Saint James Roman Catholic Church
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
(From The Catholic Church in Bernardsville & Vicinity 1766-1939 by John McGuiness, 1939.)
Introduction
The parents of my informants had courageously faced what would appear to us to be insurmountable obstacles; their numbers were few; their resources were slender; and opposition and prejudice of the most violent kind were constantly met with. It was natural, therefore, that these pioneers of our Faith would often relate to their children the difficulties under which they worshipped in the early years, that they might more fully appreciate the work that had been accomplished in time when it was considered almost a crime to be a Catholic.
The sufferings and privations both of priests and laity long gone to their heavenly reward, and the heroism of those who gave generously of everything they had to the Church, should be a splendid example to us all. These early pioneers have left us much to emulate. Their lives should inspire in us who now reap the benefits of their labors, a greater love of loyalty to the Church, and bind us closer to our priests.
We Catholics can be justly proud of the history and growth of the Church here: growth which has kept pace with the rest of the State. In 1853 there was but one Bishop in New Jersey, and his diocese embraced the whole state. Today, there are three Bishops and an archbishop (with an auxiliary Bishop), whose dioceses form the Archdiocese of Newark. From 1860-1900 the only Catholic Church in this section was Saint James in Basking Ridge, the cradle of our Faith in this end of Somerset County. Now, in addition to that church, we have the Parish Church and the Italian Chapel of Sacred Heart in Bernardsville; Saint Elizabeth’s in Far Hills, and Saint Brigid’s in Peapack. In the future we may again see Basking Ridge with a resident priest, with Liberty Corner as a mission.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to the older parishioners and the Chancellors of the Dioceses of Newark and Trenton for the material they furnished and for their generous help in making this history possible. I am especially indebted to Monsignor Dauenhauer of Madison, who placed the old baptismal records of Saint Vincent’s Church at my disposal and who helped to clear up doubtful points. But to none am I more obligated to Monsignor McKean for his valuable suggestions and for the advice he so generously gave in the preparation of this work.
John McGuiness
Bernardsville, New Jersey
August 15, 1939
Saint James Church, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
It is a long time since Father Farmer, with altar-stone, vestments, chalice, breads and wine for Mass, packed in a bundle and strapped to his back, used to ride into Basking Ridge on horseback on his way to or from Philadelphia. What an occasion it must have been when that saintly and sturdy missionary priest, who has been called the “Apostle of Colonial New Jersey,” rode into town. What joy mush have filled the hearts of Catholics living there in those days who were without the ministration of a priest for long months and, perhaps years!
Father Ferdinand Farmer, a Jesuit priest born in Germany in 1720, came to America in 1752 and was stationed for a time in Lancaster, PA. In 1758, he was transferred to Saint Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia, the only Catholic parish in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey at the time. About the middle of the 18th century rich iron deposits were found in the northern part of this state and mines were opened at Mt. Hope, Hibernia, Dover and other places in what is now Warren, Sussex and Morris Counties. There were a few Catholics among those employed in the operation of these mines, and in the spring and fall Father Farmer would start out on horseback from Philadelphia on his journey to these mining districts.
It was the custom in the early days for priests to travel around the country seeking out places where Catholics would gather together in the some Catholic homes where the priest would hear confessions, baptize the children, celebrated Mass next morning, give Communion, perform an occasional marriage, preach a sermon, and then pass on to another place.
There were no roads in the days of Father Farmer and he had to follow the rivers and Indian trails and make his way through swamps, forests and mountains. His journeys were not without danger, but priests in search of souls do not think of danger.
Whether Father Farmer stopped in Basking Ridge on his way to or from Philadelphia we cannot tell, nor do we know when he first celebrated Mass there- or where he said it- or the number of times that he came there. His baptismal records are all that we have to go by and there is no certainty that these are complete. Among the records of baptism kept by him we find two in Basking Ridge. Father Farmer spells it Bascon Ridge. On April 24, 1766, he baptized George Luis Hoffman, son of Paul and Ann Hoffman (the mother was a Protestant). The sponsors were Gertrude Abten, Jon Heilsamen and Elizabeth Schmid. The next record is on June 24, 1767, when he baptized Mary Christina Schreiner, daughter of Henry and Anna S. Schreiner. The witnesses to this baptism were Mary B. Wolf, James Zein and Christina Fister. Father Farmer may have baptized others in Basking Ridge before and after this, but there is no record of his having done so.
Father Farmer died in Philadelphia on August 17, 1786. He was a great patriot and a close friend of Franklin, Washington, and Bishop Carroll. He was also a noted scholar and was one of the first trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. Some may wonder how a man of such scholarly attainments could leave the class room and subject himself to the hardships that he had to undergo in his long missionary journeys, but we must remember tat the apostolic work of the priesthood is the salvation of souls.
We do not know the name of the first Catholic or the first Catholic family that settled in Basking Ridge, but it is certain that there were more than one Catholic family living there 10 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed and that a Catholic priest visited there while this country was still an English Colony.
There is an interruption after 1767, and nothing very definite is known of the history of Catholicism in Basking Ridge until immediately preceding the purchase of the present church property in 1859. Priests form Philadelphia, and later from New York, to which diocese Northern New Jersey was transferred in 1808, followed Father Farmer, but there does not seem to be any record of their coming to Basking Ridge.
It is nearly 100 years after Father Farmer’s last recorded visit to Basking Ridge before any trace can be found of another priest coming there. William J. Kerns, formerly attorney for the Diocese of Newark, told the writer that he visited Bishop McQuaid, of Rochester, N.Y., shortly before he died, and that the Bishop had spoken feelingly of Basking Ridge. He said that it was the scene of his early missionary labors; that while he was pastor of Madison (1848-1853) he had celebrated Mass in Basking Ridge a number of times; that he always preached a strong sermon to those present and before leaving, put up a small cross outside the house where he had celebrated Mass to remind the Catholics of their faith. Unfortunately, Mr. Kearns does not know the location of the house in Basking Ridge where Bishop McQaid celebrated Mass, nor the name of the family that occupied it.
Father Leahy is of the opinion that Saint Mary’s parish at Stony Hill (founded 1847) included the Basking Ridge territory (The Diocese of Trenton). This was a German settlement, attended by German priests, and if there were German Catholics living in Basking Ridge they would probably have gone to Stony Hill, where their own tongue was spoken. It cannot, however, be determined whether or not any Catholics in Basking Ridge went to Stony Hill as the baptismal records of that place do not give the place of birth of those baptized there in the early years.
Before Saint James Church was opened, there were Catholics here who walked to Madison, a distance of some 15 miles, to assist at Mass. The Garrity girls (Molly and Jennie), who still live in the old home on Pill Hill Road, told the writer (in 1939) that they had often heard their parents speak of walking to Madison for Mass on Sundays. Monsignor McKean attended Mrs. Barney Garrity, the mother of these girls, in her last illness. She told him that they walked to Madison bare-footed and when they got near the church they put on their shoes as they felt they should not go into the church in bare feet. Shoes in those days were expensive and the people probably carried them on such occasion to save wear.
Not only did Catholics walk this great distance to Mass, but they also carried their babies in their arms to have them baptized. John Tracy, stepbrother of Christopher Gallagher, was born June 1849 in a little house that stood where Shannon Lodge (Bernardsville) is now. He is still living in Morristown with his two sisters. He told the writer that his grandmother carried him to Madison where he was baptized by Father Bernard McQuaid. His sister, Julia, is 94 years old (as of 1939) and she, too, related interesting incidents in connection with her Confirmation by Bishop Bayley in Morristown in 1857. As far as can be determined, John Tracy was the first person from around here to be baptized in Madison by Father McQuaid, and Julia Tracy is the only living person form this section who was confirmed b Bishop Bayley, the first Catholic Bishop of New Jersey.
According to the records of the Chancery Office in Newark, Basking Ridge was placed in 1853 under the care of the parish of Saint Vincent’s, Madison, of which the Reverend Michael Madden, successor of Father McQuaid, was pastor. That was the year in which the Diocese of Newark was established, which then embraced the whole State of New Jersey. Prior to the establishment of the diocese there was not much Catholic organization and Bishop Bayley immediately assigned the small towns to the care of a pastor. Before this, the people went where they could find a priest, and, likewise, priests traveled over the state searching for scattered Catholics, who wandered far to find work.
The records of Saint Vincent’s Church, Madison, show that in 1856 Morristown, Mendham and Basking Ridge were put in charge of priests from Seton Hall College which was opened at Madison in September of that year. After this, the Catholics from this section apparently went to Morristown. This opinion is based on entries in the Baptismal Register of that place which show that on August 27, 1857, Father Hoey, of Seton Hall, baptized Anna Dummond, daughter of Erastus and Ann Drummond, of Basking Ridge. The baptismal records also show that on November 19, 1858, Father McNulty, of Seton Hall Baptized Mary E. Tobin, daughter of John and Mary Tobin, of Basking Ridge and that on July 18, 1859, he baptized William Havey, son of Michael and Elizabeth Havey. The Havey family lived on the road below Mrs. Lloyd’s pond in Bernardsville. It is the first house on the left-hand side of the road and is still standing.
Before the church in Basking Ridge was started, Mass was celebrated in the Lamerou house (now the Courter property as of 1939) on the north side of Oak Street, just off Mount Airy Road. Mass was also celebrated in a house that stood where Edelson’s boarding house is on Mount Airy Road, just below Holy Cross Cemetery. Erastus Drummond lived in both of these places and the bureau that the priest used for an altar was in the possession of his daughter Mattie, of Long Hill Road, Millington, N.J., until the time of her death in May 1939.
Mass was also celebrated in Mike Newman’s house, now owned by Charles P. Durkin, a member of the parish. his house is on the Bergen Road and is still occupied. Mrs. Robert Drummond, Mrs. Harry Wright and Mrs. James Duval say that they often heard their relations speak of Mass being celebrated in these three houses. Samuel McKenna, who married a daughter of Mike Newman, says that his wife spoke of Mass having been celebrated in her father’s house. The writer, too, can recall his mother speaking of this, but no one can remember the name of the priest- or where he came from or the number of times that he celebrated Mass in these places.
It seems safe, however, to conclude that Father Bernard McQuaid celebrated Mass in one of these houses and that the priest who followed him came from Seton Hall College which, prior to 1860, was located where Saint Elizabeth’s College now stands, near Madison. And it is almost certain that the priest who came from Seton Hall was Father William McNulty. It was he who started the church in Basking Ridge and it is logical he would not have undertaken to establish a church.
Erastus Drummond, father of the late Robert Drummond, of Bernardsville purchased the church property (for Father McNulty) on October 22, 1859, form Cornelius Winne for $100 free of any incumberance. Mr. Winne had acquired the property, which contained 31/100 of an acre and a building, through sheriff’s sale. The deed is recorded in County Clerk’s office to Somerville, in Book I-3, page 188.
On July, 28, 1860, Mr. Drummond conveyed the property to the Most Reverend James Roosevelt Bayley, Bishop of Newark. This deed is recorded in Book I-3, page 191. Bishop Bayley then transferred the land and building on June 16, 1868, to the Church of the Assumption, Morristown, N.J., and title remained there until September 5, 1895, when the Church of the Assumption turned the property back to Saint James Church, Basking Ridge. These two deeds are recorded in the office of the County Clerk in Somerville, in Book B-8 pages 207 and 209.
There was quite a bit of excitement in Basking Ridge when it was learned that the Catholics had acquired title to property for a church. In those days, due to the spirit of intolerance, property for a Catholic church had to be purchased through a friendly Protestant because if it were known or suspected for what purpose the property was to be used it could not be bought. Mr. Drummond was a non-Catholic at the time he purchased the place. He, later on, became a Catholic. The old-timers have a strong recollection of the difficulties connected with the purchase of the property and the storm that was raised over it. They often heard their parents speak of it and are strongly inclined to the opinion that had it not been for Mr. Drummond, land in Basking Ridge for a Catholic church would not have been obtained until a much later date.
Saint James Church was incorporated October 20, 1864, by the Most Reverend James Roosevelt Bayley, Bishop of Newark; Very Reverend Patrick Moran, Vicar General of the Diocese; Reverend Laurence A. Hoey, Pastor; Laurence McKenna and Patrick Gougarty, Lay Trustees. The incorporation papers are recorded in Book S-3, page 525, in the County Clerk’s office.
Bishop Bayley, a former Episcopal minister, was the first Bishop of Newark. He was a second cousin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, his mother having been a sister to the President’s grandfather. Father Hoey was the pastor of the Church of the Assumption in Morristown of which Saint James Church was then a mission. Laurence McKenna was the father of Samuel S McKenna, a member of the parish in Bernardsville since it was established. He succeeded his father as trustee in Basking Ridge. Patrick Gougarty owned the property on both sides of Mount Airy Road, which adjoins the former John White place and the Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery. The grove on the west side of the road, which runs down to the brook, was called “Gougarty’s Grove.” Picnics and dances for the benefit of the church were held in this grove. The picnics were an all day affair and ran well into the night. It is said that they were similar to the present day carnivals, with athletic events holding a prominent place.
The building which is Saint James Church, was formerly a carpenter shop and was on the property when it was purchased in 1859. The shop then stood parallel with the public road. Father William McNulty (a second cousin of the writer’s wife on her mother’s side) converted the building into a church, but did not change the original lines which still remain. Father McNulty was chaplain of Saint Elizabeth’s College, Convent, at the time.
Patrick Morrison and Julia Lynch, parents of Mrs. James Duval, were the first couple to be married in Saint James Church. They were married by Father McNulty in 1861. Mrs. Duval says that her parents often joked about how they had to pick their steps in order not to fall through the holes in the floor; that alteration to the building had not been completed at the time of their marriage.
It seems that not much work was done on the building at first. The Catholics were glad to have a place where Mass could be celebrated. However, they worked hard to raise money, and little by little had accumulated sufficient funds to make necessary alterations to the structure. Those who could not give money-gave freely of their labor.
Father Hoey remodeled the building, as it is today (1939), and put in the pews and altar. He could not get a carpenter to do the work because the non-Catholics, to begin with, were opposed to establishing a Catholic Church in Basking Ridge and secondly, they had heard so many strange things about priests that they were afraid to have anything to do with them. Christopher Gallagher, a member of the parish told the writer that his father was very friendly with a carpenter in Basking ridge, a non-Catholic, named John Allen, and that he (Gallagher) persuaded this carpenter to do the work of remodeling the building. Ever after, Mr. Allen had nothing but words of praise for Father Hoey and severely condemned those who had pictured priests to him as “animals” to avoid.
In October, 1863 Father McNulty (better known ad Dean McNulty), was appointed pastor of Saint John’s Church, Paterson. Saint James Church was then attached to Morristown and was attended b priests of that parish until 1873, when the Reverend D.S. Dagnault was made pastor of Basking Ridge and Mendham. This priest lived in Basking Ridge in the house on the northwest corner of Finley and Ridge Avenues. This house has since been enlarged and Samuel McKenna says that it is in this house that Father Dagault offered Mass.
In the summer of 1873 Father Gregory Miziol, popularly known as “Father Mitchell,” became pastor. He was born in Poland and studied at Seton Hall College, where he was ordained June 22, 1865. udging form his picture, which was shown the writer by Christopher Gallagher, he must have been possessed of a wonderful personality and a lovable nature, qualities that made him popular with his people and successful in his work. When he first came to Basking Ridge he lived in the fourth house below the Presbyterian church, on the east side of Coffey House Road. He later moved to a house on the west side of Finely Avenue, opposite Lewis Street.
Father Mizdziol was the last priest to live in Basking Ridge. He was a tireless and zealous worker. Before coming to Basking Ridge he had built churches in New Brunswick, Westfield and Cranford. His death was tragic and pathetic. Bishop Bayley had ordered a Requiem Mass to be celebrated on February 22, 1878 in all the churches of the diocese, for the repose of the soul of Pope Pius IX who died February 7, 1878. Father Mizdziol draped the church himself. n the morning of the 22nd, he went to the church to add the finishing touches. Having finished the draping, he started back to the rectory and dropped dead in the street in front of the church. Samuel McKenna, who came to serve Mass that morning, pointed the spot out to the writer where this good priest died. He had draped the church for his own funeral. Father Mizdziol was buried in Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, Mendham, on February 25, 1878. His grave is marked by a fitting monument, erected by the people for whom he labored.
The next pastor was Reverend Bernard J. Mulligan who remained about three months. He took up his residence in Mendham where his successors continued to reside.
In the summer of 1878, the Reverend James P. Poels was appointed pastor of Basking Ridge and Mendham. The older men and the women of Basking Ridge and Bernardsville were boys and girls when he was pastor, remember him well. ather Poels was a very hard worker and labored zealously for the salvation of souls. Among his priestly virtues-the one that stood out most- was his attention to the religious instruction of the children. But he did not neglect to instruct the adults as well. Father Graham has in his possession a letter written by Father Poels to the late Michael Duagan and his intended wife, instructing them on the Sacrament of Matrimony and what they must do in order to receive it worthily. This letter is unique and shows how particular and thorough he was on the matter of religious instruction.
The first pastors of Basking Ridge had to cover a very large territory. The Catholics were few and scattered and the priest had to depend on the laity to assist him in giving catechism instruction to the children. Among those who taught catechism in the church in Basking Ridge were Laurence McKenna, Ann Gougarty and Margaret O’Rourke (now Mrs. William While). Christopher Gallagher was a member of the Confirmation class of 1875 and won first prize: a small picture, offered by Mr. McKenna. Mr. Gallagher still has this picture which he prizes highly. He also has his Confirmation Certificate which shows that he was confirmed in Saint James Church, Basking Ridge on December 5, 1875, by Bishop Corrigan.Unfortunately, no one knows who the other members of this class were.
The records in the Chancery Office in Newark contain the following interesting notation in Bishop Corrigan’s own handwriting:
On December 5, 1875, I confirmed 40 persons in "Baskingridge" and afterwards 52 in Menddam, both places being under the charge of Father Mizdziol. The churches are both small and poor, particularly that at Basking Ridge which was formerly a carpenter shop.
Father Poels continued the catechism classes which had been held in the church from the beginning, and, in addition, he arranged to have the children living at a distance taught their catechism in houses in their neighborhood. This work received his close personal attention and he paid visits to the houses where these classes were being held and, on these occasions, took personal charge of the class.
Sunday school was held in the Thomas Liddy house which still stands on the west side of Chestnut Avenue, Bernardsville, and was taught by Sylvester Sheridan who lived in the Hardscrbble section where some half dozen Catholic families resided. Molly Liddy, Christopher Gallagher, Mrs. Patrick Meaney and Mrs. Jane Ryan were among those who went to the Liddy house for religious instruction, and, as far as is known, are the only ones of the group alive.
Father Poels also held Sunday school in the home of John Leary in Gladstone. This little house is still standing on the left-had side of the road leading from Gladstone to Mendham, just past the road that goes into Saint Bernard’s Farm School. On the Sundays that Father Poels went to Gladstone to visit the catechism class he would stop for dinner at the home of Cornelius Smither, father of Mrs. Meaney. This small stone house still stands on old Lindabury property, on the south side of Route 32, just this side of the road to the Bergen residence. The dinner consisted of pork and beans- a healthy dish, seldom found on the menu of the homes of today,even among the poor. In those days the people led a simple life, worked hard, ate plain food and lived to a good old age. Father Poels died in Holland, his native country, in February, 1938 at the age of 86.
In 1883 Father Poels was appointed head of the new parish of Saint John’s Church, Newark. His successors continued to attend Basking Ridge until June 1939 when it was made a mission of the new parish in Bernardsville.
When we consider the distance that can be covered today in a short time with an automobile, we marvel at how priests of the early days got around their parishes, which covered miles of territory, with a horse and buggy, the horse in most cases being what we would call today an “old plug.” But they managed to get around-and in all kinds of weather.
Unfortunately, there is no official record of the names of the Catholic families who made up the congregation of Saint James Church in the first 10 years of its existence. Messrs. McKenna and Gallagher gave the names of the following families which probably constitutes a pretty accurate roster of the original congregation.
Hardscrabble section: Kennedy, Galanville, Havey (Mike), McCue, Liddy, Sheridan and Gallagher. Bernardsville: Maher and Havey (Jim). Pill Hill section: Garrity (Barney and Pat) and Newman. Mount Airy Road: Gougarty (Patrick). Basking Ridge: Drummond, Powers, White, Tobin, Smith and Morrison, Long Hill Section: Lynch (Barney and John), O’Rourke, McKenna and Gougarty (Bernard). Liberty Corner: Dugan, Donovan and Smith.
The gathering of material on Saint James Church has awakened in us older Catholics here, some pleasant memories. This church was the scene of the religious labors of our parents, many of whom were married there and all of whom have passed into eternity. It is here that man of us were baptized and confirmed. The parents of the writer were married in Saint James by Father Poels and he was baptized by him in that church and confirmed by the late Bishop McFaul.
Nearly a century has passed since Saint James Church was founded. To those hard-working people, priests and laity, who took part in that memorable occasion, all of whom have since been laid to rest, we offer our tribute of gratitude and admiration for the heroic efforts the made to preserve the Faith in this section.Their labors have borne fruit.
By John McGuiness
Bernardsville, N.J.
August 15, 1939
Note: The the original Saint James Church was built on the corner of Henry Street and South Maple Avenue, which is now the site of Dr. Nettune’s office. The Church was vacated in 1958 when Reverend Joseph A.B. Wade completed the church (the current chapel) seating 440 people at 184 South Finley Avenue. The original 1800's church was destroyed in 1962 after the balcony fell down. The town "swapped properties" and the Saint James Church was moved to the present site adjacent to South Maple Avenue on which the school, church, chapel. rectory and pre-school (formerly the convent) are located.
