Mount Olive Baptist Church Restoration Completed After 20-Year Preservation Effort

Supported by more than $1.1 million in Morris County preservation grants, the 1855 church now stands restored as a historic landmark reflecting Mount Olive's colonial-era roots.

MT. OLIVE TWP, NJ - Mount Olive Township and Morris County officials gathered on Saturday to commemorate the completion of a two-decade-long restoration of the Mount Olive Baptist Church, a historic structure dating back to 1855. The effort, supported by over $1.1 million from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund, culminated in a rededication ceremony that celebrated the site's architectural and cultural significance.

Commissioner John Krickus, alongside Mayor Joe Nicastro, Assemblyman Mike Inganamort, Councilman John Mania, the Rev. Neil Lines, and the Mount Olive Historical Society, formally unveiled a Morris County Historic Preservation plaque marking the church’s renewed standing. The event underscored the community's commitment to preserving its colonial and early American heritage.

The historic Mount Olive Baptist Church on Mt. Olive Road.

“I am honored to present this plaque on behalf of Morris County for a project more than 20 years in the making. The structure’s restoration reflects the value we place on heritage and community, and we’re proud to have supported every major phase of its renewal,” Commissioner Krickus stated during the ceremony.

Located in the Mount Olive Village Historic District—recognized by both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places—the church is the third house of worship to occupy the site since the congregation's founding in 1753. The site’s origins trace back to 1768, when James Heaton donated an acre of land for a meetinghouse, schoolhouse, and burial ground.

The current stone church was built in 1855 by the Baptist congregation, replacing an 1809 structure previously shared with Presbyterian worshippers. Significant renovations were carried out in the late 19th century, including a new roof, tin ceiling, and pulpit rebuild. The steeple, lost in a 1950 storm, was never replaced. Regular worship services ceased in the late 1960s, and the building later served local civic groups, such as Boy Scouts.

Although services moved to a newer building in the 1980s, the original church remained an important historical symbol. In 2003, Mount Olive Township acquired the church and its adjacent cemetery. In collaboration with the Mount Olive Historical Society, the township initiated a phased restoration supported by both public funding and private donations—including $25,000 from Rev. Lines, who has led the congregation since 1995.

Mount Olive Historian Thea Dunkle, Mount Olive Township Administrator Andrew Tatarenko, Mount Olive Councilman John Mania, Mount Olive Mayor Joe Nicastro, Asm. Mike Inganamort and Morris County Commissioner John Krickus.

The comprehensive restoration, totaling $1,102,176 in county grant funding, included structural and aesthetic repairs: roof and window restorations, stucco repair, front step reconstruction, mechanical system updates, and installation of an ADA-compliant restroom. Notably, a rare 1870s trompe l’oeil ceiling cloth—an uncommon decorative feature in New Jersey churches—was preserved as part of the project.

Mayor Nicastro, in his remarks, highlighted the church’s lasting impact: “The Mount Olive Baptist Church’s history is a testament to the resilience, faith and dedication of our community.”

The rededication also served to renew the site’s historic preservation plaque, originally issued by Morris County in 2013. Since the launch of the Historic Preservation Trust Fund that same year, the county has distributed more than $54 million in preservation grants, aiding 129 historic properties across the region.

The restored Mount Olive Baptist Church now stands as a tangible link to the township's early history, offering future generations a window into the religious and civic life of 18th- and 19th-century New Jersey.