History

Late in the nineteenth century, a group of families from New York City who had summer homes in what was then known as Rumson Hills, decided to form a local parish of their own. After meeting for a year in what had been a schoolhouse, the parish of St. George's -on-the-Hill was formally organized on July 7, 1874. A small stone church in the Gothic style, seating about one hundred, was erected amidst the large estates of these early parishioners. From the onset, the new parish struggled to survive. Rumson’s population center was too far to walk to church and a majority of the congregation returned to New York in the fall. For several years, St. George’s remained a summer parish, year–round residents attending services at other churches during the winter.
Upon the death of one of the founding members, his widow offered to build a new church in his memory, insisting that it be erected in an area in a more populated part of town, near the Shrewsbury River and the Sea Bright Bridge. St. George’s-by-the-River was consecrated in June 1908. Parts of the old building were brought to the new: the cornerstone, Celtic cross, lectern, and a memorial window. A parish hall and rectory were added in 1911 and 1912.

At the end of World War II, the transformation of Rumson and the surrounding towns into year- round communities is what finally brought the growth and vitality to St. George's that sustains us today. Many of the large estates were broken up into smaller building lots and our local population, and that of our parish, began to grow rapidly. Additions were made to the buildings in 1946, 1950, and 1955 to meet the parish’s growing needs, and programs and activities were added to enrich and enliven the ministry of our people.