the following information: Day, date, place, time, and nature of service; attendance, the number of communicants, officiating clergy, offerings, object of service, weather report, and the remarks and signature of the preacher |
September 15, 1902 –1907 |
|
3 |
3 |
The Service Record Book (see box 3, folder 2 description of contents)
|
June 3, 1906 – March 27, 1910
|
| · Three (3) miscellaneous papers | n.d. | ||
|
3 |
4 |
The Service Record Book (see box 3, folder 2 description of contents) and the Register of Services of Public Worship |
March 27, 1910 – March 28, 1914 |
| · A “Sanitary, Red Cross Barber Shop” business card | n.d. | ||
| · A prayer card entitled “The Tenth Sunday After Trinity”. | n.d. | ||
|
3 |
5 |
Service Record Book (see box 3, folder 2 description of contents) |
March 29, 1914 – January 26, 1917 |
| Miscellaneous data: | |||
| · One (1) baptism certificate for “Robert” (no surname given) | July 30, 1913 | ||
| · One (1) printed and used North Ward National Bank deposit slip | September 19, 1916 | ||
| · One (1) announcement for an American Red Cross meeting: includes a listing of the Executive Board | February 3, n.y. | ||
| · One (1) business card: Brown, Lent & Pett, Inc., Manufacturing Stationers, 90 William Street, New York – printing, blank books, lithographing factory: 61-63 Cliff Street | n.d. | ||
| · One (1) printed calling card: William C. Harvey Jr., with these handwritten notes: 192 South 11th Street, Newark NJ | n.d. | ||
| · Four (4) official and used House of Prayer “Report of Offerings” receipts | September 2nd and 9th, 1917, Two receipts / n.d. | ||
| · Nine (9) loose papers containing sermon and religious lecture notes | August 22, n.y. | ||
| · Thirteen (13) assorted papers with numeric calculations, and various data | n.d. | ||
|
3 |
6 |
Register of church services: day, date, time, number of attendants and/or communicants, the celebrant or officiant, preacher, offering-object, offering-amount, weather, and notes. |
January 27, 1918 – January 19, 1920 |
| A hymn card entitled “For the Men at the Front”, composed by John Oxenham and Howard Hollingsworth | n.d. | ||
|
4 |
1 |
A categorized list of church services; including the day, date, time, service, and number of people (communicants and officiants). |
1920 – 1950 |
| Publication of the list of worship and intercession for each day of the year | December 1946 – January 1947 | ||
|
August 1946 calendar sheet. The symbols on the page indicate religious commemorations. |
August 1946 |
||
| A slip of paper with the words “104 in Church” handwritten on it | n.d. | ||
|
4 |
2 |
Register of church services indicating: the day, date, place, time, nature of service, number of people present, the attendance to date, communions, the communions to date, the amount and object of the offering, celebrant or officiant, preacher or server, and memoranda. |
January 1, 1958 – April 6, 1969 |
|
4 |
3 |
Register of church services – same description as above (box four, folder two) |
1963 – 1964 |
|
4 |
4 |
Object of the Confraternity of St. Osmund, Rules of Order and Rules of Life: manuscript providing information about dues, meetings, elections, and attendance of servers |
May 9, 1895 – May 15, 1903 |
| 4 | 4 | House of Prayer Paris Register | 1850 – 1887 |
| · Written history of the House of Prayer. | 1850 | ||
| · A list of the names and residences of parishioners. | n.d. | ||
| · Note stating the estimated joining date of Edward Aurboru and Katherine Gray | n.d. | ||
| · Baptisms; date, names of parents and sponsors, the officiating clergyman, and remarks | 1849 – 1875 and November 30, 1876 -May, 1883 | ||
| · Confirmations: the date, name of attending Bishop, and remarks | 1851 – 1873 and 1878 – 1883 | ||
| · A listing of the Communicant names, their place of residence, the dates of their arrival and dismissal | December 1850-1868 | ||
| · Marriage records stating the following: the date, names, place, officiating clergyman and witnesses | May 9, 1850 – April 4, 1877 and 1877 – 1881 | ||
| · Death Records: name and age of deceased; date and place of death | February 5, 1850 – May 31, 1883 | ||
| · “Sacrament of Holy Baptism” certificate for Frances Miriam McCarthy | July 31, 1906 | ||
| · Church offerings: the date, object and amount of offering, and remarks | November 26, 1850 – 1867 | ||
| · Private celebrations: two pages of scattered notes including the names of celebrants and the date of occasion | 1879 – 1883 | ||
|
5(OS) |
Parish Register |
||
| · Baptisms | May 31, 1883 – March 14, 1914 | ||
| · Confirmations | June 25, 1883 – March 29, 1914 | ||
| · Marriage records | October 1, 1878 – September 29, 1901 | ||
| · Death records | May 24, 1883 – May 23, 1914 | ||
| 5(OS) | List of communicants | May 14, 1889 | |
| 5(OS) | A holy communion announcement from the Newark Letter | May 30, 1898 | |
| 5(OS) | Two (2) handwritten statements regarding the baptism, confirmation, and holy communion of Edward and Lilian Sickles | March 5, 1900 | |
| 5(OS) | Death notes | ||
| · Elizabeth Magory: sixty-one (61) years | March 3, 1901 | ||
| · Joseph Flemming | March 6, 1901 | ||
| · Frank William | June 11, 1907 | ||
| · Elsir Louise Bronk | August 19, 1907 | ||
| · Maryanne Loretta Birch: forty-three (43) years | 1908 | ||
| · Frederick Bowerman | April 3, 1911 | ||
| · Alice Virginia Kelly | November 1, n.y. | ||
| · Grace Frances; two (2) years and nine (9) months | n.d. | ||
| · Mary Megonegal and Otis Wantwell | n.d. | ||
| 5(OS) | A handwritten letter from Bruce P. Kitchell Jr. addressed to Father Draesel of the Newark House of Prayer Episcopal Church | November 8, 1967 | |
| 5(OS) | A list of private celebrations | 1883 | |
| 5(OS) | Member transfers to and from the House of Prayers | 1888-1891 | |
| 5(OS) | Typed request for genealogical information date verification for Wilson (William) Kent Wright, Borden Charles Wright, and Catherine (Katherine) (Kent) Wright. Ruth Sisson of the Massachusetts Daughter’s of the American Revolution wrote this letter. | January 30, 1971 | |
| 5(OS) | Miscellaneous information written on an index card: Smith, Miss Adelaide, 14 Grant St., 45 Fulton St. | n.d. | |
| 5(OS) | A small piece of paper with information relating to Frank William B. and Mary J. | n.d. | |
| 5(OS) | An anonymously typed reply to a request for a letter of transfer for Mr. Joseph Raymond Griffith | n.d. | |
|
6(OS) |
Recording of Services: including the day, officiant, amount of people, communicants, sermon, total offerings, and other remarks |
1889 – 1902 |
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| 6(OS) | A typed service announcement to the members of church, encouraging gracious donations. | Palm Sunday 1894 | |
| 6(OS) | Handwritten account of the offerings received | June 26, 1898 | |
| 6(OS) | An unused Baptismal certificate | n.d. | |
| 6(OS) | Invitation to attend the services of the House of Prayer Episcopal Church: issued by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew | n.d. | |
| 6(OS) | A small blue name card for a children’s service record during the time of Lent | n.d. | |
| 6(OS) | Torn blue slip of paper with miscellaneous notes written in ink | n.d. |
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