Our History
For more than two centuries, Morrow Church has stood at the heart of Maplewood as a place of faith, service, and community. From its earliest days as a small gathering of neighbors to its role today as a vibrant, welcoming congregation, Morrow’s story reflects both the growth of our town and the enduring spirit of its people. What follows is the rich history of how this church came to be—and the many ways it has shaped, and been shaped by, the community around it.
The Old Meetinghouse
1805 - 1848
With no local church, the early settlers in the community of Jefferson Village (Maplewood) would walk miles to the established churches in Northfield (Livingston), Lyon’s Farms (Hillside), Orange, and Springfield. Around 1805, a group of Baptists began meeting in the home of Elder Gildersleeve at 57 Jefferson Avenue which still stands today. The group of 16 members formed the Jefferson Village Baptist Society and in 1811 they built a simple one room meetinghouse on the north corner of Ridgewood Road and Bear Lane (Now Claremont Avenue) on land donated by Caleb Durand.
The meetinghouse was referred to as “Babel Chapel” and was a rectangular wood clad building surrounded by a wooden fence with a graveyard at the rear. The Baptist Society met regularly and never exceeded 25 people. Long-time pastor Elder Gildersleeve died in 1846 and after his death, members began to disperse. Also around this time, Universalist meetings began taking place locally and their message attracted some from the Baptist Society. By 1848, there were only a few members left so the Society disbanded and the meetinghouse was left abandoned. For eight years the meetinghouse sat unused. Eventually a tree fell and damaged the roof and the building became the home to many animals as it quickly decayed.
The Early Methodist Movement
1850s
In the early 1850’s Methodists began to hold meetings in the area. They formed “praying bands” which were small groups who would worship together, study the bible, and hold each other accountable. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, felt that you could only grow spiritually when in a group environment and early Methodists really took to this sentiment. The praying bands were smaller subgroups who came out of the camp revival meetings taking place in Irvington. These revivals were similar to the popular ones held regularly in Ocean Grove. Outdoor camp meetings would sometimes last over a week and have much singing, preaching, and sharing of meals, bible study, and deep discussion. There was a fierce collective energy, and revivals were transformational for people who had never been a part of something so big. Entire families would travel far to attend and set up camp for the duration. People were encouraged to come, be engaged, and leave changed.
Our local praying band formed out of the South Orange Methodist Society and would meet weekly along the Crooked Brook (Rahway River where it meets Jefferson Avenue). As the group grew, so did the need for a physical meeting space and the abandoned Baptist meetinghouse at Claremont Avenue looked to be a perfect option.
The Methodist Meetinghouse
1854 – 1890
In 1854, the few remaining Baptists leased the meetinghouse and graveyard to the Methodists for four years with the agreement that the Methodists would fix and maintain the building and share it if there were any need for Baptist services or burials. When the lease expired in 1858, the Baptists virtually gave the building over to the Methodists who were now growing and led by a travelling preacher who was shared with the South Orange Methodist Society (Now South Orange Vailsburg United Methodist Church).
In 1867, the church became a separate entity and no longer had to share a minister. We received an appointed pastor who would stay for a year before rotating with a new one. It was at this time that the church name formally became The Methodist Episcopal Church of Maplewood. During the following decades, the town remained mostly farmland, and the church maintained a steady congregation of around 50 members.
In the 1880’s much new development was emerging around the train station in Maplewood Village and it became clear that the chapel’s remote location on Claremont Avenue was too far away to be relevant and engaged with the growing community. The members decided that the church should relocate downtown where the people are.
In 1889, Rev. John Morrow was appointed as pastor and despite receiving some initial skepticism due to his age (66), he brought a tremendously warm energy to the church. At his first Trustees meeting, Morrow urged that the church must immediately act on the plan to move to town. Fundraising began and several empty parcels of land were quickly purchased between Lenox Place and Baker Street. Even though funding was only half received, Morrow initiated the move and confidently insisted that the rest of the funds would come.
The Little White Chapel at Lenox Place
1890-1911
In 1890, the meetinghouse was lifted onto greased logs which were pulled by a team of horses. The building slowly moved down Ridgewood Road over a week’s time as the rear logs would be moved to the front. The building finally reached a new basement foundation on Lenox Place (where today’s church playground is). After the move, the simple building received a total renovation. A new vestibule, a bell tower, and much decorative woodwork and ornamentation at the interior were added. The old wooden pews were replaced with decorative wooden bench chairs to allow the space to be formal but flexible.
Because of his strong leadership during a transitional time, John Morrow was the first pastor to be appointed for multiple years. In 1892, after three years as pastor, Morrow retired but the church continued to grow. Our bell, which is still in use, was added to the tower in 1893 and the chapel’s front door was kept unlocked at all times so it could also be rung to warn the town of fire. In 1894, land east of the chapel was purchased for the construction of a new parsonage at 17 Lenox Place. The parsonage was designed in the American Foursquare style and considered one of the finest homes in the conference. New members continued to join, and the church became known locally as “The Little White Chapel”.
Many attributed the rapid new growth to the leadership and energy of John Morrow. When he died in 1897, it was decided that the church should be renamed in his honor. And so, the church name became the Morrow Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church of Maplewood.
In 1899, three Tiffany windows were given by the Pierson Family (of Pierson Mill). In 1904, an addition was built to the side of the chapel to accommodate the growing Sunday School and congregation. The addition had large wood folding doors which allowed the chapel to open to overflow space. In 1906 an organ was installed, half funded by Andrew Carnagie who loved organ music and helped fund the installation of thousands of organs across America. With membership and activity increasing, the building was clearly too small so the remaining empty land between the chapel and Ridgewood Road was purchased with the intent of building a new larger church.
The New Stone Church
1911 – 1926
At first, a very ambitious traditional Gothic Revival cathedral-like design was considered for the new building, however a much shorter tower and simplified, smaller building design was selected. The new stone church on Ridgewood Road was designed by D’Oench & Yost Architects of New York in a Gothic inspired Auditorium style and was completed in August of 1911. Auditorium style churches like ours are identifiable by their curved pews and gently sloped floor, all focused on the central stage, pulpit, and organ. This allowed the preacher to be at eye level with their congregation, not elevated above them like in traditional churches. This new layout became popular among Methodists and other Protestants as it encouraged unobstructed, centralized focus on the spoken word and presented a more theatrical environment for speakers and musicians who are central to our worship. The new church had much more seating, modern steam radiators, restrooms with plumbing, electric lighting, and was equipped with a balcony, tower, and a multipurpose hall (Currently Ivy Chapel). It was truly an impressive upgrade from humble beginnings in the Little White Chapel which remained behind the stone church and was used for Sunday School. During this time, Morrow Church became increasingly involved with missionary work throughout the world and local mission projects in town. The church solidified its role as the community church. Though a Methodist church, many people from other Christian denominations also felt at home at Morrow.
Grand Expansions
1926-1954
Maplewood saw unprecedented growth during the early 1920’s and the church was no exception. With overcrowded Sunday services and events, the new stone church was again too small and in 1924, plans were initiated to enlarge it. Architect Floyd Parsons was commissioned to design an addition which extended the length of the Sanctuary and increased seating to over 400 people. The addition provided additional Sunday school rooms, offices, a kitchen, additional restrooms, multipurpose rooms, and a large meeting hall with a movie projection booth and Akron style side rooms (Currently the Music Room and surrounding classrooms). Today, the Sanctuary still appears very much how it looked in 1926. The sanctuary was equipped with very modern dimmer switches and lighting. General Electric even featured Morrow Church in their 1927 promotional newsletter which highlighted our ability to have a bright light appear from above the pulpit as the pastor begins to speak and then fade to darkness as the message ends.
To make way for this new addition, the Little White Chapel was taken down. At this time, the church bell was relocated to the current stone tower and Tiffany windows were moved to the sanctuary and can still be seen at the southern aisle today. Some stone foundations from the old chapel are still present in the crawlspace areas under the stone church.
During the following decades, the church membership reached an all-time high of just over 2,000. There were two Sunday services each week and many spirited programs for kids, youth, and adults. With a new large building, the classic Turnover Sale began in the 1930’s and continues as a town favorite today. The Turnover sale has always been a testament of the hard working church women (and sometimes men) and their passion for giving back to the church and community.
During World War II, the church lost eleven young members in the war. They became known as “The Eleven” and many church furnishings, windows, and plaques were installed in the church in their memory. After the war, American energy was hyper focused on the strengthening of local institutions and organizations. The church saw a huge focus toward redecorating and the addition of traditional decorative painting, woodwork, stained glass, to make the church feel more ornate. Enough funding was raised in 1948 to begin replacing the plain colored glass windows in the Sanctuary with the stained glass windows we have today. An entire series of windows were designed for the sanctuary by Payne & Spiers Studios and over the next fifteen years, various groups and donors funded the purchase of each new window as they were installed one by one.
Mid-Century Morrow & Beyond
1954 – 1990’s
As the church grew as a community center, more flexible space and modern amenities were needed for the mix of groups using the building. A new brick addition was built at the rear of the church which included Fellowship Hall with a stage, a smaller MacDonald Hall, commercial grade kitchen, restrooms, and more classrooms. At this time the various large meeting rooms in the stone building were subdivided into smaller classrooms and offices.
It became typical beginning in the 1950’s that multiple pastors would serve the large congregation and in 1959, the Dutch Colonial house at 12 Roosevelt Rd. was gifted to the church as a second parsonage. In 1967, the church purchased the house at 15 Lenox Place for demolition in order to build the current parking lot. In 1968, following the denominational merger, the church name became Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church. In 1969, Morrow Preschool first began holding classes in the building. In 1974, the Chapel Garden was formed as a memorial space and is still in use today. In 1992, the church building underwent an extensive building-wide renovation. During these decades, the church continued to be a constant presence in the community, hosting civic meetings, gatherings, and celebrations, becoming home to numerous boy and girl scout troops, and hosted combined summer services with nearby Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopal Churches. Sometimes the church was booked for multiple weddings on the same day.
Morrow Church Today
Morrow Church continues to have a strong presence today. The church is a busy place and is used by many church and community groups. In recent times, many in the community remember when Morrow stepped up as a community center during Superstorm Sandy. The church was one of the few buildings in town with electricity and heat and saw over 500 visitors a day who came to rest, recharge, cook, and organize help for those affected by the storm.
Morrow church has also worked to become a progressive, mission driven church which welcomes all people. For many years, Morrow has sponsored and aided immigrant and refugee families. Morrow has long supported unhoused individuals, twelve step programs, children and family programs, and raised money to build a primary school in Sierra Leone where there was none. Morrow youth routinely participate in home repair projects for those in need. Morrow Church was among the first Reconciling United Methodist Churches in New Jersey which welcomes and affirms LGBTQ+ persons and was the first Methodist Church in New Jersey to very publicly host a same gender wedding.
Though the role of the Church in society has certainly changed over the years, Morrow continues to be a strong place of love, welcome, and worship for the community of Maplewood and far beyond. Whether you’ve only visited one time, or have been a church member your whole life, you are a vital part of our story and legacy. May you find peace in knowing you always have family here at Morrow Church.
