Greenville Reformed Church: Greenville Reformed Church

Greenville Reformed Church/United Reformed Church
219 Ocean Avenue
Corner of Ocean and Danforth Avenues
Greenville

The Greenville Reformed Church began with a generous gift by James Currie (1800-1870). The name "Currie’s Woods" is derived from Currie, who owned a large estate extending from Old Bergen Road to the shores of Newark Bay.  According to local historian Alexander McLean, Currie, “At his death, with christian [sic] foresight and liberality, bequeathed $1,000 or an acre of land to aid in the establishment of a church of the Reformed or Presbyterian denomination, whenever the people in the neighborhood should desire to effect such an organization" (McLean 275).

The donation encouraged some 24 families to begin a Sabbath school in the Greenville schoolhouse in January of 1871 and proceed toward establishing the Reformed Church of Greenville, NJ. Among the elected leaders were S.B. Vreeland, Michael Terhune, and William Currie, whose surnames survive as place names in Jersey City.

A $10,000 gift, in memory of the son of Mr. and Mrs. Abram Becker, went to purchase four and one-half lots on the southwest corner of Danforth and Ocean Avenues (McLean 275). This funding allowed for the construction of a chapel, marked with a cornerstone dated October 17, 1875, followed by its dedication on January 16, 1876.

The larger and present church on Ocean Avenue was not built until 1889.  A congregation member, the architect Henry C. Palmer of Jersey City, drew up the plans for the new church. McLean describes the interior of the urban vernacular Romanesque Revival-design building of red brick with terra cotta and bluestone: “The main auditorium is 51 by 67 feet, unbroken by pillars or columns, the roof being supported by heavy trusses. The floor slants towards the platform, and the seats are arranged in a circle, giving ample room for 600 people” (276).

The original chapel was integrated into the larger structure as a church social hall and Sunday school facility. The chapel was extended by 28-by-30 feet and enlarged by 98-by-30 feet. The new church and the expansion of the old chapel cost over $30,000.

The construction date "1889" appears below the stained-glass window at the corner of Danforth Avenue, and the name "Reformed Church" is engraved on the tower to the right of the main entrance. It is claimed that one of the church's stained-glass windows was destroyed by the Black Tom Explosion in 1916. The church's entry appears to have been modified with brick, which is a different coloration from the original red brick.

Over the years, the Greenville church kept its identity separate from the Old Bergen Reformed Church by changing its name to the Reformed Church of Greenville and then to the United Reformed Church, Greenville. Now, due to a changing population and costly maintenance, the church does not have a ministry or congregation in residence.

Centennial Committee. Centennial Anniversary History of Greenville Reformed Church. Jersey City: NJ, 1971.
McLean, Alexander. The History of Jersey City, N.J. Jersey City, NJ: F.T. Smiley and Co., 1895
“Stirring up a Church Meeting.” New York Times 4 May 1889.