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It all began in 1863 with the birth of James E. Churchman in Loudon County, Virginia. James, the son of Thomas and Isabella Churchman decided to move to New Jersey in the waning days of the 19th century to further his goals of establishing his own business and having a positive impact on the lives of men and women of color.

James was a businessman, minister, poet, author and social activist. In 1916 he authored the pamphlet "Welcome My Colored Brother," a work devoted to telling newly arrived immigrants for the South how to deport themselves in public in their new Northern home state.

Rev. Churchman’s social activism included an arrest for demonstration during he screening of Birth of a Nation which he deemed derogatory. He later went on to pastor St. Luke AME Church when it was located on Baldwin Street in Newark, and heated by a pot belly stove. However, Rev. Churchman’s greatest accomplishment and legacy, which has spanned 100 years, was the establishment of his funeral home in 1899 at 3 Baldwin Street Orange, NJ. A sign in the window proudly proclaimed, "James E. Churchman & Co., Undertakers," and Rev. Churchman became, as far as is know, the first of his race to actively practice funeral service in Essex County.

Indeed, Rev. Churchman was the first African American to own a hearse and coaches during the time of horse drawn livery. In 1917, Rev. Churchman died. Before his death, he had conducted business in Orange, Morristown, Newark, and Plainfield, New Jersey as well as Washington, DC. (Next)