South Amboy’s Christ Church Crypt
Christ Church, South Amboy, NJ. Built by the Stevens Family in 1858.
I would like to first thank Kurt Kvist and Thomas Shipley Thomas for their recent guided tour of historic Christ Church in South Amboy. Christ Church has been a fixture in South Amboy since it was founded and built by the Stevens Family in 1858. It was the first church built in South Amboy and is possibly the oldest building in South Amboy.
A Group of Visitors to the Christ Church Crypt.
Among the many things Kurt and Ship showed us on the tour was the crypt which is located in the basement of the church. Presently there are nine people, eight adults and one child, all members of the Stevens Family including Commodore Thomas Conover, eternally resting in the crypt. Since an expansion to the church building, sometime within the last 100 years since the last person was interned in the crypt in 1914, it is now quite an ordeal getting into the crypt area. The stairs have been built over and the only way in now is through a very small trap door and down a rickety wooden ladder. There is actually no present way to bring anyone else into the crypt for internment so the remaining 8 ½ available slots will likely remain unused for the duration.
The Only Way to Get In and Out of the Christ Church Crypt.
The Only Way to Get In and Out of the Christ Church Crypt.
Left Side of the Christ Church Crypt.
Right Side of the Christ Church Crypt.
Previous Entrance to the Christ Church Crypt Now Blocked.
One of the Available Crypts.
More images of the crypt can be found on the Christ Church web site.
Thank you for this series of pictures. I have been investigating the Camden & Amboy RR for the past few years. C.A. Conover’s name is on the invoice sheet as the purchaser of stone sleepers for the C&A RR from Sing Sing Prison (Mt Pleasant Prison). I did not know nor had I spent the time to understand the business and personal relationship between Conover and Stevens. This is an interesting slice of information that ties many answers to many questions. Thank you.
Are you aware of any other documents that tie C.A. Conover to the C&A RR.
Kind Regards
Hi Pierre, I’m not familiar with any other documents that tie C.A. Conover to the C&A RR but could put you in touch with someone who might have more answers. Do you know what C.A.Conover’s first name might have been? Do you have any idea whatever became of the surveys they made of the South Amboy area before they laid the tracks?