Gospel Songs and Spiritual Poetic Poem Book
Item
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Title
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Gospel Songs and Spiritual Poetic Poem Book
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Description
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The book “Gospel Songs and Spiritual Poetic Poem Book” by Rev. J. F. Hamlette has four parts and is 56 pages. It has handwritten inscriptions of Ada and George Hightower's names on cover and inside, who were members of the First Colored Church in Hopewell, NJ and were among the first African Americans to live on Columbia Avenue in Hopewell.
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The First Colored Calvary Church was constructed in 1897, with a small frame structure, 12 known gravesites, and 10-12 unknown and unmarked gravesites (Hopewell Valley History Project 2021). There was a new church constructed in 1959, located at the eastern end of Columbia Avenue which historically served as the “anchor” for the area’s African American residents (Hopewell Valley History Project 2021).
George H. Hightower (1894-December 8, 1964) and Ada (née Waldron) Hightower (1897-1974) first lived in Banister, Pittsylvania County, VA as sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South (Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum 2017). They later permanently relocated to Hopewell, NJ during the Great Migration (Porter 2023; Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum 2017). They lived on Hopewell’s eastern block of Columbia Avenue, as did Ada’s one brother and two sisters, wherein “fifteen houses [were] built, owned, and occupied by Black families” (Porter 2023). This series of homes were built between 1895 to around 1947 (Porter 2023).
George was living at 76 ½ Columbia Avenue at the time of his death (Find a Grave 2023). For a time, he worked at one of the pottery factories in Trenton, NJ (Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum 2017). He is buried at the church burial ground along with Ada’s parents named Abram Waldron and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (née Womock) Waldron (Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum 2017).
Ada was living at 88 Columbia Avenue with her daughter and son-in-law at the time of her death (Find a Grave 2009a; Porter 2023). She was very involved in her community and at her church; being a member of the Pastor’s Aid Society, the Missionary Circle, the Women’s Club ad the Prayer Band (Find a Grave 2009a). Ada is buried at the Stoutsburg Cemetery (Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum 2017). She was survived by a large family, including 19 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren (Find a Grave 2009a).
In addition to the handwritten inscriptions by the Hightower’s, there is a stamp on page 3 that indicates the book’s later owner: J. R. Coleman along with his address. This man was married to their daughter Hester (March 12, 1912-January 29, 1986) (Ancestry.com, n.d.). She is one of George and Ada’s twelve children (Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum 2017).
John Robert Coleman (April 1, 1919-December 20, 1991) and his wife “Queen” Hester (née Hightower) Coleman (formerly known as Hester Hunt) resided at 88 Columbia Avenue (Porter 2023). This home was built in 1903, and inhabited by the Coleman’s from 1950-1989 (Porter 2023). Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are buried together in the Stoutsburg Cemetery (Find a Grave 2009b).
The book is split into four parts: (I) Pieces Composted and Sung by Rev. Hamlette, pp. 2-21; (II) Poems pp. 22-31; (III) Selected Songs, pp. 32-43; (IV) Selected Songs, pp. 44-47. Pages 48-49 offer an index of all the pieces within the book. Rev. J. F. Hamlette, at that time of 1911 Rosewood Avenue Richmond, VA.
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Oral History by Elaine Buck about Ada Hightower, her great-grandmother
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Discover more about the homes and families of eastern Columbia Avenue, Hopewell, NJ
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Discover more about the First Colored Church, now the Second Calvary Baptist Church
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Contributor
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Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
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Date Created
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(c. 1900-1920)
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Creator
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Buck, Elaine, great-granddaughter of George and Ada Hightower.
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Rights
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This work is not in copyright, but commercial uses of this digital representation are limited. For more information, contact info@ssaamuseum.org and see http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-NC/1.0/
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Identifier
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2024.2.2.4
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Language
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eng
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Format
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Text
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Extent
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56 pages
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Spatial Coverage
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Hopewell, NJ
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Publisher
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SSAAM
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Is Part Of
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2024.2.2.4
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Subject
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Gospel music
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Sourland Mountain (N.J.)
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Mercer County (N.J.)--History, Local
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African American cemeteries
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African American farmers.
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Baptist Church
