History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 136

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 136

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It has been a question how, through the fluctuations and poverty of a new country, the wreck of all financial interests in the Revolu- tion, Middletown, a small country church, could command for its pulpit and retain in long pastorates the best gifts of the denomination. The gift of church properties and parsonage, and the use of the legacy of Jonathan Holmes, Jr., solve the problem. It was loaned to Abel Morgan, and he enabled to live in his own house. Repaid in the settlement of his estate, Samuel Morgan bad the use of it. Returned when he resigned. It was husbanded and used to insure the labors of Mr. Bennet for twenty- three years. In 1818 it was diverted from the support of the pastor, and part of it appro- priated to complete the parsonage at The " Upper Meeting-House." The balance was probably invested in the houses of worship now in use in Holmdel and in the village of Middletown.

At a church-meeting, September 18, 1794, Mr. Bennet, pastor, "A subscription was ordered for a new meeting-house on Bray's lot." No further mention is made of how much, or by whom, or by what means the funds were so- cured for this object. Fifteen years elapsed,- years of trial and of constancy,-when, October 29, 1809, having worshiped in the old house more than a century, the minutes read : "The first Communion Season was held in the new meeting-house on Bray's lot." This was also a dedicatory service. Beside the pastor, Mr. Bennet, Pastors Wilson, of Hightstown, and Boggs, of Hopewell, and Bishop, of Lower Freehold (Upper ?), were present. Mr. Wilson,

1 The great-grandson, a member of Holmdel Baptist Church, says that Johu Bray built both. This was cer- tainly the first Baptist parsonage in New Jersey, and doubtless the first meeting-house built by Baptists for their own use. Tradition says the first house at Middletown was built for town purposes, and the church used it. This was the ease at Piscataway.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

who, twenty-four years before, had preached in money, the pastor received the parsonage and the funeral sermon of Abel Morgan, and two " his fuel carted to his door." Up to the settle- ment, this has continued to be " the portion" of the Holmdel pastors. When " The Upper Con- gregation" was organized into " The Second Middletown Church," this property, really theirs by gift and purchase of themselves, and which, for so many generations, they had freely given for the use of the whole church, they bought for five hundred and fifty dollars. days after, the ordination sermon of Samuel Morgan, and who was also one of the two ministers at the ordination of Mr. Bennet, preached on Lord's Day morning, from Psalm exxxii. 15; Mr. Boggs, in the afternoon, from Exodus xx. 24. On Monday, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Boggs each preached again. The house was thirty-six feet by forty-five. It has since undergone enlargements and improve- ments. Many interesting associations belong to the old sanctuary. Here, July, 1792, the trustees were instructed to obtain an act of in- corporation, and, at the same meeting, Mr. Bennet was called to ordination, " as a transient minister," not pastor, as is graven upon his tombstone. Six months later he was invested with the pastor's office. Mr. Bennet never was a member of Middletown Church. A minute

" The Upper Congregation," thus providing the parsonage with a house of worship, wood- lot and incomes, which, for a hundred years, made it possible to obtain and support with ease an able ministry, none would suppose to be the same place and people which the sketch of First Middletown, in 1867, refers to, in the statement that a house built on Bray's lot, in 1808, was a " preaching-station." With more propriety was the village of Middletown "a preaching-sta- of July, 1816, reads: " Appointed John Beers tion," visited by the pastors for one hundred to superintend the building of a house on the years, on alternate Sabbaths. The church was meeting-house lot of the upper house, com- equally identified with both places in every par- monly called the Bray Meeting-house of the ticular of worship, ordinances and business

size twenty-five feet square, two stories high ; no ceiling overhead ; and the same John Beers to proceed in the business so far as the money, raised will go." The same house is still the parsonage of the Holmdel Church. Like the house of worship by which it stands, it has been improved and enlarged at various times ; but we know not at what expense or how pro- vided for, except that in 1819 the trustees ordered money at interest to he called in to pay the balance due on the building. A room was prepared in the house for the library of Ahel Morgan, to which, by vote of the church, in June, 1818, it was ordered to be removed.

Elliot, King, Roberts, Hires, Nice, Mulford and Wilson have successively occupied, as a study, this " prophet's room over against the wall." Prior to the separation of the church into two bands, in 1836, she owned no other parsonage. Mr. Bennet alone, of all the pastors since 1805, is known not to have lived in either the first or second parsonage. A wood-lot of twenty-two acres was bought by " The Upper Congregation," for the uses of the church, in 1825. Thenceforth, besides his salary

meetings. The Middletown Church was not that body which met in the village of Middle- town, but that which held its assemblies in the township from which it was named.

Of the pastors who have died within the bounds of the church, Abel Morgan and Thomas Roberts and D. B. Stout were buried at Middle- town, and Samuel Morgan and Benjamin Ben- net were buried at and near Holmdel. Samuel Morgan, after his resignation, lived and died (1794) about a mile from the Upper Meeting- house. Mr. Bennet died October 8, 1840.

So far as can be learned, the locality of those who were added to the church under Samuel Morgan's ministry, excepting the additions from Long Branch, a large proportion were in the vicinities of his residence. Of the nineteen received by Mr. Elliot, fifteen were baptized at " The Upper House." Thirty were added during Mr. King's oversight, of whom twenty- two were baptized at " the Upper House." The growth of the church within the limits of " The Upper Congregation" was very marked down to 1826, when Pastor Roberts removed to his own home, in " The Lower Congregation."

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HOLMDEL TOWNSHIP.

Before 1834, increase of' population and of the Eleanor Van Brackle, Stephen Van Brackle, Marcy Worrel, Rachel Andrews, Catharine Coo- vert, Jane Stillwagon, Martha Chacy, Mary Johnson, Achsa Ely, Margaret Sutton, Sarah Holmes, Elizabeth Cottrell, Mary Longstreet, Catharine Carhart, Rhoda Schanck, Eliza Cook, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund H. Tice, Jane Tice, congregations, and the demand for more min- isterial labor in the bounds of the church, had led to the enquiry, How to meet the increasing claims of the field ? A separation into two bands was an unwelcome subject. The break- I ing of ties that had been entwining for one hun- dred and fifty years was to some unendurable. Mary Tilton, Rebecca Worrel, Eleanor Holmes, The fearful saw ruin in separation. It was Catharine Stoughtenborough, Richard Carhart, doubtful to the pastor if the time had come Hannah Holmes, Dianah Longstreet, Altha when two churches could be sustained and oc- Tilton, Mary George, Elizabeth Beers, Aaron cupy the field as well as the undivided body. Conover, Jerusha Tice, Hagar Longstreet, Farnar Discussion ripened into action in the fall of Ely. Mr. Hires continued pastor ten years, 1834, when an invitation was sent to Rev. D. preaching at Keyport, Matawan and Marlho- rough, laying foundations for the churches since formed in these places, also occupying other points in the vicinity. He resigned in August, 1846. B. Stout, settled at Lambertville, to visit the church, with the view of becoming joint pastor with Mr. Roberts. He came. The way was not yet fully prepared, and he returned home,

In 1840 the house of worship was modern- Early in 1836 the church sent a request to / ized; the lofty pulpit and sounding-board and Rev. William D. Hires, residing at South Tren- : gallery, up under the eaves, came down. The

ton, to visit them, Having done so in due time, he accepted their call to a joint pastorate with Mr. Roberts.

square pews gave place to slips.

After the resignation of Mr. Hires the vener- able John Rogers supplied the church until June, 1847, at which time Rev. William J. Nice

After six months it was agreed to divide into two bands,-" The Lower Congregation " wor- | entered upon the pastorate. Mr. Nice resigned shiping in " The Lower House," in the vil- in April, 1851. During his pastorate the house

lage of Middletown, retaining the name and or- of worship was improved by the addition of a new front and of a steeple, and the steeple having been blown off, was replaced by another. Not less than two thousand dollars was expended for these improvements. ganization of the original body ; "The Upper Congregation," taking the title of "Second Middletown," was recognized as an independent church, September 1, 1836, by a council con- sisting of Pastors Roberts and Hires, of The name of the church was changed, in set off from Middletown. Middletown, C. J. Hopkins, of Freehold, and . 1849, to Holmdel,-that taken by the township J. M. Challis, of Upper Freehold.

Mr. Roberts remained with "The Lower Congregation," in the midst of which he lived. Mr. Hires retained the oversight of " The Upper," amid which he resided, receiving the same salary as had been paid by the whole body to Mr. Roberts.

The constitueney of the Second Middletown : E. Wilson became pastor, and filled the office was fifty-three, as follows: John G. Taylor, Lydia Taylor, Sarah Jane Armstrong, Elizabeth S. Taylor, Sophia Taylor, John Chacy, Hannah Smith, Henry Gifford, Susan Conover, Rhoda James C. Taylor and Henry D. Ely were called to the deaconship in 1860, and John II. Wykoff in 1868. Pierce, Eleanor Waters, William Sutton, Jane Van Brackle, Mary Jane Thompson, James Carhart, Susan Carhart, Mary Parsons, Mary Posten, William H. Johnson, Ann B. Taylor,

Clarence W. Mulford supplied the church for three months, finally yielding to her call to be pastor, in August, 1851. It was evident, ere long, that the hope of his restoration to health must be relinquished. His resignation was ar- cepted October, 1852. In October, 1853, C. sixteen years. One hundred and seventy-four were baptized by him. Several seasons of re- vival marked his ministry.

Deacon John G. Taylor died in 1864, and Deacon James C. Taylor in 1868.

820

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

The house of worship was enlarged and very materially improved in 1866, costing not less than three thousand dollars.

Mr. Wilson died at his post, November 13, 1869. The church expressed her appreciation of the man by substantial tokens to his bereaved family, and by the erection at his grave of a granite monument, costing four hundred dollars.

In April, 1870, the Rev. T. S. Griffiths be- rame pastor. The parsonage was enlarged, the grounds about the buildings improved, a bap- tistery put into the house of worship, and six thousand dollars paid in improvements and canceling the indebtedness of the church.

The Rev. T. S. Griffiths elosed his labors here on the 1st of Angust, 1881, having ac- cepted a call to Cherryville, Hunterdon County, N. J. The Rev. W. W. Case, of Hamilton Square, N. J., was called as pastor in October, 1881, and settled December 1, 1881. In 1882 the old parsonage, which had stood between sixty and seventy years, was torn down, and a new and commodious pasonage, costing between three and four thousand dollars, was erected in its place. Mr. Case is still pastor of the church. The present deacons are J. J. Taylor, J. HI. Wyckoff, Morford Taylor, T. C. Ely and W. W. Brown. The present trustees are J. J. Taylor, Morford Taylor, T. O. Ely, S. C. Bray, John W. Ely, William C. Ely and C. S. Holmes. The present membership is two hundred and four.

THE REFORMED CHURCH OF HOLMDEL WAS originally a part of the Old Dutch Reformed Church of the Navesink (now the " Briek Church" of Marlborough) the history of which is referred to as embracing that of this church until the year 1825, when the Classis of Monmouth gave it a separate and distinct or- ganization. The old church had also been known as the Reformed Church of Frechold and Middletown, the present townships of Holmdel and Marlborough (in which the con- gregation principally lived) being then included respectively in the old townships of Middletown and Freehold. In the year 1719 a house of worship, thirty-three by thirty-six feet in size, was erected on a knoll about a mile north from

the village of Holmdel, on the road to Middle- town. The body of the house contained twelve pews, cach containing eight seats, which were numbered, so that each person had his or her number. A gallery was built on three sides. The main entrance was a door on the north side. No deed was obtained for the church lot until April 12, 1823, when Andreas Johnson con- veved it to Daniel Hendrickson and Johannes Polhemus. It was given for the use of the congregation as long as the church should eon- tinue. This building was used until 1764, when it was sold and removed, and part of the frame is now in a barn in the neighborhood.

The second church edifice was built while the congregations were under the care of the Rev. Benjamin Dubois. It was ereeted on the site of the old church, and was forty feet square, with gables facing north and south. It was shingled on the sides with shingles three feet in length. The interior was lined and ceiled with cedar boards, all unpainted. A large double door, opening outwards, was on the south side, and di- rectly opposite on the north side was the pulpit. An aisle ran through the centre, with two others parallel, one on each side. There were fifty pews in all. The building was raised August 21, 1764; the pews were sold November 5, 1773, and brought the sum of three hundred and thirty-one pounds, or eight hundred and eighty-three dollars. The gallery was built in later years

This ehnrch edifice was in use until the pres- ent church was erected, in 1838. It was then abandoned, and in 1842 was taken down and the frame used in the construction of a barn of Mr. John Longstreet. The present church was dedicated June 20, 1838, the Revs. James Otter- son and John C. Van Liew officiating. The pastors who have served the present church, or- ganized in 1825, have been the Rev. Jacob B. T. Beekman (1827 to 1836), and the Rev. William Reiley, who served the church as a supply from the retirement of Mr. Beekman, in 1836, to 1839, when he became the pastor and is still in service. The church now has one hundred and ninety-four communicants.

ST. CATHARINE'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CON-

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HOLMDEL TOWNSHIP.

GREGATION was formed at Morrisville in 1878. ! was built about 1855. It has since been re- In 1879 a church building, twenty-five by sev- paired and refurnished, and is still in use. The district now has eighty-five children of school age. The Foxtown school-house was on land of Garret Hendrickson; was built about 1837 and abandoned in 1855. An old school-house which stood near the Marlborough line, on land now owned by George Schenck, was abandoned about 1840.

enty feet in size, was created on the road from Holmdel to Morrisville. It was dedicated by Archbishop Corrigan, November 25, 1879. At the time of organization the church was under the care of Father M. L. Glennan, who re- mained until June 1, 1883, when he was suc- ceeded by Father J. J. O'Connor.

SCHOOLS OF HOLMDEL .- The township con- tains six school districts and five hundred and ninety-three children of school age. The value of the school property is five thousand seven hundred dollars.

Holmdel School District, No. 53, embraces a section of the township in which there were schools taught before the recollection of any now living. In 1820, Daniel Holmes kept a store in the old Academy building. It was afterwards used again for a school, and was fi- nally destroyed by fire in 1837. It stood op- posite the residence of James Hiers. The prin- cipal in its later days was John Jenkins.

A spring from which water was used for the school is under an old becch-tree now standing in the yard of Mrs. Eliza Crane. Under the tree and around the spring was a favorite gath- ering-place of the children in play hours.

On the 12th of October, 1841, the school trustees of Holmdel District purchased of IFolmes Van Mater the present school lot, and erected thereon the school-house which is still in use. The district at present contains one hundred and thirty-three children.

A classical school, opened at Holmdel by David Thomson, held its first session Septem- ber 12, 1854. It was continued but a few years.

Holland School District, No. 54, embraces parts of Holmdel and Middletown townships. | In 1841 the Hon. William H. Hendrickson built a school-house on his land, on the dividing line between the two townships. The same house is still in use for the school. The dis- triet contains sixty-one children of school age.

Crawford School District, No. 55, was formed at the abandonment of the Red Hill and Fox- town school-houses. The present school-house

Centreville School District, No. 56, contains one hundred and thirty-two children of school age. Before 1825 a school-house was erected on the property now owned by John Huff. Peter Vanderhoof and - Kelly were among the first teachers. About 1840 a lot was pur- chased of Gershom D. Walling, and the present house was erected on it. Among the first teachers in this house were Miss Bacon and Miss Martha Huff (now Mrs. Ryder). This house was used until 1883, when it was rebuilt.

Morrisville School District, No. 57, is men- tioned in the superintendent's report as of Holm- del township, although the school-house is sit- uated in Middletown at Scott's Corners, or Mor- risville, as it is now called. As early as 1824 a small meeting-house stood on a half-acre of land now owned by Miss Ann Ryan. This house was used by a Methodist Church society, and owned by them. On the 28th of March, 1845, John B. Crawford, Samuel H. Smith and David H. Bennett, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, sold the house and lot to Samuel Car- hart, William Murphy, R. D. Walling and Wil- liam Hoff, school trustees. School was taught there a year or two after the purchase. Then the house was moved to the Corners, on the pres- ent lot, and used until 1876, when the present school-house was built. The district now con- tains one hundred and six children of school age.

Oak Grove School District, No. 58, contains seventy-six children of school age. A school has been maintained in the section many years. The house now used has recently been repaired and refurnished.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

DANIEL HOLMES .- John S. Holmes, the father of the subject of this biographical sketch,

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

was a resident of Holmdel, now Middletown ; death of his father, in 1821, he returned to the township, where his death occurred on the 15th farm owned by the latter in Holmdel (now Mid- dletown) township, and became interested in the labors attending its cultivation. Mr. Holmes was, on the 15th of November, 1813, married to Rhoda, daughter of Chrineyonce Van Mater, of Middletown township. To this union were born children,-Huldah (February 23, 1815), married to Joseph Holmes Longstreet, whose children are Rhoda H. and Lydia Anna ; Cath- of August, 1821. He early began his career as a merchant, but later removed to the farm now owned by his grandson, Joseph H. Holmes, where he followed successfully for many years the vocation of an agriculturalist. He married Sarah Hendrickson, whose death occurred August 28, 1824. Their children are Mary (wife of Albert Van Brunt), John H., Catherine (wife of Daniel H. Ellis), Emma (married to | erine (June 9, 1817), wife of John W. Ely,

Camil. Holmes

George Taylor), Eleanor (wife of Charles Has- brook) and Daniel. The last-named son was born on the 27th of December, 1792, at Baptisttown (now Holmdel), and spent his early years at the home of his parents. His father was at this time engaged in the business of a country mer- chant, in which he proved an invaluable assist- ant. He received his education at the neigh- boring school, and on the removal of the family to Matawan, in the same county, he embarked for three years in mercantile pursuits. On the

whose children are Daniel H., Eugene and John M .; John S. (September 2, 1819), who died March 2, 1820; Sarah (April 16, 1821), who died September 15, 1822; Joseph H., elsewhere mentioned in this volume ; Maria Louisa (May 2, 1826), wife of Ely Conover; Sarah (January 13, 1829), wife of Ruloff P. Smock, whose children are Daniel II., Peter V. D. and Catherine H. Mr. Holmes, in connection with his farming enterprises, was also engaged in business pursuits at Holmdel for many years.

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HOLMDEL TOWNSHIP.

His political sympathies were with the Demo- cratic party, whose principles he advocated with untiring zeal during a long and active life. This party, in recognition of his services, sev- ter of John and Ellen Bennet Schenck, whose children were Obadiah I., born December 5, 1807 : John Schenck, born December 13, 1809; Sarah Ann (wife of Daniel D. Briggs), born eral times elected him to the State Legislature, February 1, 1812; Mary (wife of Benjamin as also to the office of sheriff of Monmouth Briggs), born January 2, 1814; and Daniel, County for one term. He was a member of born August 5, 1816. The birth of Obadiah the convention to revise the constitution of 1. Stillwell occurred on the homestead, at Beth- the State, and prominently mentioned as the ' any. Here he received, at the publie school of nominee for Congressional honors. He was the precinct, a rudimentary education,- all that largely identified with township and county ' was conveniently attainable at that date-and

Hadiah I Stillwell

matters, and exercised a marked influence on the business and publie interests of the portion of the State where he resided. His death occurred October 27, 1851, in his fifty-ninth year, and that of his wife on the 20th of January, 1838, in her forty-sixth year.

OBADIAH I. STILLWELL .- John O. Stillwell, the father of the subject of this biographical sketch resided in Bethany, Raritan township, Monmouth County. He married Mary, dangh-

soon after decided upon a self-supporting trade, by which he might render himself independent of such vicissitudes as a changing fortune might bring. He chose that of a carpenter, became master of the craft, and returning again to the farm, engaged in its varied pursuits. The prop- erty was eventually purchased by him and con- tinned to be his residence until 1859, when the attractive site now the residenee of his daughter was purchased and became his home. He was, on the 20th of April, 1853, married to Miss

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Mary Jane, daughter of John Longstreet, of Holmdel, their children being a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, and a son, John L., whose death occurred March 29, 1881. Mr. Stillwell was a man of modest demeanor, devoted to his chosen business occupations, and indifferent to the ex- citements attending public life. As a conse- quence, though in politics a firm Democrat, he avoided active participation in the political events of the time, and invariably declined office. He was an attendant upon the services of the Reformed (Dutch) Church of Holmdel. The death of Mr. Stillwell occurred on the 2d of October, 1873.

JOHN S. LONGSTREET .- The progenitor in America of the Longstreet family was Dirck Stoffelse Langestraat, who was twice married. He had four sons,-Stoffle, Adrian, Richard and Samuel-and one daughter, Classje. Adrian, of this number, was baptized in 1677, and died in 1728. He married, in 1707, Christina Janse, and had children,-John, Derick, Stoffle, Kat- renske, Neeltje, Winnifred, Maria and Aarianche. father of John S. Longstreet, who married Williampe Hendrickson, and had a son, John, who was united in marriage to Elizabeth Stou- tenburgh. Their children were Hendrick, John S., Catherine, Anna (Mrs. John S. Crocheron), Williampe (Mrs. Henry Stoutenburgh), Mary J. (Mrs. O. I. Stillwell), William, Caroline L., Aaron, Elizabeth (Mrs. Thomas Ely) and one who died in youth. John S. Longstreet was born December 5, 1815, on the homestead at Holmdel, where his early opportunities for instruction were obtained, after which additional advan- tages were enjoyed in Massachusetts. Determin- ing to make farming the business of his life, he at incident to the cultivation of the home farm. He was, on the 19th of October, 1843, married to Eleanor, daughter of Garret D. and Jane Hen- driekson, of Marlborough. Mrs. Longstreet's death occurred February 28, 1844, and he was again married, June 26, 1849, to Sarah S. Hen- drickson, sister of his first wife, whose children are Eleanor H., Jane A. (Mrs. William T. Hendrickson), Elizabeth (Mrs. John S. Hen-

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 136

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148