Postcard of the First Baptist Church and Chapel, Hightstown, New Jersey. Postmarked August 1919.

Photo from the book "A Pastor's 25th and a Church's 150th Anniversary" by Rev. Dr. O. P. Eaches, D. D. , Pastor, 1870 – 1895, May 29th & June 2nd, 1895, publ. 1896. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This 1895 photo may have been taken for the commemoration of the church, as follows: The New York Times, 31 Oct 1895, p. 10: The Hightstown Baptists; The One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Church HIGHTSTOWN, N.J., Oct. 30 – Beginning today the Hightstown Baptist Church is holding a five days' series of meetings, commemorative of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Baptist Church of Hightstown. There was a roll call this evening, commencing alphabetically, going A to G, and to-morrow evening the call will be continued from H to Z. The exercises during the remainder of the week will consist of the devotional services, together with a complete history and record of the church, by their pastor, the Rev. Dr. O. P. Eaches. The Rev. W. H. J. Parker of Middletown, the Rev. S. C. Brown of Manasquan, the Rev. W. T. Galloway of Hamilton Square, the Rev. W. H. Bulloch of Allentown, the Rev. J. Huffnagle of Imlaystown, the Rev. M. N. Smith of Marlborough, the Rev. H. Baum of Jamesburg, the Rev. J. H. Hyatt of Bethlehem, the Rev. Dr. Robert Lowery, the Rev. M. P. Pikes of Trenton, the Rev. J. S. Griffith of Pennsneck, the Rev. J. B. L'Hommedieu of Newark, the Rev. F. Denison, the Rev. Dr. S. Gifford Nelson of Mount Holly, the Rev. Dr. George W. Clark of Hightstown, and Prof. Perry of Hightstown will assist the pastor in the services, together with the members of the committee, John E. Allen, Charles B. Cole, B. P. Stout, Enoch Barker, Mrs. T. F. Botzong, Miss Bertha Clark, C. Boud Cole, Howard P. Butcher, Philip F. Botzong, Charles A. Pullen, Frank V. Jamison, Miss Ada V. Hutchinson, Miss Sadie Ayres, and Mrs. Nelson C. Schlottman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Found online on 5 Sep 2009 @ http://www.njchurchscape.com/Hightstown-FirstBapt.html: The church was built in 1857, just as the popularity for Greek Revival had largely faded in favor of the Gothic. The [current] belfry-clock-steeple are not original, but replace ones damaged by lightning some years ago. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ According to the June 13, 1911 Trenton Times, lightning struck the steeple on the evening of June 12th and "the flames ate their way very swiftly earthward, destroying the town clock and the large belfry." The above photo is also included in the newspaper article.