The Roseville Baptist Church was founded October 18, 1871. The 1965 Newark Directory has a listing for the church. By 1969, the church had been demolished for Route 280.
The post card depicts the church in a winter landscape and is postmarked 1908. Harriet, the sender, has informed the recipient that she attends this church in the morning “when I can”.
The dark triangular marks on the corners of the post card are from where the card was mounted in an album. Many photos and post cards survived only because they were in albums and therefore protected from harm.
Newark's Attic 
Does anyone know what happened to the church records?
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The church records were turned over to the New Jersey Baptist Convention, that, at the time, was housed in the First Baptist Church in East Orange, now the Church at the Crossroads. I was the church’s treasurer from 1955 until its demise in 1965 to clear the way for I-280. The building eventually was purposely set on fire in order to test a new fire-fighting foam by the Newark Fire Department.
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Good afternoon sir,
Thank you for commenting on my blog. I was hoping you might have photos of the interior of the Roseville Baptist Church or any pictures of it’s unfortunate demise. In fact, any information/stories you may have would be greatly desired. There are not a large group of people that remember these long gone places. Thank you.
John Lipari
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John,
Thanks for your response. I’m enclosing a photo of the sanctuary of Roseville Baptist Church. I took this photo on Sunday, September 5, 1965, the final Sunday service at the Church.
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The object below the American f lag is the tone cabinet to our electronic organ. At the right edge of the choir loft is a small mirror enabling the organist to see the ushers. The pulpit is in the center with a deep red draped hanging depicting the cross and crown. Floral bouquets sat atop stands on either side of the pulpit. To the right beneath the Christian flag is the door to the pastor’s study. In days long gone by, there used to be lettering above the central arch reading, “The Lord loveth the gates of Zion” and, above the stained-glass window depicting the Good Shepherd, “Feed my sheep.” Just below the stained-glass window is a drape concealing the baptistry where I was baptized on Easter Sunday at age 12. The sanctuary had a cathedral ceiling supported by large cris-crossing wood beams. I can remember my father and other men climbing up there to paint or stain the beams.
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This is the Church in its final days. For years the church exterior was a tan or light brown color, but its final appearance was in white. That’s my 1958 Volkswagen Beetle parked on Gould Avenue in front of the Church.
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This is the bulletin of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Church’s last full-time pastor, Clarance F. Bleakney, in 1951. He was a native of Nova Scotia. Mr. Bleakney remained as full-time pastor into the early 1960s, retiring just a couple of years before the Church’s demise. My grandparents served on the committee that made the decision back in 1926 to bring him to Roseville.
Dick Patton
Richard E. Patton
1301 Woodlawn Court
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241-3530
412-257-2715
railbuff15@msn.comrailbuff15@msn.com
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Rev. Albert Foster Sr 1848-1925, a cousin of my great grandfather, was the pastor in 1908
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I am always thrilled when people make a personal connection with a post. Sadly, the site of the church is a 40′ culvert containing Rte. 280.
Regards,
John
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Reason: Ancestry research
According to the archives, my Aunt Christina Fanny Archer was married in this Church to Louis Kemp and they had a son, Louis Kemp Jr. We have lost all connections to louis Kemp Sr and want to reach out to anyone who has any connection. Louis lived in Newark until 1940. Christina returned to South Carolina with her son. She died and left her son with her mother. Whereas, louis Sr. lived with his sister Esther Kemp Baker (William Baker) until 1940 at 180 Broome Street. Dose anyone know what Association this Church belongs to in Roseville? Thank you for your assistance. archer5622@bellsouth.net
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Forgive the late response to your inquiry, what do you mean by “Association”? The church vanished in the early 1960’s when they built Rte. 280.
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