Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff.

Use Restrictions
Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.

There are two boxes of data file materials for this collection. There is no patron access to these materials.

Newark’s Greeks formed a close knit community based around church and family life. They founded the first Greek Orthodox Church in New Jersey, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, also known as the “Mother Church of New Jersey,” incorporated in 1906 and located on High Street (now Martin Luther King Boulevard) since 1924. Led for thirty-six years by Rev. George Spiridakis, and later on by Rev. James A. Aloupis for forty-seven years, St. Nicholas served as a center for Greek-American religious life and culture. In 1928 a second Greek Orthodox Church was established in Newark, St. Demetrios Church, located in its later years on Clinton Avenue.

Family was central to the lives of Greek Newarkers and family picnics, celebrations and get- togethers were frequent occurrences. Weddings and baptisms were large scale gatherings that served to bring the community together. Community involvement was evidenced in the popularity of Greek American church based philanthropic, educational, and religious organizations such as Philoptochos, G.A.P.A. (Greek American Progressive Association), and G.O.Y.A. (Greek Orthodox Youth Association). These organizations also helped to encourage the continuance of Greek language, cultural traditions, and history. Traditional Greek costumes were worn on occasions such as Greek Independence Day, celebrated annually on March 25th. Religious holidays such as Pascha (Easter) were multi-day celebrations filled with church service attendance, family gatherings, and traditional Greek foods.

Greek-owned businesses thrived, with restaurants, bakeries, flower and candy shops, barbers, and hat shops located throughout the city. Many Greek Americans served in the U.S. military with pride during World War II and participated in many war relief efforts. Individual success stories such as those of theater owner Adam A. Adams, U.S. Army General Leonidas Gavalas, prominent local cardiologist Dr. Nicholas Antonius, and architect William Chirgotis were a testament to the Greeks’ successful assimilation into American society. Greek families encouraged the maintenance of traditional culture and family life while stressing the values of education and hard work. Many more second generation Greeks entered various professions such as law, education, engineering and the arts. The success of the community combined with the benefits of the GI Bill, afforded many the opportunity to move to homes in suburban areas. Gradually, the once concentrated community of Newark’s Greeks began to disperse.

As a result of this exodus, other Greek Orthodox churches were founded throughout the state. Newark’s changing social and economic landscape contributed to the diffusion of the community. In the later decades of the 20th century, church attendance at both churches began to decline. St. Demetrios Church relocated to Union, NJ in 1984. After years of declining church attendance, St. Nicholas Church decided to merge with the community of Sts. Constantine and Helen of Orange, NJ and will relocate to a new church facility in Roseland, NJ. The last church service was held at St. Nicholas in Newark on December 30, 2007, signifying the end of an era for Newark’s Greeks.

There are also original documents including passports, birth and marriage certificates, immigration and naturalization documents, restaurant menus, certificates, membership cards and various types of ephemera. There are newspaper articles pertaining to the community’s most prominent citizens, such as theater owner Adam A. Adams, U.S. Army Brigadier General Leonidas G. Gavalas, and cardiologist Dr. Nicholas Antonius. There are postcards and images of Greece, Greek Orthodox religious brochures, and Greek language teaching materials.

The Newark Public Library mounted an exhibit in 2003 entitled: Remembering Newark’s Greeks: An American Odyssey, which has material in this collection, such as posters, publicity materials and photographs of the exhibition opening, and several non-paper based items, including a child’s Greek Evzone costume, war medals and baptismal pins.

Series I. Photographs in alphabetical order by last name, ca. 1910-2000.
Consists of photographs in alphabetical order by last name. Included in this series are photographs of many of Newark’s most prominent Greek families. There are also two folders of photographs of unidentified people.

Series II. Photographs in alphabetical order by subject, 1906-ca. 2000.
Photographs depict weddings, Greek ethnic costume, family events, church scenes, schools, military personnel, theaters, restaurants and other Greek-owned businesses. There is also a box of oversized photographs in this series.

Series III. Documents/publications pertaining to Greek Americans and Greece, ca. 1920-2005.
In this series are original documents such as certificates, menus, correspondence, receipts, invitations, immigration and naturalization documents, postcards from Greece, publicity pertaining to Greek Americans such as newspaper articles, and Greek language and Greek Orthodox religious learning materials.

Series IV. Exhibit and book related documents, 2000-2007.
Consists of clippings, advertisements, photographs, posters, exhibit captions. There is also a box of oversized items such as posters in this series.

Series V. Greek-American artifacts (non-paper based items), ca. 1918-2002.
Includes child’s Greek Evzone costume, baptismal pins, Greek flag, and war medals, housed in two oversized boxes.

Subject Names:
Adams, Adam A.
Aloupis, James A.
Antonius, Nicholas.
Chirgotis, William G.
Gavalas, Leonidas G.
Lampros, Angelique.
Lampros, Demetra.
Lampros, George N.
Markos, Peter.
Spiridakis, George.
Zois, Asimina.

Subject Organizations:
AHEPA (Organization).
G.A.P.A.
GOYA (Organization).
Maids of Athena.
Newark Public Library.
Sons of Pericles.
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (Newark, NJ).
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (Newark, NJ).

Subject Topics:
Baptism (Liturgy).
Clergy--New Jersey--Newark.
Church buildings--New Jersey--Newark.
Civic leaders--New Jersey--Newark.
Costume--Greece.
Dinners and dining--New Jersey--Newark.
Ethnic groups-- New Jersey--Newark.
Greek American restaurateurs--New Jersey--Newark.
Greek Americans--Associations, institutions, etc.
Greek Americans--New Jersey--Newark--History.
Greek language materials.
Immigrants--New Jersey--Newark.
Library exhibits--New Jersey--Newark.
Orthodox Eastern Church.
Restaurants--New Jersey--Newark.
Schools--New Jersey--Newark.
Soldiers.
Theaters--New Jersey--Newark.
War relief--New Jersey--Newark.
Weddings--New Jersey--Newark.
World War, 1914-1918.
World War, 1939-1945.

Subject Places:
Greece.
Newark (N.J.).

Document Types:
Birth certificates.
Brochures.
Clippings.
Correspondence.
Immigration records.
Invitations.
Marriage Certificates.
Membership cards.
Menus.
Passports.
Photographs.
Postcards.
Posters.

Diamant, Jeff. "The End of a Spiritual Epoch: Greek Orthodox Church to Leave Newark." The Star-Ledger. 20 October 2006.

Lampros, Angelique. Remembering Newark’s Greeks: An American Odyssey. Virginia Beach, Va.: Donning Co. Publishers, c2006.

Vasilopoulos, Vicki. "A Lost World Lives on at the Newark Library." The New York Times. 15 December 2002.

Kallas, Dr. John L. Growing Up as a Greek-American. Unionville, NY: KAV Books, Inc., 1992.

Kouveliotes, Stavros. To Triton Mesouranema. Second Revised Edition. San Francisco, CA: Mercury Press, 1942.

Salutos, Theodore. The Greeks in the United States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1964.

Series II. Photographs in alphabetical order by subject, 1906-ca. 2000.

Series III. Documents/publications pertaining to Greek Americans and Greece, ca. 1920-2005.

Series IV. Exhibit and book related items, 2000-2007.

Series V. Greek-American artifacts (non-paper based items), ca. 1918-2002.