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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.
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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.
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