Parish History
When Calvary Church was founded in 1854, there was no City of Summit. The future city was just a corner of New Providence Township, but it had become a summer retreat for many New York City people, who wanted to escape the heat and dirt of the city during the hot weather.

One of the summer residents in 1852 was The Reverend Thomas Cook, assistant at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City.  Mr. Cook started Episcopal services in his home in Summit that year and, as the congregation grew, a church was finally built in 1854 on Springfield Avenue, just west of Woodland Avenue. The wooden church seated only 75 people, and was the first church of any denomination in Summit.

By 1872 the congregation had outgrown this small wooden church and built a stone church a few blocks away at the corner of Springfield Avenue and Beechwood Road. This church served the congregation until Sunday, January 8, 1893, when the Rector and Sexton lit the gas lamps for the morning service, the Christmas greens caught fire, and the building was reduced to ruins in less than an hour.

Under the direction of the then newly-installed Rector, The Reverend Walker Gwynne, the parish purchased the land for the present church. The Parish House was constructed first, using many of the stones from the burned church, and was completed in 1894.  Services were held in the Parish House until the present 750-seat church was completed in 1896.

 In 2008, 154 years after its founding, Calvary Church is a strong, unified congregation which is blessed with an outstanding music program, a vital Christian Education program for all ages, and a firm commitment to outreach.

The Rose Window on the rear wall of the nave was made by Louis Comfort Tiffany, one of the few rose windows that the Tiffany studio produced. More images of Calvary's stained glass

The stone used to build much of Calvary Church is bluestone granite from Dover, NJ.

Calvary's architect had an office on Wall Street and used to pray at Trinity Church for inspiration in his architecture.