“OLD STONE PARSONAGE”

THE Vincent Methodist “Old Stone Parsonage” at 213 Passaic Avenue, formerly occupied by the John Moreland family, dates back to the early 1700’s. Built of brown stone with an added second story of wood, the house with the deep recessed windows, hand hewn floor boards averaging 10 inches in width, a deep fireplace with walls one and one half foot thick, reflects the early living of Essex County pioneers.

Research by the Nutley Historical Society has provided records to show that the house was occupied on Wednesday, October 13, 1869, by Reverend George T. Jackson, a Methodist pastor.

The necessity for securing a parsonage for the preacher is quoted from the files of the Methodist Quarterly Conference Records. These reveal that “this was a single man’s appointment until the Newark Annual Conference of 1865 when it was made a married man’s appointment and a parsonage was purchased.” The first house purchased was one half mile from the Methodist Church then situated on Passaic Avenue, and was used until the stone parsonage was secured in 1869. The house has remained the property of the present Vincent Methodist Church since acquired in 1869.

A Reverend William Nelson, pastor in 1857, returned in later years to occupy the house and is remembered by members of the church.

Mr. Moreland, whose family lived in the house ten years, was Director of Music in Nutley High School before taking a position on Long Island, N.Y. The “parsonage” is now occupied by R. Webb Leonard and family - the associate minister at Vincent Methodist Church.