History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 193

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 193
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 193

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the records of the Lutheran Church near Sauger- ties, N. Y., we find that Daniel Falckner, a Lutheran minister who itinerated considerably among the Ger- man settlements, signed himself, in 1724, “ Pastor at Millstone and in the mountains near the River Raritan." There may have been a few Germans in the township to whom he ministcred; those on the Raritan were probably in Hunterdon County.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.

Millstone .- Oct. 30, 1759, the Presbytery of New Brunswick, assembled at Basking Ridge, received a

petition from the people of Millstone asking permis- sion to enjoy one-fourth of the services of Rev. Israel Reed, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook, which request was grauted. He continued to preach in Millstone about ten years. The Presby- terians and the Dutch united and built a church on land given by a Mr. Ten Eyck, opposite the present residence of Frederick V. L. Disborough. It is known that some of the Smiths from about Weston and Mr. Thompson, who owned land along the Amwell road, were active in this church. The Dutch also used the same building, and had supplies about once a month, until the Dutch Church was organized, in 1766. After the arrangement with Mr. Reed was ended, the Pres- byterians are known to have had the following sup- plies : Oct. 9, 1770, a licentiate, William Schenck ;* April 10, 1771, Rev. Samuel Kennedy, of Basking Ridge; second Sabbath of May, 1772, a Mr. Van Arsdale; second Sabbath in November, 1772, Rev. Thomas Smith, of Cranberry. Mr. Van Arsdale again supplied once or oftener in 1773. In 1775 this church united with the Presbyterian Church of Kingston in calling a pastor, but without success. April 23, 1776, they petitioned the Presbytery for a minister to assist Mr. Elmer to administer the Lord's Supper and to ordain elders, and Rev. Mr. Kennedy, of Basking Ridge, was appointed. This Mr. Elmer is the Rev. Jonathan Elmer, who was the first of this family in New Jersey. From 1757 to 1793 he was a supply at New Providence, officiating occasionally in this church, and died in 1807.

During the Revolution the building was maltreated by the British. The following extract from the vol- ume (No. 172) at Trenton containing the affidavits of parties who suffered from the depredations of the enemy will be interesting :

" Inventory of the damage to the Presbyterian English meeting-house by the British army and their adherente in December, 1776, and June, 1777, delivered by Jonathan Smith, one of the elders, at Millstone, in Hillsborough.

"The damage done to said meeting-house is valued at £80.

" The said Jonathan Smith, being eworn according to law, deposeth and saith that the said meeting-honse was in good repair, as it usually was, when the British army came first to Millstone; and after the British left Millstone, in June, 1777, the said meeting-house was much destroyed ; and he found some of the doors, and some part of the windows, ehuttere, and part of the breast-work of the gallery ia the British oncampment; and that he never received any pay or satisfaction for the same.

"Sworn before NATHA'L AYRES.

"Oct. 22, 1782."

There was some correspondence between the Classis of New Brunswick and the Presbytery of New Bruns- wick concerning their respective rights to this terri- tory. The growth of the Dutch Church, the popula- tion of that nationality being vastly in the majority, caused the Presbyterian Church to dwindle, and prob- ably with the conclusion of Mr. Elmer's ministry its doors were closed. The building, becoming unsafe, was taken down about 1809. The land was sold and the proceeds distributed among the heirs of the orig-

* Sce " Mannal Reformed Church," p. 663.

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HILLSBOROUGHI.

inal donor. A small graveyard around the building has long since disappeared.

Clover Hill .- The Reformed Dutch Church of this place resolved itself into a Presbyterian Church in 1840. It was served by the same ministers who offici- ated at Reaville, Hunterdon Co., as follows: Rev. David Ilull, 1840 to April 16, 1844; Rev. Benjamin Carroll, Nov. 26, 1844, to April 11, 1859; Rev. George P. Van Wyck, Jan. 31, 1860, to Oct. 22, 1862. In 1862 it returned to its former relation with the Classis of Philadelphia (Reformed Dutch), and its history may be found on subsequent pages of this work.

REFORMED (DUTCHI) CHURCHES.

Neshanic .- This church was formed Aug. 25, 1752, by Bernardus Verbryck and wife, Abraham Dubois, Sr., Abraham Dubois, Jr., Albert Low and wife, Wil- liam Low, John Dumont and wife, and John Mont- fort and wife, eleven persons dismissed by the North Branch Church for the purpose of forming a new con- gregation. Bernardus Verbryck and Abraham Du- bois were chosen elders, and Johannes De Mott and William Low deacons. The record which gives us the date of the organization of the Neshanic Church and the members of the first Consistory is in the handwriting of Dominie Johannes Frelinghuysen.

On the 11th of October succeeding it is recorded that the site for the church was determined to he on the Amwell road, between the residences of Lawrence and John De Mott, on the knoll on the north side of said road. The next record is dated May 21, 1757, and refers to the election of a Consistory under the direction of Rev. John Leydt, of New Brunswick, at the house of Andreas Ten Eyck. John De Mott was chosen elder, and John Montfort deacon ; and then it recites that they were ordained on the 13th January succeeding, in the church at North Branch, by Dom- inie Romeyn.

The register of baptisms commences May 23, 1760, with the names of Jan and Sarah Wyeoff presenting a daughter, Neeltjie, and Jacobus and Elizabeth Hegeman, a son, Pieter, and Daniel and Catlyntie Hunt, a daughter, Catlyntie,-all on the same day. This register is complete, and has been continued until the present time. We gather from its carlier years some names which it may be of interest to pre- serve as belonging to the congregation in its begin- nings : John Huff, George Bergen, More Beyaert, John Cox, Bernardus Van Zant, Thomas Hall, Peter Petersen, Hendrick Dilts, Dominicus Stryker, John Van Nest, Abraham Voorhees, Teunis Cornell, Hen- drick Jansen, Heugh Higse, Dominicus Van Dyke, Joris Brocaw, and Hendrick Pippenger.

Aug. 28, 1758, Rem Vanderbeek was appointed elder, and Lawrence De Mott deacon, and July 29, 1759, Bernardus Verbryck was ordained as eller in the room of Johannes De Mott, whose term of ser- vice had expired. Neshanic united with the other congregations in Somerset County in calling the Rev.

Jacob Rutsen Hardenburgh as their pastor. They had all been vacant since John Frelinghuysen's death, in 1754.

In 1762, Neshanic withdrew from its connection with the other four churches and formed a union with Harlingen, or Sourland, as then called, to obtain the services of Rev. Johannes Martinus Van Harlingen. This proved to be a lasting connection, and continued until it was dissolved, in 1795, by Mr. Van Harlin- gen's death. In 1780, in order to obtain more preach- ing, however, Neshanic united with Millstone in ob- taining a part of the services of Solomon Froeligh, and this connection continued until 1786. Then, feeling the necessity of having preaching in the Eng- lish language for the benefit of the junior members of the congregation, they called, in conjunction with Har- lingen, the Rev. William R. Smith. He was to preach two Sabbaths at Neshanic, and one at Harlingen. Hle was thus more entirely identified with the people of Neshanie than with those of Harlingen. He also made his residence in the bounds of the congregation, living on a parsonage farm, less than two miles east of the church. His long ministry ended only with his death, in 1820.

Rev. Henry Polhemus was called as a colleague of Mr. Smith in 1798. He continued until 1809, when Kev. Peter Labagh was called to Harlingen, and be- came also colleague of Mr. Smith. He continued to serve Neshanie until 1821, when he took charge of Harlingen alone. Neshanic had been united with other churches in the support of a minister for sixty- eight years, when a call was given to the candidate Gabriel Ludlow, which was accepted. He was or- dained and installed by the Classis of Philadelphia, Sept. 5, 1821, and continued pastor for the remarka- bly long period of fifty-seven years. He died in 1878. During his active ministry 400 made a profession of faith. Ile solemnized 500 marriages in the same period, and baptized 910 infants.

Rev. John Hart was called as a colleague of Dr. Ludlow in 1875. He continues the faithful and en- ergetic pastor of this church, which now numbers 170 families and nearly 300 members. It has four Sab- bath-schools, with 235 children in them.

Hillsborough .- When the Dutch and English peo- ple united in building the small Presbyterian church in Millstone, the pastors of the neighboring Dutch churches supplied them about once a month. These were Rev. John Leydt, who lived at Three-Mile Run, Rev. Jacob R. Hardenburgh, at Somerville, and Rev. John M. Van Harlingen, pastor at Neshanic and Harlingen. This arrangement of supplies continued from 1760 to 1774. In the mean time, owing, proba- bly, to some difficulties about the use of the Presby- terian building, the Dutch being also vastly in the majority, they organized a church and erected a building for themselves.

July 26, 1766, seventy heads of families, being members of the congregations of the Raritan, New

790

SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Brunswick, Six-Mile Run, and Over-the-Millstone (now Harlingen) Churches, addressed a petition to the ministers and elders of the same, expressing their desire to be established as a new congregation. Aug. 11, 1766, the church was organized at the house of Peter Schenck (at what is now called Blackwell's Mills), under the name of "New Millstone." They elected Joseph Cornell and Peter Schenck elders, and Johannes Hoagland and Abram Van Buren, M.D., deacons. Thus the church of Millstone was the first regularly-constituted organization in the county.

The three neighboring ministers, by an arrange- ment entered into with their congregations, each preached at New Millstone four times a year, giving them conjointly a service once a month. Thus mat- ters stood for eight years. A subscription was begun in December, 1766, which received seventy-eight names, and an aggregate amount of £446. Subscriptions were also solicited for help in New York and on Long Island, and £104 10s. 11d. were thus received for the original building of the church.

Jolın Van Doren gave land to the church imme- diately north of the present parsonage lot, on what is now the garden of Dr. Fred. Blackwell. But John Smock, who owned the plot where the church now stands, being willing to exchange with the Consistory, they gladly accepted of the proposal on account of the superiority of the site, and hence the deed for the ground stands in the name of John Smock, dated Jan. 7, 1767, to certain trustees in behalf of the con- gregation. The land, less than an acre, was valued at £10. This plot was subsequently increased by three different purchases, which together constitute the present churchyard.

This first house of worship was probably completed within a year and a quarter from the organization of the church. Its breadth, like that of many of the old churches, was greater than its depth. It contained in all sixty-six pews, two being reserved by the pulpit for the Consistory, one by the west wall (the wall pews faced the congregation) for the justice, and two tiers or eight pews in the back of the church were free. A stairway ran up in the southwest corner to the belfry. The church contained three aisles, and two large pillars arose in the midst of either block of pews to support the roof. This building, though con- siderably damaged by fire in the Revolution, and having undergone a couple of thorough repairings, stood for sixty years.

The baptismal register of the church begins April 3, 1767, when Eva, daughter of Dr. Van Buren, one of the deacons, was baptized, and baptisms occurred afterwards every few months, showing regular ser- vices. But only fifteen formed the original member- ship of the church, including officers, and ten were added by profession and two by certificate during the period that they remained without a pastor.

In the summer of 1774 they bought a parsonage farm, containing about 53 acres, for £348. Four and

a half acres additional were added the next spring. It is the place now occupied by Joseph V. S. Van Doren. The house was at once repaired, Henry Wil- son, Peter Stryker, Sr., John Stryker, Henry Pro- basco, and Lawrence Van Cleef being the building committee, and when ready for use the Consistory found themselves indebted £393.

In the fall of 1774 the Consistory renewed their invitation to Mr. Foering, and he accepted in the early part of October, 1774, and moved the following month. He states in a letter that the Low Dutch language was rapidly passing away in Millstone, and that he was called to preach altogether in English. During the first eighteen montlis of his ministry, which brings us down to the Declaration of Independence, eighteen persons united with the church on pro- fession of their faith; during the next three years, down to his death, not a single one. The excite- ment, the party strife, and the frequent proximity of the armies seriously interfered with even the religious services.

On April 5, 1775, the church was incorporated by a royal charter. The title was changed from "New Mill- stone" to " Hillsborough," the name of the township. This was done to distinguish it from the present church at Harlingen, which had generally been called Mill- stone previously. Trustees had held the property for the church, but with the charter all the deeds were rewritten in the name of the Consistory. This was the last charter granted to a Dutch Church by the English government, and about the last that George III. granted to any American institution. It was in the "fifteenth year" of his reign,-1775 .*

During the Revolution the church and parsonage were very much injured,t the damage being invoiced at £250 16s. 6d.

In the fall of 1778, after the battle of Freehold, Washington took up his winter quarters again at Mid- dlebrook. About this time Mr. Foering preached a very patriotic sermon, which led to the formation of a company from his congregation. The British sent out a party to capture him, so as to prevent his efforts among his people. But, although sick in bed at the time, by his wife's help he started for a place of safety, probably to Washington's camp, and his wife returned into the house to her three children, the oldest but eight years of age. "In a very short time the enemy came up, and in their angry search for one whom with oaths they stigmatized as 'that rebel Foering' thrust their swords through every bed in the house." Mr. Foering, leaving home sick and subjected to exposure in his flight, took a heavy cold,

* Recorded in Liber AB., of commissions nnd charters, pp. 182-85, in secretary's office, Perth Amboy.

f Sce narrative of Sergt. Grant, of the British army, quoted in "Col. llist. of N. Y.," viii. pp. 728-30, und also the " Inventory of Damages done to the Dutch Presbyterian Church and Parsonage, Millstone, by tho Brit- ish Army, in December, 1776, and June, 1777, Delivered by Hendrick Probasco and Peter Ditmarse, n Committee appointed by said Congrega- tion," recorded in vol. clxxii., State-Ilouse, Trenton.

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HILLSBOROUGHI.

from which consumption resulted, and March 29, 1779, the first pastor of this church breathed his last. Ilis body was deposited under the church, in front of the sacred desk whence had issued the kindred lessons of religion and liberty, and his dust yet reposes be- neath the second edifice.

The congregation knew not where to look for an- other minister in those tronblous times, and were re- duced to their former dependence upon the neighbor- ing churches, when unexpectedly a refugee preacher, Solomon Froeligh, arrived in their midst. He appeared in Millstone in the spring of 1780, one year after Mr. Foering's death, and the Consistory at onee secured his services. They offered to give him as salary 268 bushels of wheat a year, each bushel to weigh 60 pounds.

The Neshanie Church desiring to secure a part of Mr. Froeligh's services, articles of agreement were entered into, and Mr. Froeligh's call, as finally ap- proved, stands in the name of the two churches, and is dated Sept. 4, 1780. He was to preach two Sun- days out of three at Millstone and one at Neshanic, and was to alternate between the Dutch and English. In 1784, by mutual consent, his salary was changed to .£120 proclamation money, of which Neshanie paid .£.10 and Millstone £80 a year.

The war now being over, and no further dangers being apprehended, the Consistory felt the necessity of effectually repairing the church, but had suffered so much from the raids and depredations of the enemy that they were really unable to go to the necessary expense. They therefore appointed a com- mittee, consisting of Mr. Froeligh, Capt. Cornelius Lott, and Peter Ditmarse, to visit Long Island and solicit help, as the congregations there had suffered very little, they having been in the British lines throughout the war. They secured thus, on Long Island, the sum of £85, and the church was repaired and rendered again comfortable.

In 1786, Dominie Froeligh left this church, and with his departure the union between Neshanic and Millstone ended. The Six-Mile Run and Millstone Churches then entered into an agreement to call a min- ister together, and invited John M. Van Harlingen, the son of Ernestus Van Harlingen, and nephew of the old pastor of the same name at Sourland. He was ordained during the summer. His own father was one of his elders. Ile labored in these churches about eight years. It was during his ministry that the title and incorporation of the church were finally fixed. In 1784 they took measures to have their old English charter confirmed by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey and all their former legal aets ratified, and in 1790 repudiated their old charter, that they might incorporate according to the new law of 1789. In 1790, therefore, the Consistory became in- corporated under the Inws of the United States and the State of New Jersey, by the name of the new corporation of "The Minister, Elders, and Deacons

of the Congregation of Hillsborough." Each of the churches had a parsonage, and in reference to this they agreed that Mr. Van Harlingen should live in the parsonage at Millstone, on the hill, that Six-Mile Run should sell theirs, and that half the money they received should be paid to Millstone, which was accordingly done.

Mr. Van Harlingen, for reasons not stated, resigned in the summer of 1795, bnt continued to live in this village. He died June 16, 1813, in the fifty-second year of his age. His remains lie in the adjacent churchyard.

The next pastor was James Spencer Cannon. Six- Mile Run again nnited with Millstone in the call; he was ordained and installed at Millstone, May 1, 1797, bnt resided at Six-Mile Run. The old church in this year again received a thorough repairing, and the seats were taxed to defray the expenses. Four years later the music of a church-bell first resounded over these fields. Mr. Cannon, early in 1807, after ten years of labor, resigned his call to Millstone, and the ecclesiastical relation with Six-Mile Run was at the same time dissolved, the latter church calling Mr. Cannon alone. Ile has left a list of the actual num- ber of communicants for the year 1801, whence it ap- pears that this church then had seventy members. But another list in his own hand in 1806 reports only fifty-five.

Rev. John Schureman became the fifth pastor. He was called on April 20, 1807, from the church of Bed- minster, and began his duties here soon after. The Consistory having no parsonage, having sold out their interest in their last property to Six-Mile Run Church, Mr. Sehureman lived on the place now occupied by Mr. Jacob Van Cleve, near Blackwell's Mills. In the fall of 1809 (November 17th) the Consistory agreed to his request to dissolve their relations, he having accepted a call to the Collegiate Chnreh, in New York.

The Rev. John L. Zabriskie preached at Millstone for the first time in February, 1810, and took charge of the church, moving his family into the village in May, 1811. He was installed by Dr. Cannon, and re- mained with the church as one of her most faithful pastors until he died, Aug. 15, 1850,-thirty-nine years and three months.

Shortly after Mr. Zabriskie's settlement here, early in 1812, the Consistory again provided a parsonage property for themselves, on the plot now occupied by Dr. Fred. Blackwell, bought from Dan. Disborough, at a cost of $2232. But this place was occupied only three or four years, when Mr. Zabriskie purchased a property of his own on the hill, where he resided till his death. The Consistory sold their parsonage to Dr. Wm. MeKissack.

During the first eighteen years of Mr. Zabriskie's ministry here he preached in the old church, but it had long been felt that the building was too small for the growing congregation, and repeated efforts had been

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SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

made to remedy the evil. Therefore, in 1827, a new church edifice was erected, in size 70 by 55 feet. The building committee was Stephen Garretson, Dan. H. Dishorough, and Ab. Beekman. They contracted with Joachim G. Quick for $5000, including the old church material. Extra expenses accrued, amount- ing to $317. The corner-stone was laid June 8, 1828; the church was dedicated on Christmas Sabbath, 1828. The following Thursday the pews were sold, and $7689 were realized, leaving a considerable surplus in the hands of Consistory. The church was at this time partly surrounded by a grove of towering Lom- hardy poplars.

Mr. Zabriskie's ministry was very successful. There was one remarkable revival, at which he received 108 on profession at a single communion. He received nearly 500 on profession and 162 by certificate during his ministry. His last report to Classis, in the spring of 1850, makes the church-membership to be then 291, and 176 families. The congregation was indeed built up to great strength in numbers during his long pastorate here. The membership had nearly trebled.

Father Zabriskie died Aug. 15, 1850, at the age of seventy-one. His dust lies in the adjoining church- yard, where his memorial monument reminds the passer-by of the venerable "Minister of God" of more than half a century's service. Dr. Messler says of him,-

"He was one of the most laborious and successful pastors in Somerset County. He preached and lectured more, visited more families, and attended more carefully to all bis public duties than almost any other minister of his time. He was considered by all an example not only, but a monitor in his official life."

In the spring of 1850, Rev. John De Witt was called, and installed August 20th.

The following year the Consistory provided the present parsonage property, consisting of a little more than three acres of land, which they bought of John Van Doren for $755. They immediately built the pleasant and substantial house which now adorns the plot, using for this purpose certain legacies which had been left by members for the support of the gospel at Millstone.

During Dr. De Witt's ministry here the church building, having reached more than a quarter of a century of age, was thoroughly repaired, the pews and pulpit modified to their present neat and beauti- ful appearance, and the walls frescoed. He received during his ministry here 201 on profession of faith, and 79 by certificate. Dr. De Witt's last report made the church to contain 299 members in full commu- nion. His connection with this church ceased on Sept. 1, 1863.

But a short vacancy ensued. A call was then made on Rev. Edward T. Corwin, of Paramus, N. J. This was accepted, and he was installed Dec. 29, 1863, and is the present pastor .*

Aug. 11, 1866, this church celebrated its centennial

anniversary. A vast concourse of people assembled. The pastor delivered a historical discourse, which was shortly after published. In 1878, fifty years having passed since the erection of the present church edifice, the congregation celebrated the event as a jubilee.

In 1870 a revival added 50 to the church at a single communion. In 1876, 72 were added at one time on profession of their faith. In all, 410 have united with the church under the present pastor,-about one- third by certificate. More than 1500 members have been connected with this church since its organiza- tion. It now reports 150 families and 347 communi- cants. About 200 children are in the Sabbath-schools.

Clover Hill .- This church was organized on Sept. 4, 1834, on which occasion Rev. Samuel A. Bumstead, of Manayunk, Pa., preached and ordained a Consis- tory composed of Henry Van Derveer and Peter C. Schenck as elders, and John W. Bellis and Jacob Nevius as deacons. A church edifice had been al- ready built, and was dedicated a month later, Octo- ber 5th. Rev. Dr. Cannon, professor in the seminary, preached on that occasion.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 193

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170