Nassau Presbyterian Church
Encyclopedia
The Nassau Presbyterian Church is located at 61 Nassau Street in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey
, United States
. The church operates the Princeton Cemetery
. The current pastor is The Reverend Dr. David A. Davis.
had two places of worship in either Lawrenceville, New Jersey
or Kingston, New Jersey
. In 1756 the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University
) opened in Princeton and services were held in Nassau Hall
. A few years later funds were collected to build a church to serve the growing population of students and teachers. The newly constructed First Presbyterian Church of Princeton openend in 1766. John Witherspoon
, the President of the College, began his 25 years tenure as pastor of First Church in 1768.
.
The church is part of the national Presbyterian Church USA.
Borough of Princeton, New Jersey
The Borough of Princeton is a borough and is one of the two municipalities making up Princeton, New Jersey. It lies in Mercer County, New Jersey, and is completely surrounded by Princeton Township, from which it was formed in 1894...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The church operates the Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery is located in Borough of Princeton, New Jersey. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as: "The Westminster Abbey of the United States."...
. The current pastor is The Reverend Dr. David A. Davis.
First church
The Presbyterians of central New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
had two places of worship in either Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,887...
or Kingston, New Jersey
Kingston, New Jersey
Kingston is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County...
. In 1756 the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
) opened in Princeton and services were held in Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University in the borough of Princeton, New Jersey . At the time it was built in 1754, Nassau Hall was the largest building in colonial New Jersey. Designed originally by Robert Smith, the building was subsequently remodeled by notable American...
. A few years later funds were collected to build a church to serve the growing population of students and teachers. The newly constructed First Presbyterian Church of Princeton openend in 1766. John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. As president of the College of New Jersey , he trained many leaders of the early nation and was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration...
, the President of the College, began his 25 years tenure as pastor of First Church in 1768.
Witherspoon Church and Second Church
As time progressed, divisions within the church occurred and the church spun off two local Presbyterian Churches. During church renovations, the African American members worshipped separately and founded the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church in the 1840s. Later that same decade the Second Presbyterian Church was chartered as disagreements within the church had developed. Efforts to merge the three congregations back into one were attempted at various times over the years including an effort led by Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
.
Nassau Presbyterian Church
In the early 1970s, First Church and St. Andrews (the new name of Second Church) were without installed pastors. The churches decided to merge but were concerned about one church absorbing the other. The decision was made to create a new church out of the two (the Witherspoon Church was invited to the merger but declined) and Nassau Presbyterian Church was chartered in 1973.The church is part of the national Presbyterian Church USA.