Ewing Church

The History of Ewing Church

In 1709, twenty early settlers purchased a one-acre tract of land near what is now Scotch Road from Andrew Lockhart  and used it as a burial ground and as a place for outdoor worship under the shade of two large oak trees. They also requested the services of clergy from the newly established Presbytery of Philadelphia (1706). By 1712, a log cabin provided a protected place of worship, later followed by a wood frame structure (1726) and a brick building (1795), all in essentially the same location. In the mid 1720’s a building was also constructed in nearby “Trent’s Town,” providing more convenient worship space for those living in the village now known as Trenton. The two congregations remained under one Board for nearly 80 years, with the village congregation becoming the First Presbyterian Church of Trenton.

The original Scotch Road burial ground remained, surrounding the structures, and growing in size through the centuries. Now a registered Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site, the Ewing Church Cemetery is located within the historic “Crossroads of the American Revolution.” Open to all faiths, our cemetery is the final resting place of at least 35 Revolutionary War veterans, as well as members of the congregation who were veterans of every subsequent U.S. military conflict, and notable members of society across three centuries.

Although three other structures on the site had preceded it, in 1867 (in the wake of the Civil War) the current Romanesque Revival brownstone sanctuary building was constructed. Throughout Ewing Church’s history, its series of sanctuary buildings served not only as worship places, but also as meeting places for civic events. Throughout its history, members of the congregation have held positions of leadership on local civic and school boards, committees, and state governmental positions. 

Over the course of its history, the congregation has been known by a number of names, reflecting changes in the formal names of the area. In 1844, it was officially named the First Presbyterian Church of Ewing. However, it has long been referred to as Ewing Presbyterian Church (EPC). In its 300+ year history, the congregation has had nearly two dozen pastors and many temporary preachers. Some were significant figures in the growth of the denomination in a strongly Reformed-leaning area of the colonies, including John Witherspoon (a signer of the Declaration of Independence) and Eli Cooley, the congregation’s first full-time pastor and a founder of the American Bible Society. The congregation’s second longest serving pastor, Rev. David Prince, was installed in 1972. 

The congregation has long demonstrated leadership in social issues. Members of the congregation first petitioned the New Jersey State Legislature in 1792 to strengthen anti-slavery legislation. It elected its first female Ruling Elder in the 1940’s, supported the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, supported Presbyterian peacemaking efforts in opposition to the Viet Nam War, embraced the ordination of women (in 1983 it called its first female Associate Pastor, Rev. Barbara Kalehoff-Hicks), has long supported those in recovery through its hosting of many Twelve-Step programs, provided sign language interpreters in worship services and meetings to meet the needs of deaf members connected to the nearby Katzenbach School for the Deaf, and demonstrated leadership in the support of gay and lesbian rights. In the early 1990’s, in association with the Hyacinth Foundation, EPC hosted monthly dinners and offered momentary peace and sanctuary for people with AIDS and their loved ones. In 1995, the Session voted, in defiance of PC(USA) policy, to ordain of gay and lesbian members. In 1999, the Session voted to accept a bequest from a gay member who had died of AIDS. This bequest was made specifically to replace the original thick, solid oak doors of the sanctuary with doors filled with glass panes—symbolic of the church’s being a More Light Congregation. In more recent years, the congregation has actively spoken out for the rights of undocumented immigrants and for other social justice issues.

The former Ewing Presbyterian Church also supports youth programs. The church has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 15 from 1916 until 2019, providing a separate building, known as the Scout Hut, for scout meetings.  We also sponsored a Cub Scout Pack for many decades. For 50 years, the congregation ran its own nursery school, which often attracted local families who subsequently joined the church.  Ewing Presbyterian Nursery School was closed in 2015 due to low enrollment.  The congregation has also had vibrant youth programs, welcoming many area youth whose families did not have an affiliation with any other church.  The church also supports youth participation in programs outside of the congregation, including those at Camp Johnsonburg and the Youth Triennium.