St. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey)

The congregation was founded as a union church of German Lutheran and German Reformed Protestant settlers. By tradition, the first church was called Straw Church, a log building with a straw thatched roof, built in the cemetery area. Christian Streit preached here and at the nearby Lutheran church in Easton, Pennsylvania. The second church was built with stone starting in June 1790. The third church, the current building, was built with brick and has a cornerstone dated May 1, 1834. The cemetery is fronted by a low limestone wall with the date June 1790 engraved in a stone by the gateway. The earliest identified headstone is a brown sandstone, dated 1771, for the child David Metz. The obverse of the headstone for Peter Heintz, dated 1777, features a tree of life motif, carved by an anonymous German craftsman from Northampton County, Pennsylvania. ==Description==

The church is a brick building designed with Federal architecture style and featuring Flemish bond on the front. The wooden cupola was added in 1960. It is the third church building at this location. ==Gallery==

File:St. James Lutheran Church, Pohatcong Township, NJ - church and fellowship hall.jpg|Fellowship Hall and Church File:St. James Lutheran Cemetery, Greenwich Township, NJ - entrance sign.jpg|One-room schoolhouse, built 1858, by entrance to cemetery File:St. James Lutheran Cemetery, Greenwich Township, NJ - looking west.jpg|Cemetery and Church File:David Metz, St. James Lutheran Cemetery, NJ.jpg|Headstone for David Metz, dated 1771 File:Peter Heintz, 1777, obverse, St. James Lutheran Cemetery, NJ.jpg|Obverse of headstone for Peter Heintz, dated 1777 ==See also==