Stroll Through Hopewell Featured Sites: Old School Batpitst Church

Of particular interest to history buffs is the Hopewell Old School Baptist Church in the center of Hopewell borough. The First Baptist Church of Hopewell was organized by its trustees in 1715 at the home of Jonathan Stout. The congregation met in private homes until Henry Oxley and Benjamin Drake erected a meeting house in 1747 on the site donated by John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

In 1822, the current brick structure was built to replace the original stone building. Worship services were suspended in 1973 upon the death of its last male member, in accordance with the church’s charter. Many once-influential members of the community, including John Hart, are buried in the adjacent cemetery. T. Johnson Design of 18 West Broad Street designed the “Weeping Willow” iron gates, and the Church replaced the marker stone for 11 soldiers who died there when the church was a hospital during the Revolutionary War.

Stroll Through Hopewell Featured Sites: The Castle

This year’s Stroll Through Hopewell has many wonderful and historic sites. One of these is the house locally known as “the Castle.” This elaborate Queen Anne-style mansion was built for Webster Edgerly (a.k.a. Edmund Shaftesbury) in 1904. Edgerly (of Ralston-Purina) was a lawyer, educator, and president of the Ralston Health Club of America—a group devoted to good health, longevity, and telepathic ability. The land was to be home for a few thousand of his estimated 800,000 followers. The house was to be at the center of Edgerly’s proposed utopian community known as “Ralston Heights.” The interior has been meticulously restored to its original glory and is truly a sight to see.

Stroll Through Hopewell

This year, the Friends of Hopewell Public Library are sponsoring our fifth “Stroll through Hopewell.”  This event continuously proves to be both a terrific fundraiser and a fabulous community event.
Over the years, the Friends have been responsible for the beautification of the Library both inside and outside, as well as the expansion of the Library’s many collections. In 2007, the Friends funded the purchase of many books for children and adults, the children’s crafts programs and a summer reading incentive program. The funds also enabled the purchase of the Renee Perin clock. Renee was a dedicated member of the Library staff for many years.

We are grateful to the several hundred families and individuals throughout the community who support the Friends each year.  Thank you for showing your continued support of the Library by participating in today’s “Stroll Through Hopewell,” a tour of historic sites and homes throughout the town of Hopewell.

When: Sunday May 18, 2008; 12:00 to 5:00 pm

Cost: $20.00

Space is limited, so reserve your ticket early.

For more information and to reserve your ticket, check this site periodically or call the Hopewell Public Library at 609-466-1625 or go to redlibrary.org.