History and architecture
The attractive Georgian-Gothic church is constructed in a manner simpler than but similar to St. Paul's Chapel although it was built almost fifty years later. It is a survival of the Georgian architectural tradition built in Federal times with the very interesting introduction of Gothic windows and doors. The church antedates the Gothic Revival by some thirty years. Full length windows were used on the long side of the building despite the existence of balconies behind them. The great beauty of the pointed Gothic windows lies in the refinement of having the wood divisions of the windows panes interlaced, following the lines of the pointed window heads.
When Colonel Henry Rutgers, the Revolutionary War patriot, decided to subdivide his farm into building lots, he donated land for the erection of a church. This gift made possible the construction of this building which was renamed "Church of Sea and Land" in 1866 when it began to serve seamen. Architecturally the importance of this church is to be found in its extreme simplicity, fine construction and its introduction -- at an early date -- of Gothic elements of design.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.