St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church (1890), Asbury Park, NJ

The Church of Saint Augustine, Asbury Park, New Jersey, dates back to the year 1890 when, as a mission of Trinity Parish, the first service was held in Marrow’s Hall on the west side of the city. About 60 people attended that first service with the Reverend A.S. Miller, the rector of Trinity Church, officiating.

During the next three years, services were held in Marrow’s Hall by Father Miller, who was assisted during the summer months by lay readers from Payne’s Divinity School in Petersburg, Virginia. In 1892, property was purchased on Sylvan Avenue for construction of the Chapel. All Saints’ Day, 1893, marked the laying of the cornerstone of the “Chapel of Saint Augustine.” The edifice was blessed on January 4, 1894 and the first Eucharist was celebrated on January 14, 1894.

From then until 1903, many improvements were made on the chapel, membership grew and the mission was recommended for parish status by the Reverend A.L. Longly. A building program was initiated and in 1904 the mission was elevated to parish status with the Reverend August E. Jensen as the first rector. The next 15 years saw much growth at Saint Augustine’s.  The church building was raised to two stories, a bell tower was constructed, a pipe organ was installed and a rectory was built.

SOURCE: ST. AUGUSTINE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH