Sunday, June 14, 2009

It's nice to visit a place mentioned in an item that I transcribe

Last week, I picked up a document at auction that listed the pew holders for a church in Morristown, which is very close to where I live. The name sounded familiar, as we spent New Year's Eve at Morristown's First Night recently. The document was "List of the Pew Holders and Sitters in the Church of the Assumption, Morristown, N. J., January 1st, 1898," and after uploading the transcribed information this morning, I decided to take a drive and photograph the church.

There's a historical marker outside the church that reads, "Gothic revival building is the oldest standing church in Morristown. Replaced 1848 wooden church which ministered to Irish immigrant families in surrounding Dublin area."

From the church's website: "In 1847, a lot of land was purchased by Father Louis Senez, (pastor of St. Vincent Parish in Madison) for $400 to build the first Catholic Church in Morristown. The building of the church was then left to Father Bernard McQuaid. The original wooden church structure stood on the site of the present-day rectory. By August 15,1948, the modest church was roofed and Father McQuaid gave the church the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mass was said for the first time in the church on Christmas Day, 1948. The new church was dedicated on March 5, 1849."

The church is located at 91 Maple Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960.

On the cover of the document that I acquired it states, "Every resident of this Parish is in duty bound to contribute his and her share to the support of the Church and the Church Work. The principal source of revenue is the renting of pews and sittings. Nobody may reasonably expect to participate in the benefits of the Parish, unless identified with it by the renting of a pew or sitting."

It was such a nice pleasure to be able to visit a place mentioned in one of the documents included in my Family Tree Connection project. All of the photos were uploaded to a folder on Flickr.

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