USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > History of the Old Dutch Church at Totowa, Paterson, New Jersey, 1755-1827 : baptismal register, 1756-1808 > Part 4
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
It is scarcely necessary to say that the story of the blackbird was an invention of Mr. Archdeacon.
The tale is sad enough when simply told. On Monday morning, June 22d, the day after preaching in the Totowa church, Mr. Cumming and his young wife visited the Passaic
41
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE OLD CHURCH.
Falls, then in their pristine beauty. Tradition says that he was anxious to hasten back to Newark, and gave a reluctant assent to his wife's desire to visit the Falls. After viewing the scene from various points, together they crossed the narrow chasm to the precipice on the northwest side of the basin. Having looked he stepped back across the chasm, supposing she was close be- hind him. Looking around, she was gone! It is supposed that she had turned to take a second view, became dizzy and fell over the lofty precipice, here ninety feet in height. Her body was not recovered until the next morning, and was buried the day after, at Newark. Mr. Cumming's mind sustained a shock from which he never recovered, as his subsequent sad and varied career showed.
XV. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE OLD CHURCH.
When Dom. Schoonmaker left, a "party of progress" seems to have arisen in the church, and resolved that the old things should pass away. At the same meeting that his resignation was received (March 12, 1816), it was resolved to become in- corporated under the act of 1799. Also, to repair the church. Also, " that the present pews be vacated and thrown into com- mon, and that the present pews be equitably appraised by the Committee to be appointed to inspect and examine the church, and determine what alterations and repairs are necessary," the present value of the old pews to be credited on the purchase of the new ones. The following general committee was appoint- ed : John Joseph Blauvelt, Abraham Godwin, Edo P. Merse- lis, John Doremus, John Van Blarcom, Cornelius Van Winkle, David Benson, Abraham Van Blarcom, John Berdan, Jacob Van Houten, Abraham V. Houten, Albert V. Saun, Edo Mer- selis, John G. Ryerson, Andrew Ackerman. Adrian Van Houten, Garabrant Van Houten, Esq., and Henry Godwin were "appointed Managers to carry into prompt and immedi- ate effect the determination of a majority of the committee," and to superintend the work. After deliberating two or three times within the next few days, the alterations were agreed upon, a sketch being made by Abraham Godwin, Jr. The work was driven ahead with all dispatch and completed within
42
THE OLD DUTCH CHURCH AT TOTOWA.
the next four months. The old floor was ripped up (by volun- tary laborers in the congregation) and a new one thirteen inch- es higher put in ; more light was obtained by putting a fanlight over the door (sidelights beside the door were also authorized, but not put in) ; the old pews and side-benches were replaced by two double rows of pews much shorter than the others, and not so high by three inches, and a single row on each side un- der the galleries, in place of the side benches; the galleries were put in good repair, and instead of the open railing a panel face was put in (the railing doing service for many years after as a picket fence in John Joseph Blauvelt's garden, on Toto- wa) ; the interior was painted white. The colored people were now assigned the forward part of the northerly gallery, and there sat. It was proposed to fit up pews in the galleries, but this was not done. The repairs and alterations having been substantially completed, the church was opened on Sunday, July 14, 1816, when the Rev. Wilhelmus Eltinge preached his first sermon therein, it being "an excellent discourse from Psalm XXVII, 4; 'One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after ; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple."" ( Minutes.) On Saturday, July 27th, the pews were sold ; there were sixty-six pews, holding from four to six persons, and they brought the very handsome total of $2,056.
Thenceforward the church enjoyed a quiet and rather success- ful career for eleven years. True, there was something of a " breeze" occasioned in 1825, by Mr. Brant Van Blarcom, of Paterson, submitting to the Consistory and congregation a writ- ten document in which he strongly urged the need of having a pastor settled regularly at Totowa or at Paterson. And he pro- posed that a new church be organized in Paterson, to be gov- erned by the Totowa Consistory or by one of its own, and that a pastor be secured to serve both congregations, preaching alter- nately on either side of the river. To this end he offered to give a seven years' lease of " the double-house in Parke street, next north Robertson's watchmaker shop," (where A. & J. Spear's shoeshop now is, No. 93 Main street) , the yearly rental of which
43
PEW HOLDERS IN ISI6.
was $260, and friends offered to furnish the house for a parsonage. His offer he considered equivalent to $350 a year. It is under- stood that Mr. Van Blarcom wanted to get the Rev. Benjamin C. Taylor, then at Acquackanonk, called to Paterson and Totowa. The Totowa congregation seem to have been very angry at Mr. Van Blarcom's offer, and declared that they were satisfied with Mr. Eltinge, and " resolved, that we are not yet ready to sell our minister and our souls for the sum of $350 per annum for seven years."
XVI. PEW HOLDERS IN 1816.
The following is a report of the sale of pews after the recon- struction of the interior of the church in 1816, showing the number of each pew, the number of sittings in each, the purchaser or purchasers, and the price paid :
Pew No. 1, S seats, two seats bought by John D. Ryerson, for $5. (Four seats were reserved to Henry Broekholst's heirs, in accordance with the deed of 1762.)
No. 2-4. Wm. Ferguson, $II.
No. 3-5. Daniel Benson, $22.
No. 4-4. Hartman Van Norder and Cornelius Westervelt, each two seats, $17.
No. 5-5. Jacob I. Van Houten, three seats, Francis Van Winkle, two scats, $29.
No. 6-4. Richard Van Gieson and Halmech R. Van Houten, each two scats, $17.
No. 7-6. David Bensen, $32.
No. S-4. Albert Terhune, $17.
No. 9-5. Daniel Van Horn, $37.
No. 10-4. Edward Mitchell, $21.
No. 11-5. Edo P. Merselis, $41.
No. 12-4. Richard HI. Van Houten, $21.
No. 13-5. Albert Van Saun, $39.
No: 14-4. Edo Merselis, $20.
No. 15-5. John Doremus and Abram Ryerson, each two and a half seats, $45.
No. 16-4. Cornelius C. Van Houten and Peter A. Van Houten, each two seats, $30.
44
THE OLD DUTCHI CHURCHI AT TOTOWA.
No. 17-5. Henry G. Doremus, $46.
No. 18-6. Albert Van Houten, Adrian Van Houten and Rachel Van Houten, $21.
No. 19-6. Adrian and Halmech Van Gieson, each three seats, $25.
No. 20-6. Roelof I. Van Houten, $22.
No. 21-6. Robert Van Houten, five seats, Anna Van Hou- ten, one, $33.
No. 22-6. Cornelius Van Houten, $34.
No. 23-6. Adrian R. Van Houten, $40.
No. 24-6. John Joseph Blauvelt and Isaac I. Stagg, each two, $40.
No. 25-6. Abraham R. Van Houten, $11.
No. 26-5. Cornelius Van Winkle, $45.
No. 27-5. Abraham Van Blarcom, $72.
No. 28-6. Abraham Godwin and Abraham Godwin Jr., each three seats, $32.
No. 29-6. Peter Van Allen and Peter Van Allen, Jr., cach three seats, $42.
No. 30-6. Edo Merselis, $30.
No. 31-6. Albert Hopper and Cornelius P. Hopper, each three seats, $30.
No. 32-6. Hartman M. Vreeland, Adrian I. Post and Elizabeth Post, two each, $33.
No. 33-6. John Burhans and Hassel H. Doremus, each three seats, $19.
No. 34-6. John Seager and John Burhans, each three seats, $16.
No. 35- -. John Marinus and David Marinus, $11.
No. 36-4. Thomas Wills, Jr., $32.
No. 37-5. Francis D. Ryerson and Richard Degray, each half, $40. ยท
No. 38-4. Andrew Parsons, $21.
No. 40-4. Daniel Holsman, $40.
No. 41-5. Cornelius Vreeland, three seats, and Garabrant Van Rypen, two, $40.
No. 42-4. Charles Kinsey, $19.
No. 43-5. John S. Van Winkle and John 1. Berdan, each half, $35.
45
PEW HOLDERS IN 1S16.
No. 44-4. Martynus Hogencamp, $19.
No. 45-5. John C. Van Ryper and Halmech Van Houten, each half, $32.
No. 46-4. Jeremiah Tier, $19.
No. 47-5. Andrew Ackerman, $26.
No. 48-4. Aaron King, Robert King and John Flood, each a third, $19.
No. 49 -- 5. John Goetschius, $25.
No. 50-4. John F. Post, two, John M. Crosson, one, and Ann Van Blarcom, one, $20.
No. 51-5. Cornelius Van Blarcom, -.
No. 52-S. Jacob I. Van Houten, --.
No. 53-5. Edo Van Winkle and John Parke, each half, $27.
No. 54-5. Jerry S. Van Rypen, $29. No. 55-5. Geo. I. Ryerson, $35.
No. 56-5. John R. Van Houten and Richard Berdan, each half, $30.
No. 57-5. John Degray, $48.
No. 58-5. John Van Blarcom, $54.
No. 59-5. Simeon Van Winkle, $60.
No. 60-5. Peter Merselis, $59.
No. 61-5. Adrian Van Houten, $77.
No. 62-23. Abraham C. Zabriskie, $40; 23 seats reserved to the church.
No. 63-5. Garabrant Van Houten, $77.
No. 64-5. B. & J. Van Blarcom, each half, $71.
No. 65-5. John Joseph Blauvelt, $55.
No. 66-5. Abraham V. Houten, $60.
Total receipts from pews sold, $2,056.
Several of the foregoing pew-holders of course were of other denominations .- as William Ferguson, John Seager, Thomas Wills, Jr., Andfew Parsons, Daniel Holsman, Charles Kinsey, Aaron King, Robert King, John Flood, John Parke, and prob- ably others-but bought pews in this church and perhaps attended its services regularly because there were only two other church organizations in the neighborhood, and they were very
46
THIE OLD DUTCHI CHURCHI AT TOTOWA.
N
feeble-the First Presbyterian of Paterson, and an embryo M. E. church, meeting wherever it could find a room.
XVII. STATISTICS.
There are no statistics known to be extant relative to the To- towa church, prior to 1812. In that year it reports 111 families and 78 members. In IS17 there were 130 families and 67 mem- bers in communion ; in 1821-175 families of 1105 persons, 105 members, 36 having joined during the year on profession of their faith ; in 1823-179 familics, 1125 persons, 110 members, 43 joining on profession ; in 1824-18o families, 1130 persons, 1 25 members, 13 accessions ; in 1825-18o families, 1140persons, 117 members, no accessions ; in IS26-180 families, 1150 per- sons, 129 members, 9 accessions ; in 1827-170 families, 1100 persons, 134 members, 5 accessions ; in 1828-125 families, 575 persons, SS members, 4 accessions ; in May, 1830-100 families, 600 persons, 95 members, 5 accessions.
XVIII. " GOD'S ACRE."
Such is the tender and poetic name by which the Germans designate the grounds set apart for the sepulture of their dead. Applied to the old Totowa plot it was mathematically correct, the grounds being exactly an acre in extent. As was custom- ary, the first interments were made nearest the church, but in the course of forty years the whole lot east and south of the church was filled with graves. A great many were without any other headstone than a smooth fragment of a field-stone, a foot or two square, generally with no mark on, but sometimes with initials or a date rudely carved on the hard surface. Brown- stone slabs were rare hereabout in those days. The graveyard, extending easterly almost to the brook, has been built over now for fifty years or more, not a few skeletons having been un- earthed in the digging of cellars, while whatever headstones there were have mostly been worn away doing duty as walks, door-steps and the like. In 1795 this part of the church lot was quite filled with graves, and the lot southwest of the Totowa road (Ryle avenue) was brought into requisition for burial purposes, the first interment being that of Grace King, aged five
47
SOME BURIALS IN "GOD'S ACRE."
years, daughter of John King, sister of the late Aaron King, and aunt of the late Griffith King. There was a stone over the grave of Jane Van Winkle, aged two months, died 1791, but the infant was doubtless removed thither when its mother was buried in IS07. The following are some of the inscriptions copied from headstones in this ground about 1873, by the writer :
Children of Eben'r & Eliza'th Blachly, Deceased are NANCY, born July 7th, 1783, died Octobr. 9th, 1783, Aged 3 Months & 2 days. Also, JULIANNA, born August 11th, 1791, died July 3d, 1798, Aged 6 years, 11 Months & 23 days.
In Memory of JAMES KEANE, who died November the 1st, 1805, A native of Galway in Ireland, Aged 45 Years.
In Memory of Abraham Van Houten, son of Adrian Van Houten and Mary his wife, who departed this life July 28th, 1804, aged 29 Years, 7 Months and 12 days.
In Memory of Richard, son of Adrian Van Houten, who departed this life the 25th February 1806, aged 18 Years, 9 Months and 25 days.
In Memory of Leah, daughter of Adrian Van Houten, who departed this life March the 10th, 1806, aged 33 Years, 6 Months and 11 days.
In Memory of Adrian, son of Adrian Van Houten, who departed this life March the 16th, 1806, aged 21 Years, 3 Months and 3 days.
In Memory of Jacob Ackerman, who departed this life January the 20th, 1812, aged 65 years, 9 Months and 29 days.
[S]ARAH [the] wife of [ TIMOTHY ] B. Crane, [ and] daughter of Luke [Snedek ]er and Sarah Suede[k]er his wife, who departed this life 18th January, 1824, aged 42 years.
In Memory of Margaret Hunter, Sister of Isabella King, who died Deeem- ber 21st, 1824, Aged 86 Years.
In Memory of John Ryerson, who died January 25th, 1835, aged 43 years, 3 months and 29 days.
In Memory of Mary Marvin, eonsort of Doct. Jonathan D. Marven, died May 23, 1810, aged 19 years.
Lereche Stagg, daughter of Isaac Stagg, died Jan. 1st, 1829, aged 17 years.
Sarah, wife of John Mowerson, died April 11, 1803, aged 57 years. "Her death was suden and unexpected to her and to her friends."
Here lies all that is or was mortal of Susan Davis, second daughter of Abram and Mary Godwin, who departed this life Oct. 21, 1813.
In Memory of Genl. Abram Godwin, a soldier of the Revolution, died Oct. 5th, 1835, aged 72 years, 2 months and 19 days. Also Mary Munson Godwin, his wife, died Feb. 6th, 1826, aged 62 years, 7 months and 11 days.
-
48
THE OLD DUTCH CHURCH AT TOTOWA.
In memory of Edo Merselis Godwin, son of Henry and Mary Godwin, died Oct. 8th, 1813, aged 3 months, 20 days.
In one corner was a large tomb, the stone lintel bearing this in- scription :
"Owners of this vault -Cornelius Van Winkle, Richard Ward, Abram Van Honten, Albert Van Saun. October 9, 1813."
Gen. Godwin, who died in :835, was one of the last interred in this now sadly-neglected spot. Many families long ago re- moved their dead from this cemetery, leaving the headstones still standing. In the spring of 18SS, the First Reformed church had all the remains yet in the old burying-ground taken up and re- interred in the cemetery of the church on Willis street. Here is the only reference to the burying-ground that we find in the Church Records :
June the 21 --- 18 .3.
At a Meting of the Duch consistory of the totoway church have unanimous A greed that Every Person is to Pay for Laying and to Be Buyried in this Church yard, to Pay the Sum of for Twelve years and upwards is to Pay the Sum of one Dollar and under Twelve years the Sum of fifty Cents.
XIX. BURNING OF THE OLD CHURCH.
On a dry and windy day, on March the 26th, 1827, the town of Paterson was startled by the cry of fire ! The two hand en- gines, primitive affairs, were quickly got out and hurried to the scene of destruction-the quaint old Totowa church. But there was no saving the old building, the cedar shingles of which were dry as tinder, and in the course of an hour nothing but bleak and blackened walls remained of the building so fraught with rich, varied and tender memories, and reminiscences of the wars in the church culminating in the independence of the Reformed Dutch Church of America, and of wars of the nations, many a stirring incident of which had occurred within sight of its belfry and which had resulted in a nation's freedom. As the crowd stood helplessly by, the old bell which had rung for nearly three- quarters of a century, now wept great tears of metal as the piti- less flames slowly and savagely crawled up and around it, wreathing it in their merciless embrace until at last it fairly wept itself away, and the whole roof fell in with a crash. An event of such interest happening to-day would furnish the reporters
49
BURNING OF THE OLD CHURCH.
with material for a column or two of " fine writing," historical reminiscences and the like, but here is all that the Paterson In- telligencer thought it worth while to say about the fire on the Wednesday following :
Fire .- About eleven o'clock, A. M. on Monday last the roof of the Re- formed Dutch Church in this town was discovered to be on fire. The wind at the time was pretty high, from the southwest, and before the fire engines could arrive the roof had become almost an entire sheet of flame; and so rapid was the progress of the destructive element, that in less than half an hour the whole wood work of the building became a heap of smoking ruins.
A burning flake carried by the wind from the church, lodged on the thatched roof of the barn belonging to Garabrant Van Houten, Esq., several hundred yards distant, which was also entirely consumed.
Much credit is due to our fire companies, and citizens generally for their prompt and successful exertions to save the adjacent buildings, which, from their combustible materials, and the direction of the wind, were in imminent danger, and seemed to threaten a most extensive conflagration.
The fire is supposed to have originated from the carelessness of some per- son shooting, the wadding having lodged on the roof and communicated to the shingles.
It is said that some person shot at a bird on the roof, and the wadding lodged between the shingles.
The desolate walls remained standing for nearly a year, and were then removed to enter into the construction of the new edifice, on Main street, near Ellison, which was contracted for March Sth, 1828.
The old lot was leased for a few years, but finally all that part of it northeast of the Totowa road, now Ryle avenue, was sold and is now built upon, over the graves of the dead now in- terred there for nearly a century and a quarter. And thus dis- appeared the last vestige of the OLD DUTCH CHURCH OF TOTO- WA.
Of the events which succeeded the calamity above described we need not speak at length. Suffice it to say that while the congregation seemed to be quite unanimous as to the inexpedi- ency of rebuilding on the old site, they were very much divided on the question of a new site, a large party preferring to re- main north of the river, while another large party preferred building in the then growing town of Paterson. The pastor and all but one or two of the Consistory favored the latter 4
50
THE OLD DUTCH CHURCH AT TOTOWA.
course, which was ultimately adopted by vote of the congrega- tion. In consequence of this decision Messrs. Gerrebrandt Van Houten, Martinus I. Hogencamp, John Joseph Blauvelt, Adrian R. Van Houten, Cornelius S. Van Wagoner, David Bensen and Cornelius G. Hopper notified the Consistory (Aug. 23, 1827), with assurances of the kindliest feeling, that they would petition Classis in the following month to constitute them a new church, and hence the Second Reformed church, corner of Water and Temple streets, which edifice, by the way, was completed and opened for public worship on Sunday, June 8, 1828, while the Main street church was not dedicated until March 15, 1829.
Judge Gerrebrandt Van Houten gave the site for the Second church, contributed liberally of his means towards its erection, and had concluded to pay off a debt of about $2,000 remaining on it, but died suddenly of apoplexy the night after he had an- nounced his benevolent intention.
The fire and the subsequent unhappy divisions had a depress- ing effect on the worthy and zealous Dominie Eltinge, the ex- tent of whose depression may be inferred from the following note, appended to his statistical report to Classis in September, 1827. He says :
The additions to our church during the year past have been small, only six have been added, these, however, gave very satisfactory evidence of a real change. As a congregation we are at present much afflicted, our house of worship has been consumed by fire, and we are divided as to the site for the new church. "By the River Passaic (!) we have reason to sit down, and weep when we remember Zion, and to hang our harps upon the willows in . the midst thereof." By order of the Consistory of Totowa.
It may be remarked that the stone set in the wall over the door of the old church, and bearing the legend and date already given, was carefully preserved and placed in the belfry of the Main street church, where it was undoubtedly destroyed in the fire of December 14, 1871.
XX. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES.
The critical reader has doubtless noticed a conflict of dates relative to the settlement of Dom. Schoonmaker over Totowa, and the time of service of Dom. Meyer. It is probable that Dom. Schoonmaker's settlement at Acquackanonk and subse-
51
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES.
quent long service in both churches, 1791-1816, led his biogra- pher quoted above (from Sprague's Annals), to suppose that his pastorate over each congregation was coequal throughout ; but he is clearly in error, as the Classical records extant show that . Dr. Meyer was pastor of Totowa, in connection with Pompton, 1773-'91.
-
A Sunday school was organized in connection with the church, as early as 1825. December 19, of that year, "Mr. Brant Van Blarcom, one of the Superintendents, laid before the Consistory his accompts for books bought for the Sunday school under the care of this church, amounting to $46.27}, less $11. 14 advanced to him," and he was allowed the balance. It is probable that these were the first books bought for the school. The Sunday school was held in a low frame building, twenty or thirty feet in the rear of the church, crected about IS10 for a schoolhouse. It was not much injured by the fire of IS27.
With these fragmentary notes, gathered up at odd intervals during many years, amid other more engrossing occupations, ends the history of the OLD DUTCH CHURCH AT TOTOWA.
And yet, does it ? Who can tell what subtle influences that old church still exerts upon the population of Paterson and the surrounding country? While it stood it was a bulwark, a "strong fortress" of earnest piety and staunch orthodoxy. The leaven thus generated permeated the whole of society herea- bouts, and it is not easy to believe that its power is even now exhausted. While it stood, and especially while the preaching was in Dutch, it was a visible sign of the ancient supremacy of that people, and gave them a moral prestige they could not oth- erwise have retained so long.
The quaint old stone building is indeed no more, but the Truth therein proclaimed for seventy-two years shall endure forever.
-
APPENDIX.
NOTE A.
The only baptismal register of the old church that is known to exist is an oblong volume, bound in parchment, sixteen inches long and six inches wide, containing eighty-two leaves or one hundred and sixty-four pages. The title is in the handwriting of Dominie Marinus, as is also the New Call made to him in 1752, written in a fine, round hand. The subsequent entries have been evidently written by various persons. The ink is faded ; in a few cases the writing is undecipherable. In time the book will be destroyed, or the entries will be so faded that they cannot be read. To guard against such loss, and to make the information more available, it has been thought well to reproduce the contents of the volume herewith, verbatim et literatim, with an occasional note or translation by way of ex- planation.
Kerkelyk Protocol
der hervormde
Gemeynte
Jesu Chrifti
tot Totua in de
County van Berge & Provintie van Ooft Niew Jersey
in Noord America anno Domini
1756
David Marinus V: D: M:
Church Register of the reformed Church of Jesus Christ at Totua in the County of Bergen Province of East New Jersey in North America A. D. 1756.
.
.
De Nieuwe Beroepsbrief van Do David Marinus tot Predi- kant op Achquechnonk Totua en Pomptan .*
In de name Gods !
Nadien dat de Nederduytsche Hervormde Gemeente in de tot nu toe vereenigde Plaadsehen Achquechinonk en Pomptan in oost New Jersey in Noord America UErw Do David Marinus tot hunne Herder en Leeraer gehad hebben hebbende UErw: het Leeraers ampt seer eyverig en Godvruchtig reeds vier Jaaren onder ons waergenome met Loflyke Stigtinge so heeft het den Rykdom van Gods goedertierentheyd belaagt onse Gemeentens so danig door UErwaerdens dienst te doen groeje en Bloeje dat er Uyt de twee voormelde Gemeentens met algemeyne toestemminge van beyde een derde Gemeente ontstaen is tot Totua het welk ons genoodzaakt heeft onse voorgaende Beroepsbrief in Eenige van desselfs omstandig heeden te veranderen en tot dien Eynde zyn wy ouderlingen en Diaconen van de nu Drie gecombineerde Gemeentens van Achquechnonk Totua & Pomptan op vrydag den 23 April in het Jaar onses Heeren 1756 in de Kerk te Achquechnonk by een vergadert en hebben met zyn wel Eerw Do Reinhert Erickson alse onse Consulent Raadgepleegt en na aenroepinge van Gods Naem zyn wy Eyndelyk tot dit besluyt gekomen
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.