DANE - Danish Archives North East

Danish Communities
DANE - Danish Archives North East
Perth Amboy and Middlesex County area in New Jersey

Churches:

St. Stephens Danish Lutheran Church

Originally at: 99 Broad Street, Perth Amboy, now at:120 Pleasant Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837-2665. The church was organized on August 20, 1872 (41 people) and on September 15, 1872, the first worship service was conducted in Danish by Pastor Anders Lawson Jenson Søholm. Circa 1875, a church was built on East Avenue. In 1888, a new church was built on the corner of State and Broad Streets. In 1896, a brick church and a frame parsonage were built at 101 Broad Street. In 1939, Crown Prince Frederick and Princess Ingrid of Denmark visited the church. In 1941, dual services in English and Danish were started. In 1949, a Sunday School was built on the corner of First and Pleasant Avenue in Raritan Township (Edison). The Broad Street church was sold in 1957. In 1960, the church was built on Pleasant Avenue in Edison. In 1964, services in Danish were stopped. The records have been copied and we indexed the records. The records are from 1872-1948. The records for November 1882-August 1887 have been lost. If you would like us to look up something, then please contact us at danenj@aol.com.

(picture of 1875 church, 1888 church, 1896 church) (list of ministers) (church records information) (1911 mission meeting photo of ministers)

Forste Dansk Methodist Menighed

First Danish Methodist Episcopal Church, Perth Amboy, New Jersey

The congregation was organized June 1869. The church was incorporated October 26, 1874. In 1876, a small frame church was erected at 320 State Street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Rev Burriel Smith was church's first pastor. Smith was born in Slesvig, Denmark. The cornerstone for the new church at Madison & Jefferson Street, Perth Amboy was laid on 17 September 1898. The church was was dedicated on Sunday 17 December 1899.

In 1920, the minister was Rev. Villads B. Skov. In 1942, the church was reincorporated as the "Wesley Methodist Church". Circa 1956, a large part of the church property was destroyed by fire. A new Wesley Methodist Church then was built on Woodbridge Avenue in Edison..

(picture of church circa 1911)

Our Savior’s Danish Lutheran Church, Perth Amboy

On Thanksgiving Day 1868 Our Savior’s Danish Lutheran Church, Perth Amboy, New Jersey formed a congregation and adopted a constitution. Under the leadership of Pastor V B Skov, this church building was planned in 1889. It was located at State and Market Street. With gifts of labor and materials the church was constructed for six thousand dollars. Dedication was held on Thanksgiving Day 1896. Under the sponsorship of the Ladies Aid a new parsonage was built in 1904. The church services were conducted in Danish until 1925 and at that time the church became know as the Our Savior’s Evang. Lutheran Church. The church is now located at 50 Calvert Avenue, Edison, New Jersey.

We have a copy of the microfilm of the church records from 1873-1901 in the DANE holdings. If you would like us to look up something, then please contact us at danenj@aol.com.

(picture of church) (Sunday School) (first church) (Interior of church circa 1943) (Pastor V.B. Skov) (WWII Honor Roll)

Danish Seventh Day Adventists - in 1920, they had a church on Neville Street in Perth Amboy
Grace Lutheran Church (picture) (picture)

Danish Home:

The Danish Home was established in 1914 by the Danish Brotherhood & Sisterhood Lodges of the North East. It was a 72 acre farm located in what was then known as Metuchen, on New Durham Road. The farm was maintained and provided food for the home residents. The old farm house/home burned down in 1952. In 1950 the new Home was dedicated across the road in what is now Edison, at 855 New Durham Road. Much of the property has been sold off with just a few acres remaining. The grounds are now used for picnics and cultural events. Located at the back rear of the property is a Viking style masuoleum/Mindehoyen for interments of Danish Lodge members. The Home is no longer a residence for the aged. It is being used as a cultural center and is the location of DANE..Danish Archive North East.

(pictures: home1, home2, home3, home4, picnic grove) (picture of new Danish Home)

(1920 census of Home) (1930 census of Home) (1929) (1930) (1932) (1933) (1934) (1935) (1936) (1937) (1938) (1939) (1940) (1941) (1943) (1944) (1945) (1946) (1950) (1951) (1953) (1954) (1955) (1956) (1957) (1960) (1962)
Friends of the home: (1953) (1954) (1955) (1956) (1957)
Home board officers: 1914-1931, 1932-1975

(Abstracts from the applications/files from the home) - this is not yet complete

(Mindehoyen records) (Mindehoyen photo) (Mindehoyen plaque)
Historical marker

Danish Children's Home, Perth Amboy

The Danish Children's Home was dedicated 7 September 1908 and was located at 56 State Street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. In 1916 it was moved to 414 Compton Avenue, Perth Amboy. It was in operation until about 1929.

(picture of State Street Home) (picture of Compton Avenue Home) (1920 census of Home)

Cemeteries:

Alpine Cemetery - some information gathered from various sources (tombstones, obituaries, etc.)

Braga Hall - (picture in 2005)
Frem Singing Society - (picture in 2005)
Dana Relief Society: The Dana Relief Society began on September 11, 1884. They met in the home of Jens Andersen at 278 Prospect Street in Perth Amboy. The organization was formed to aid members and their families in times of distress. They set up a fund to pay a fixed sum weekly to a member, who on account of illness, was not able to work. On the death of a member, they paid the widow or other survivors $200. At the death of his wife, a member was paid $100. Another fund was set up to assist widows and orphans of members. Meetings were held at Jens Andersen's home until January 1885 and then for 2 years at the home of J.C. Iversen on State Street in Perth Amboy. The upper floor of 107 Smith Street was rented from Therkelsen and Brown until in December 1895, Dana moved to the McCormick building at 90-92 Smith Street. In March 1894, they purchased 2 lots at 224-226 Smith Street almost opposite the Jersey Central Railroad Station. The building was completed about November 1, 1898. The property was sold to Emil Koyen on August 1, 1920. They then moved to Dana Hall on Market Street. (list of charter officers and members)
Danish Brotherhood in America Lodge: Perth Amboy, Lodge 46- Thor - (Lodge Book) (1998)
Danish Sisterhood of America Lodge: Perth Amboy, Lodge 36 - Freia -(1896-founding members) (1944) (1946) (1960)
Perth Amboy School District - some report cards

Perth Amboy Immigration Records: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)-Northeast Region New York Office has the records below. They are unable to search these records for specific entries or provide reproductions in response to letters or telephone calls. These records are available for use in the NARA public research room. The office address is: 201 Varick Street, New York, New York 10014-4811, Telephone: 212-401-1620:

Inward and Outward Bound Manifests for the Port of Perth Amboy, NJ for the period 1801-1857 (Entry 973A-B). These records filed with the Office of the U.S. Customs Service (Record Group 36). They appear to be in chronological order by date of arrival and are not indexed by passenger name.
Microfilm copies of publication M575 Copies of Lists of Passengers Arriving at Miscellaneous Ports on the Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts and at Ports on the Great Lakes, 1820-1873. This series includes the Port of Perth Amboy for the period 1820-1832 (Roll 8)
It is unknown if any manifests for the Port of Perth Amboy exist after 1857. It is possible that after 1857, they became included in the Port of New York

records. The Port of New York arrival records are not indexed until June 16, 1897. After June 16, 1897 the passenger manifests are indexed by passenger

name to 1948.

Danish population in Perth Amboy (those listed as born in Denmark):

1860 census - 9 of 2,302 (less than 1%)
1870 census - 131 of 2,861 (about 4%)
1880 census - 387 of 4,809 (about 3%) 136 more with Danish parent - (about 11% of population of Danish descent)
1900 census - 1,344 of 17,678 (about 7.5%)
1920 census - 1,190 of 41,678 (about 3%) 1,700 more with Danish parent - (about 7% of population of Danish descent)
1930 census - 520 of 43,424 (about 1%)

Danish population in Middlesex County (those listed as born in Denmark)

1860 census - 20 of 34, 813 (less than 1%)
1870 census - 199 of 45, 045 (less than 1%)
1880 census - 583 of 52,312 (about 1%)
1900 census - 1766 of 79,753 (about 2%)
1920 census - 1848 of 162,317 (about 1%)
1930 census - 1164 of 211,434 (less than 1%)

Home of Gov Morgan Foster Larson, High St. Perth Amboy, NJ

The Larson house on High Street was built by Danish Contractor, Iver C. Ostergaard. Morgan Foster Larson (1882-1961), born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey was the son of Peter and Regina Larson. Peter Larson was a Danish blacksmith who immigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Morgan Foster Larson served as the fortieth governor of New Jersey and was a prominent civil engineer in Middlesex County. (picture of house)(bigraphy and picture of Gov. Larson) (biography)

Home of Laurids B Eskesen (1872-1914), 39 Gordon Street, Perth Amboy, NJ circa 1912/13

Home of Laurids B Eskesen (1872-1914) and wife Asta H (nee Schmidt). Eskesen was Vice President of NJ Terra Cotta Co. Perth Amboy at the time of his death in Dec 1914. The house was still in existence in 2003. (picture of house)

Statue of George Washington, City Hall Park, Perth Amboy, NJ

In 1895 the Danish and Scandinavian population of Perth Amboy commissioned Nels Nielsen Alling (1861-1955), a Danish sculptor, to create the statue of George Washington. It was to express pride and love for their adopted country. The funds were raised within the Scandinavian community and the statue was dedicated on 2 September 1895. Alling worked on the statue at the the NJ Terra Cotta Co in Perth Amboy. (picture)

Home of Peter S Sondergaard, Keyport NJ

Peter Sondergaard joined Karl Mathiasen and four Eskesen Brothers in the Spring of 1895 to establish a Terra Cotta factory in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Sondergaard made his residence in Keyport, New Jersey. Karl Mathiasen had a large mansion in the town as well. The company went on to become one of the largest suppliers of building terra cotta across the United States. The facades of many great edifices were adorned with architectural terra cotta made at the Perth Amboy factories. (picture of house)

Matawan Tile Company, Matawan NJ

Orginally known as the Rue Pottery Company the factory was purchased by Karl Mathiasen. The first kiln was fired in Fall 1896 and it's name was changed to Matawan Terra Cotta Company. It was located at 32 Main Street in Matawan. In 1902 Mathiasen, Bennet and L B Eskesen established the Matawan Tile Company. The company lasted until 1936 when the tile market was declining due to the events happening in Europe and eventually the start of World War II. (picture of company)

Various Perth Amboy Danish vital statistics: Marriages, Births, Deaths
Historical maps - Rutgers Special Collections - (1872, 1876, 1914, 1920, etc.)
Newspaper: Perth Amboy Dansk Amerikaner (1886-1913) (if anyone knows where any copies exist, then please contact us)
Books at DANE: "Images of Perth Amboy", Joan Sequine-LeVine
Various Perth Amboy pictures

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