BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
ALPINE, N.J.—A piece of Alpine history used as a backdrop for Christmas cards by a world-famous illustrator was put on the market recently for $3.45 million.
The Alpine Community Church, also known to many once as “the Christmas Church” due to illustrator Thomas Nast’s use of the church in drawings, newspaper cartoons, magazine illustrations and Christmas cards, recently went on the market, according to Zillow, an online real estate website.
Nast also drew the first depictions of Santa Claus—as a jolly, rotund, white-bearded fellow—in the 1860s.
The original church was founded in 1841, and the existing church, built there in 1871, was constructed using igneous trap rock from the nearby Palisades, according to “Crossroads of History: The Story of Alpine, N.J.” by Stanley W. Bradley, the borough’s historian, published in 1976.
Nast, a world-famous illustrator at the time, visited the area in the late 19th century while a guest at one of the clifftop mansions in Alpine. The little stone church made an impression on the artist—so much so, that he began using it as a background in his newspaper cartoons as well as the Christmas cards he designed.
At that time, an annual tradition of sending Christmas card greetings was just beginning to become popular in America.
“Eventually millions of cards found their way to various parts of the world and it was thus that our little church became known as the Christmas Church. This is indeed a great distinction for such a small village,” wrote Bradley in his history of Alpine.
On the market since early December, the church was designed by J. Cleaveland Cady, who designed the Metropolitan Opera House.
The two lots for sale, which comprise the church and a home at Closter Dock and Old Dock roads, total 3.19 acres including the 20,000-square-foot church and a two-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot home.
Alpine Mayor Paul Tomasko hopes that the church remains a religious structure and is acutely aware of its importance to Alpine.
“The owner obviously has the right to list the church property for sale, but our hope is that the church structure itself will not be altered and that it will continue to be used as a House of Worship, its highest and best use. The church is our town’s only religious edifice and most historic structure. We encourage congregations looking for a beautiful home to consider using it,” Tomasko said.
In 2015, about 20 members of Alpine Community Church lost a legal battle for ownership and “self-governance” of the land and property with United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey.
According to a statement issued in June 2015, United Methodist Church officials met with Alpine Community Church members to “explore ways that the church can move forward in the wake of a court ruling about property rights.”
Those were not successful, said a United Methodist Church spokeswoman, Carolyn Conover.
“Regretfully, some of the 20 members of the Alpine Community United Methodist Church sought to take the church property as they broke away from the denomination. A legal case ensued and eventually the [state] Supreme Court ruled that the Alpine Community United Methodist Church is a member of and subjected to the governance of The Greater New Jersey Annual Conference and The United Methodist Book of Discipline. A congregation’s real and personal property is held in trust for the benefit of United Methodists in Greater New Jersey and therefore by order of the court the property was turned over to The United Methodist Church,” emailed Conover.
Conover said the church is currently being used for services by Lord’s Grace United Methodist Church, a congregation based in Ridgefield, while their church is being renovated, which should be finished in January 2019.
“Over time, congregations change. As some congregations grow and launch new worship services, others cease their ministry or merge with neighboring congregations. We never want to see a church close; however, when it does, it is our responsibility to steward the resources entrusted to The United Methodist Church to support mission and ministry in the region and around the world,” emailed Conover.
United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey is comprised of 560 churches statewide.
