Second Calvary Bpatist Church (1892) Hopewell, NJ
The Baptist faith also proved popular within Black communities during the 19th century, and Black Baptist congregations were eventually organized in the Hopewell and Pennington boroughs in New Jersey. During 1894-1895, a group of Christian men and women, including Silas and Jennie Higginbotham, Walter and Genie Daniels, Archie and Annie Harrison, and Ernest and Pearl Hughes, gathered on Wednesday and Sunday evenings for prayer and fellowship. In 1897, this group of Christians held a revival meeting in Stoutsburg, New Jersey. From that revival, the First Colored Calvary Church of Hopewell, New Jersey was founded and became fully recognized by the New Jersey Council of Ministers and incorporated that same year. The congregation later selected its current name of Second Calvary Baptist Church.
The churchs first place of worship was built at the corner of First and Maple streets (Block #1105-13-21) in Hopewell Borough. The church has a list of 12 known grave sites and approximately 10-12 unknown and unmarked graves at the First Street Cemetery. The morticians at the time were Dade and Newsome. (See Historic Black Cemeteries for more on burial grounds).
The congregation’s second church (Block #1105-14-1), located at 69 Columbia Ave (at the corner of Maple Street), was built in 1959 and is still in use today. It was constructed by John and Norman Jones from Skillman, New Jersey, two local Black carpenters, with the help of Archie Harrison, Clarence and Robert Bartlett, William Waldron, Robert Coleman and Henry Hodnett. John Jones (who passed away on October 4, 1997) also built and hung the swinging doors that lead into the sanctuary to this day.
The first pastor and one of the founders of the church was Reverend Thomas Johnson; who came from the South. He diligently served until his death in 1914. He and his wife are buried in the church cemetery. As the church grew throughout the years from 1914 to 1997, 12 other men were called to serve as pastor, including Reverend William S. Davis, Jr.
(SOURCE: SECOND CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH)
