USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Orange > History of the Oranges, in Essex County, N.J., from 1666 to 1806 > Part 18
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This interment in his own field "at the parting of the two paths," has become a memorial of him more enduring than his gravestone, now over a century and a half old, and more lasting than that of any of his old Puritan associates of 1667.
On November 8, 1792, the parish resolved to enlarge the burial ground by the purchase of about two acres, adjoining the same. The original plot had a front on the main highway of one hundred and thirty-two feet, by four hundred and twenty-one feet on Scotland Street, and it contained about one and a third acres.
238
History of the Oranges.
From the executors of the estate of Simeon Ogden a purchase was made of that part of his ground lying west of the old plot, and in the rear of the same, in the form of an L, thereby making the whole front as it now is, two hundred and eighty-nine feet, with a depth of six hundred and twenty-nine feet. The con- sideration paid for the addition, was £38, 2s.
ST. MARK'S GRAVEYARD.
On November 28, 1842, the corporation of St. Mark's Church bought of Edward Condit a lot, eighty-six feet wide on the main street, lying west of the old ground, with the same depth as the latter. The price paid for the plot was $313.70; which was raised by subscription, and of which Samuel Williams gave $200. The whole frontage of the graveyard is now three hundred and seventy-five feet. The corporation of St. Mark's, being desirous of retaining the whole width of its lot for purposes of interment, arranged with the old parish for a driveway on its west line, to be used by both corporations. The consideration for its use, on the part of St. Mark's, was that it should erect the gates, and pay the expense of keeping them in repair.
THE FIRST CHURCH BELL.
Almost coincident with the enlargement of the burial ground, in 1792, was the placing of a bell upon the meeting-house. Its belfry had been an unused and not very comely feature of the building, from the time of its construction, thirty-eight years before. The bell cost the parish £114, 6s. 3d., or $380.
From several entries in the parish books, it appears that the bell was thereafter actively employed, and that the position of bell-ringer must have been a laborious one. The people were to be summoned to
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GRAVE OF HANNAH JONES; 1732.
239
Building Lots in 1795.
. public service in the church on every Sabbath and Lecture Day ; and, at nine o'clock in the evening, they were to be warned that the hour had come for family worship, and for retiring to bed.
In 1794, the office of sexton (which included the whole work in and about the meeting-house, ) was sold by public auction to the lowest bidder. We have found the following curious document, among the parish archives :
" Articles of Vendue Held this first Day of January, 1794; are as follows : the Ringing of the Bell & Sweeping the Meeting House at Orange, & the Care of Opening & Shutting the same. The Bell shall be rung Every Sabbath morning one hour & a quarter before the time of Divine Service, & a quarter of an hour before the same in the morning & afternoon, to ring a quarter of an hour each time, & also on Lecture Days & at nine o'clock every night ;- to be Struck off to the Lowest bidder; the Money to be paid quarterly.
" Bid off to Bethuel Pierson at twelve Pound, ten shillings .- £12, 10, 0."
Whether the practice of selling the office was con- tinued or abandoned, we cannot say ; but in the parish records it appears that, in 1795-a year later-the Trustees " Agreed with Bethuel Pierson to Ring the Bell at Nine o'clock every Evening through the year 1795 for £4." In 1805, Josiah Frost was engaged to sweep the meeting-house, ring the bell, etc., for one year, at $33.87. His work included the "lighting the candles ; the candles to be found at the expense of the Parish, and the ends to go to the person who lights the candles."
BUILDING LOTS IN 1795.
The later years of the century began to show a more quiet and promising condition of affairs. The inten- sity of political strife was lessened to a considerable
240
History of the Oranges.
degree after the election of John Adams, the second President of the Republic, when the people turned their attention from politics to economics. Such con- tinued to be the case after the close of a canvass for President, except in the opening events of the Rebel- lion of 1861.
June 10, 1795. The Newark Gazette advertised to be sold,
"By way of public vendue, twenty-three building lots pleasantly situated in Orangedale, opposite the Meetinghouse, and adjoining the Academy. Four of the said lots have a never failing stream of water running through them, which renders them convenient for the tanning business. * Situated in a very flourishing part of the Country, and would be very Convenient for any person or persons who may wish to take boarders."
N. B. "Scythe makers, nailors and silversmiths will find it tend greatly to their business, to settle themselves in this place, as they are much wanted."
MATTHEW CONDIT, 1 JOSEPH CONE, 2
I. Matthew Condit inherited the land of his father, John, who owned from Centre Street on the south side of Main Street, to a point west of Lumber Street. He owned the Academy lot and sold it to the trustees, as we have already stated.
Matthew Pundit
2. Joseph Cone had his house on the corner of Reock Street, and owned the land in that vicinity. In 1798, together with Matthew Condit, he opened a street running from his land northerly to the main street ; which street bears his name at the present day. In 1803, he advertised lands in Ohio, to which State he soon after migrated. Cone Street was originally carried, in the form of an "elbow," to Centre Street; but, in 1853 or 1854, it was extended southwardly to Henry Street, and the " elbow " received the name of Reock Street, in compliment to James Reock, whose dwelling-house was located upon the same.
Jose pheone
241
Century Day-1801.
CENTURY DAY-1801.
Thirty years ago, the recollections of many with whom this writer then conversed, were still fresh con- cerning the initial day of the present century. It was, as they told him, a very cold day. There was some- thing in the nature of a public celebration of the event. Capt. Moses Condit mustered his militia-men upon the common, east of the meeting-house, and under the flag-staff, and then they fired a volley ; Rev. Mr. Griffin addressed a great crowd of people in the church.
Mr. Chapman's pastorate had closed, and Mr. Griffin, greatly distinguished in after years, was engaged as a "supply" for six months. The people desired to call him to the vacant pulpit, but having received an invi- tation to become the co-pastor of the Newark Church, with Dr. MacWhorter, he accepted the call, and was installed as such. He remained in Newark till 1809. For two years he was the sole pastor there ; his aged colleague having died in July, 1807.
While in Orange, Mr. Griffin boarded in the family of Jotham Harrison, who lived on the present site of the Matthias O. Halstead house, on Main Street, next east of the Reformed Church. His eldest daughter, Frances Louisa, was born there, April 4, 1801. Twenty- three years afterwards, when her father resided at Williamstown, Mass., being the President of the Col- lege there, she became the wife of Dr. Lyndon A. Smith, a young physician practising in that town. They afterwards removed to Newark, N. J., where, for nearly forty years, Doctor Smith was one of the best known physicians and most influential citizens.
16
242
History of the Oranges.
THE PARISH LANDS.
After the incorporation of the Mountain Society, under the name of "The Trustees of the Second Pres- byterian Church in Newark,"1 in the year 1783, the newly-appointed Trustees held a meeting on October 7th ; at which they
"found four Deeds Delivered by Docr Pierson :-
" Ist. Deed for the Land where the Meeting House Stands on, from Samuel Wheeler, 1720.
"2d. Deed for the Lands of the Parsonage, from Thomas Gardner, 1719.
"3d. Deed for Land near the Meeting-house, from John Cun- dict, 1742.
" 4th. Deed for Land where the Parsonage house stand on, from Matthew Williams, 1748."
It is obvious, from the neglect to mention any con- veyance or lease for the "Lower Parsonage," which was derived from the Trustees of the Newark Church, that, at this time (1783), the Orange Society had no "paper title " for the same. This matter will be fully explained in a subsequent part of this chapter. We propose to speak of the five tracts, namely: the Glebe, the Meeting House lot, the lot near the Meet- ing House, the Parsonage House lot, and the Lower Parsonage, in the order now stated,-that being the order in which the several properties were acquired by the Society.
THE GLEBE.
It is unnecessary to repeat what we have already said, (ante, pages 102, 129-130,) in reference to this tract, which was located on the south side of the main street, in the present city of Orange, and included the narrow strip of land now known as "the Common." It
I. A copy of the act is to be found in the parish books ; and it is described as " The Charter for Orange Corporation, formerly Called and Known by the Name of the Newark Mountain Meeting-House."
The Glebe. 243
-
had a frontage of twelve chains,-or 792 feet,-and extended from Parrow's Brook, on the west, to a point within the lines of the existing Prince Street, on the east. The contents were twenty acres, including the Common.
So far as we have been able to ascertain, the Com- mon was originally thrown out for the purposes of a training-ground; and this use of it goes back to the first year of the War of the Revolution. When the military spirit of the neighborhood was quickened by the near approach of hostilities, some of the other Glebe lands were appropriated in like manner, and con- tinued to be used therefor after the War. For many years subsequently, all able-bodied citizens were en- rolled in the State militia, and were compelled to pa- rade at regular intervals. The parson may have com- plained because of the injury occasioned thereby to his growing crops, and this will, probably, explain the entry on the Trustees' records, under the date of June 1, 1797: "Agreed to give Mr. Chapman at the rate of three pounds per acre for the land thrown of for training-ground."
The remaining part of the Glebe-generally known under and by the name of "The Parsonage,"-was cultivated either by the pastor himself or under his direction, or else "upon shares." In Caleb Smith's account-book, we find credits for "carting Dung, a Day ;" -"1 Day's Plowing;" -"100 Rails and 20 Posts ;" - "30 young Apple Trees ;" - "Cradling and taking up Oats ;"-"Seed Wheat ;"- "Thatching Barrack ;" -"Hoeing Corn ;" - "Thrashing ;" - "Reaping ;"-and the like. Mr. Chapman, a strong, healthy man, full of energy and activity, loved farm- ing. Not content with the Glebe lands, he hired another tract, which adjoins the Montclair gate of the
-
244
History of the Oranges.
Rosedale Cemetery, and there he toiled with ten times the zeal of a common day-laborer. He kept a working- suit there-ready for his coming, whenever he should wish to lay aside the black coat and cocked hat.
On August 23, 1786, at a public meeting of the con- gregation, it was-
"Voted, unanimously, that John Dod, Jr., shall divide the parish into Eight Classes, for the purpos of a more Speeddy and better plan to fence and manure the parsnage; which now lies in Eight Lots.
" Each respective Class are to appoint one or two men for over- seers, and these persons, when chosen, shall at some convenient Seson meet together, and then fix upon the particular Lot which Each Class are for the future to repair. But, in Case one Lot is preferable to another, and they do not agree in the Choice, it shall be determined by ballot.
" It was further moved and agreed too, that the above mentioned overseers, for the incouragement of the Gospel, should influence the people to punctually pay the minister's Sallary."
Whether this ingenious plan succeeded or not, we cannot say. It shows, however, that Parson Chapman was not so active as he had been in former years. But the Glebe was in the very centre of the village, where the increase in the population was most rapid. More dwellings were needed. Building lots were in de- mand. And thus there came an opportunity for re- plenishing the parish treasury, which was availed of, after the installation of Mr. Hillyer. Under the date of April 1, 1802, the Trustees enter in their minutes :
" It having been thought advisable to sell a part of the Parson- age land, the interest to be appropriated for the support of the Gospel," a parish meeting was held, and it was then decided "to divide off and & sell five building Lotts on the North side, & Eight building lots on the South side of the Parsonage; reserving the and which now lies a common, for that purpose forever."
245
The Glebe.
The five lots " on the north side" were on the north side of Main Street, being a part of the Parsonage House tract, which had been bought in two parcels, from Matthew Williams, in 1748, and Isaac Williams, Isaac Willing in 1787. But the house itself, together with one acre of land, was re- served for the use of the minister and his family. It is supposed that the eight lots, on the south side of the highway, were the same referred to in the resolu- tion of the parish meeting, in August, 1786. The remainder of the Glebe was subsequently divided into two lots, which were conveyed on April 25, 1817. The Trustees' book (under the date of April 1, 1802,) continues :
" The sd lots, after being advertised, were sold, & the amount of the sales was Dolls. 3546. The Trustees this day delivered to the purchasers their respective Deeds for the lots, & received bond & mortgage on the lots for security."
We have obtained, from the county records, the fol- lowing list of the grantees for the several Glebe lots, and the dates of the several conveyances ; but it is proper to state that, as some of the deeds have not been recorded, we feel at liberty to assume that the parties named in certain mortgages to the Trustees, for the lots in question, must have been the original pur- chasers thereof :
April 1, 1802, William Gray.
66 Silas Condit.
66 . C John Dean.
. ' Alexander Dean.
6. Asa Hillyer.
.. .. Isaac Pierson. .. .. 66 .. .. John Dean.
" 25. 1817. Asa Hillyer.
.. .. Isaac Pierson.
246
History of the Oranges.
The lot conveyed to Mr. Hillyer, in 1817, adjoined the Brook on the west, and had a frontage of 4 chains and 20 links on Main Street ; and it extended in the rear of some of the Main Street lots. The purchase by Isaac Pierson, in 1817, was of land lying entirely in the rear of the Main Street lots.
The original purpose of the Trustees in laying out the Common, was more generous to the public than the existing street lines would indicate. When some of the lot-owners had built their houses, they delib- erately set their fences in such manner as to encroach from six to eight feet upon the reserved land. The Trustees protested, and threatened legal proceedings. But the difficulty was not overcome until 1825, when a new front-line was established, and new conveyances were made in accordance therewith. There was then a private carriage-way in front of the lots ; but, finally, the same was laid out as South Main Street,-thereby reducing the width of the Common still further.
THE MEETING-HOUSE LOT.
According to the entry in the Trustees' minutes, the deed for this lot was made by Samuel Wheeler, in 1720. We have stated on page 106, that the first meet- ing-house stood in the middle of the "highway," op- posite the present Music Hall. Mr. Hoyt says, that the building was "on a little knoll in the midst of the traveled road, which on either side retired like the parting Jordan-making way for the Ark." No one remembers the width of space, so left on the north and south sides of the church. But, the deed given by Stephen D. Day and wife to the Society, in 1811, for the land on which the present house was erected, de- scribes the lot as being north of "the Commons whereon the [second] meeting-house now stands." In another
247
The Parsonage House Lot.
deed from Mr. Day and wife to the Society, in 1817, for a small lot adjoining the other on the west, the southern boundary of the lot is "the Commons in front of the Church." This shows that our statement, on page 106, was not technically correct ; and that the building was not in the "public road."
We suggest that the Wheeler lot, upon which the first and second meeting-houses were built, must have been on the north side of the road that was laid out in 1705 ; and that so much of the lot (on the north,) as was not required for the meeting-houses, was thrown open to the public as "Commons." When the pres- ent building was erected, in 1812, the Trustees aban- doned all claim to the land, and it became a part of the highway. The citizens of Orange are, therefore, indebted to the liberality of the Trustees, for the gen- erous width of Main Street at that point.
THE JOHN CUNDICT LOT.
We have been unable to obtain any further account of this lot than is given by the Trustees' minutes, viz : "land near the meeting-house, from John Cundict, 1742." No such deed is to be found in the parish chest ; nor does it appear upon the county records.
THE PARSONAGE HOUSE LOT.
The front part of this lot,-extending from Park Street, on the west, to a point distant 85 links west- wardly from the middle of Hillyer Street,-was pur- chased from Matthew Williams, in 1748. (See ante, pages 135-8, 145-7.) A single acre was added to it, on the north, by purchase from Isaac Williams, in 1787.
We append a list of the several parcels into which the property was divided, and the dates of the several conveyances therefor, so far as we have been able. to
248
History of the Oranges.
obtain the same from the county records. As in the case of the Glebe lands, we have been obliged to supply the names of some of the purchasers from early mort- gages-they having neglected to record their own deeds from the Trustees :
1802, April 1, Daniel Matthews.
" Samuel Munn. Joseph Munn. Peter Dean. Eleazer Dodd. Ichabod Locey.
1808,
1817, April 25, Allen Dodd. Jan'y 1, 66 Ephraim B. Perry.
1825, Feb'y 4, Moses S. Harrison.
1825, Mch. 28, Thomas A. Ramage.
1825, April 2, Charles T. Shipman.
1829, " 30, Allen Dodd. and Moses S. Harrison.
THE LOWER PARSONAGE.
In the earliest days of the Town by the River, ample provision was made for the support of the Gospel, as well as for the material comfort of the minister. On January 1, 1669, four acres of meadow were set apart for the use of the Rev. Mr. Pierson ;1 and a second grant of meadow to him was recorded on February 21, 1760.2 It is believed, -perhaps, without sufficient rea- son,-that these two tracts formed a part of what was afterwards known as "the Parsonage Meadow."
The original Proprietors, in their Concessions, au- thorized the General Assembly of the Province to ap-
I. Newark Town Records, p. 25.
2. Ib., p. 36.
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SURVEY OF THE PARISH LOTS AND THE COMMON OPPOSITE THE OLD PARSONAGE HOUSE.
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The Lower Parsonage.
point as many ministers as they should think fit, and to provide for their maintenance. In 1672, the Pro- prietors, in the so-called "Explanation of their Con- cessions," agreed to give two hundred acres of land "to each parish for the use of their ministers ;" the same to be free of rent and other charges.
On October 31, 1676, there was entered in "the Pro- prietors' Record of Warrants and Surveys," (lib. 2, fol. 36,) a "Warrant to lay out for Benefit & Use of the Towne of Newarke So much Land as shall be Con- venient for Landing places within the said Towne, Land for a School House, for a Towne house, a Meet- ing house, a Market Place or Market places, and two hundred Acres of Upland and Meadow in proportion for a parsonage." Reference to this is made in the Town Books by an entry, on February 7, 1676-7, of the appointment of two men "to go to Woodbridge, and inquire whether Mr. Deleplary hath caused what he hath done in Respect to what he surveyed for our Towne Bounds, to be recorded in the Secretary's Office ; and, if not, to go to him, and use Means to have it recorded in the Secretary's Office Speedily."
Rev. Dr. Stearns says, of the Newark survey : "I find no evidence that any use was made of these lands for religious purposes, except the erection of a house of worship and the burial of the dead, on one of the smaller tracts, until after December 10, 1696 ; when a deed was executed by the Proprietors, conveying all the above named reservations, with their appurten- ances, to John Curtis, John Treat, Theophilus Pier- son and Robert Young, their heirs and assigns for- ever, 'to the only proper use, benefit and behoof of the Old Settlers of the towne of Newark aforesaid, their heirs and Assigns forever, In Com'n ; granted to bee and Remaine to and for the several uses herein
250
History of the Oranges.
particularly expressed, and to be appropriated for no other use or uses whatsoever.'"'1 The grantees were required to pay a yearly rent of "six pence sterling monie of England, for the aforesaid several tracts of Land on every five and twentieth day of March for- ever hereafter, in Leiu and instead of all other services and demands whatsoever." ?
One parcel of the Parsonage lands conveyed by said deed is described as follows :
"A Tract Lyeing Above Daniell Dods Home lott Beginning at Daniel Dod's South West corner, thence running North at the East End twenty Eight chaines to the highway, thence as the highway runes twentie six chaines to the branch of the Mill Brooke, thence Along the Brooke seaven chaines at the West End to Sam- uell Huntington's line ; bounded west by the sayd branch, North by the highway, East by Hance Alberts, Samuel and Daniel Dod, and by the other Lotts South."
There are five other tracts, also intended for the benefit of the church and parson, and at the close of the description of the sixth, is written: "Contain- ing in all the above said tracts of upland and meadow (after allowances for barrens, highways, &c.,) two hundred acres, being alloted for the parsonage." 3
In 1707, the Town voted to give John Cooper the use of "a piece of the Parsonage Land for his Im- provement, for the Space of Seven Years ;"4 and, in 1709, when Rev. Mr. Bowers was called to the pasto- rate, he was promised "the Use of the Parsonage House and Land." 5 In 1716-7, the Parsonage Land was ordered to be "run out according to the Pattent ;" 6
I. History of the First Presbyterian Church in Newark, p. 105.
2. Newark Town Records, p. 283.
3. Ib., pp. 281 and 282.
4. Ib., p. 120.
5. Ib., p. 121.
6. Ib., p. 128.
25I
The Lower Parsonage.
and, in 1742-3, a fine of 20 shillings was imposed upon any one "that cuts any Tree or Trees, Spires or Hoop- Poles upon any part of the Parsonage, except so much as is necessary for diging or carying of any Stones any Person may want for building or other Uses." 1 Such trespassing seems to have been persistent, how- ever ; for there is frequent mention of it in subsequent Town Meetings.
In 1756, we find the first recognition of the claims of the Orange Society, and the Episcopal Church in Newark, to two-thirds of the Parsonage property. On March 9th, "the Parsonage Meadow was sold for the Year ensuing to Nathaniel Camp, for £2, 7s, to be divided between the 3 ministers, viz : 2 in the Town, and one at the Mountain." 2 It is a well-known fact, that the two new churches had rigorously pressed their claims for an equal division of the Parsonage lands, upon the ground of their descent from a common an- cestry. They were joint heirs with the Newark Pres- byterians, and so entitled to participate in the joint inheritance. And, as was said by Dr. MacWhorter, concerning the introduction of Episcopacy into this Puritan town, and the fierce quarrels which ensued : "This pious bustle was not altogether about religious principles." 3 The people of the First Church con- tended, on their side, that they-and they only-were the legitimate successors of the single parish, to which
I. Newark Town Records, p. 135.
2. Ib., p. 142.
3. Rev. Dr. Stearns says : "The claim seems first to have been set up by the Church of England, who took possession of and enclosed a portion of the wood land. But the people at the Mountain, who had been accus- tomed to cut wood from the Parsonage lands for their minister, and had received for him some of the rents of the Parsonage Meadow, soon and vigorously joined in the pursuit." History of First Presbyterian Church, Newark, p. 226.
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