Our history.

A seaside town and a missionary effort

The colonial settlers of Long Branch in the 1660s were English farmers and members of the Church of England. In the years after the Revolutionary War, most of the community turned away from the Church of England, and for a time the only church in town was Methodist. By the middle of the nineteenth century, however, Long Branch was emerging as an important seashore resort, its grand hotels and summer homes drawing visitors from across the region.

The nearest Episcopal congregation was Christ Church in Shrewsbury. Under its rector, the Rev. Harry Finch, Christ Church began a missionary effort in Long Branch in the summer of 1850. For the next several seasons, Episcopal worship was held in the parlors of the Allegheny House hotel.

Saint James’ Church is formed

In 1853, a subscription paper was circulated among residents and summer visitors to raise the funds needed to establish an Episcopal church in Long Branch. Those efforts led to the formation of Saint James’ Church in February of 1854, with the Rev. Harry Finch as the founding rector.

The first church, a classic wooden structure, was dedicated in August of 1855 on the north side of Broadway, between Second Avenue and Memorial Parkway. For the next forty years Saint James’ flourished, as did Long Branch itself, then America’s premier seaside resort and a destination even for Presidents of the United States.

The original wooden church on the north side of Broadway · c. 1855

A new and lasting home

By 1895, continuing growth led Saint James’ to plan a new and larger stone church. Property was purchased on the south side of Broadway at Slocum Place, a little more than four blocks inland from the original location. Plans were formally adopted and construction began in December of 1910.

The first services were held in the new parish hall on September 29, 1911. The cornerstone of the church was laid in July of 1912, and the new church was formally dedicated in April of 1913 — the stone church that remains the home of St. James’ today.

The stone church on Broadway, c. 1913 · Rev. R.A. Poole, Rector

A flourishing parish

Saint James’ continued to grow during the long tenure of the Rev. Morton A. Barnes, the parish’s seventh rector, from 1914 to 1949. During these years the parish was blessed with several generous memorial gifts, and the congregation’s many efforts served to beautify the church and reduce its debt. In 1939, Saint James’ retired its mortgage and the church was officially consecrated in February of that year.

In 1962, an educational wing was added to the parish hall, expanding the space available for Christian education and providing a choir room, a workroom, a meeting room, an enlarged kitchen, and offices for the clergy and parish administrator. In 1975, the installation of the remaining stained glass windows was completed.

A place and a people

The church is a place and a people — a place for worship, fellowship, ministry, and service. More than 170 years after its founding, St. James’ remains rooted in Long Branch, with an open heart for everyone who walks through its red doors.