Windsor Chapel
Windsor Chapel, May 2020. The old barn is incorporated into the left (eastern) half of the building.
Historical Overview
*Note: For a history of the farm that preceded the Windsor Chapel - including the old farmhouse that the chapel now uses as an office and the barn that was expanded and converted into the chapel itself - click here.
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In the mid-1900s, West Windsor was undergoing a religious expansion. Until the 1960s, only two houses of worship - the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church and Princeton Baptist Church - served the township, as they had done for generations. However, starting in the 1960s, various congregations began to call West Windsor home. The establishment of the Windsor Chapel in the historic community of Dutch Neck was part of this religious diversification.[1]
The Windsor Chapel was established by the Westerly Road Church of Princeton. In the mid-1970s, the church was facing capacity issues, and without the ability to physically expand, decided to found a new church for residents from East and West Windsor. In September of 1976, Reverend David Morgan - son of the Westerly Road Church's pastor, Rev. Edward H. Morgan - accepted leadership of the new congregation.[2] The first service was on October 3, 1976, at the Maurice Hawk School, with 37 charter members in attendance, as well as a choir, nursery, and Sunday School. There were also small family group sessions - Bible study and prayer - held at members' homes.[3] |
Windsor Chapel in November of 2020. The barn is the left half of the building (see photo below).
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In 1977, a member of the congregation met David and Harriet Kaplan, who owned a large farm at 401 Village Road West in the historic West Windsor community of Dutch Neck. The following year, the Kaplans sold several acres - including a tall, likely-1800s-era Victorian Gothic farmhouse (which for a time served as a parsonage) and large barn - to the Windsor Chapel congregation. The Dutch Neck Elementary School, directly across the street, served as an interim site for church services and Sunday School for many years. In September of 1979, work began to convert the old 1800s-era barn into a chapel. After over 1,000 hours of labor, the first service was held there on January 20, 1980.[4]
Rev. David Morgan resigned in 1986 after ten years of service, moving to New Hampshire to establish a retreat center for ministers and missionaries. He was succeeded by Rev. David Faris in 1987, but he also stepped down the year following. After him was Rev. Daniel Stewart in 1989. Rev. Edward Morgan served as interim pastor from 1986-87 and in 1988.[5] |
The old barn, long since incorporated into the Windsor Chapel. Newspaper: Town Topics, August 16, 1978.
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In 1990, ground was broken for an expansion of the barn-turned-chapel, with the new sanctuary dedicated to Rev. Edward Morgan. While construction was ongoing, Sunday morning services took place in the Beth Chaim Synagogue and Dutch Neck School for sixteen months. When the first worship service took place on September 8, 1991, 227 congregants were in attendance.[6]
Rev. Daniel Stewart retired in 1995, and in 1997, Dr. Dennis L. Gill took leadership as Senior Pastor. Ten years later, he, in turn, was succeeded by Rev. Gregory Larsh. After him was Rev. Andrew Straubel starting in 2010. Today, the Windsor Chapel still serves the surrounding community; its sanctuary and offices relics of generations of Dutch Neck history.[7]
For a more detailed history of the Windsor Chapel, click here to visit their website. Else, click the button below to return to Dutch Neck.[8]
Rev. Daniel Stewart retired in 1995, and in 1997, Dr. Dennis L. Gill took leadership as Senior Pastor. Ten years later, he, in turn, was succeeded by Rev. Gregory Larsh. After him was Rev. Andrew Straubel starting in 2010. Today, the Windsor Chapel still serves the surrounding community; its sanctuary and offices relics of generations of Dutch Neck history.[7]
For a more detailed history of the Windsor Chapel, click here to visit their website. Else, click the button below to return to Dutch Neck.[8]
Bibliography
- “Our History.” Windsor Chapel | An Evangelical Christian Church in Princeton Junction, NJ. Windsor Chapel, September 19, 2019. https://windsorchapel.org/our-history/.