A scaled-down copy of the great cathedral of Cologne can be seen from the New Jersey Turnpike and from planes landing at Newark Airport. The church, under construction from 1889 until 1901 is constructed of gray granite with white dressed granite trimmings. Its estimated cost was $400,000. It seats 1,600. The pastor who oversaw the construction was Rev. Martin Gessner. According to parish history, Father Gessner and parishioners carried stones to the site and assisted in the construction to reduce costs. The builder was Frank Mulligan. Interior carpentry work was done by James Cantwell, and the finishing by P. J. Kiely, both of Elizabeth. The interior marble statues by Joseph Sibbel are of Italian marble.<\/p>\n
“St. Patrick\u2019s Church, Elizabethport, New Jersey, which was recently dedicated, is a remarkable edifice.\u00a0 Having been in course of construction since 1889 under the personal supervision of its rector, Rev. Martin Gessner. No debt has existed at any time, from the inception to the completion of the edifice.\u00a0 Father Gessner raised the money among his own parishioners.\u00a0 He refused to borrow on bond or mortgage.\u00a0 When money was not in hand he stopped work until money accumulated to keep up the \u2018pay as you go\u2019 principle which he maintained from beginning to end of building operations.\u00a0 The structure is in the medieval Gothic school of architecture. The material is gray granite from Maine, with white dressed granite trimmings and granite columns and capitals in the interior.\u00a0 The towers are 212 feet tall.<\/p>\n
All the marble statuary in the interior is by Mr. Joseph Sibbel, sculptor, who journeyed to Italy for the express purpose of selecting it in the quarries, made famous by Michael Angelo.”<\/p>\n
New Zealand Tablet<\/strong>, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, January 18, 1900, page 27.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Although its light gray granite has been obscured by decades of grime, the pure Gothic details of its magnificent facade and towers are clear.<\/p>\n