USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Preakness and the Preakness Reformed Church : a history 1695-1902 : with genealogical notes, the records of the church and tombstone inscriptions > Part 14
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The Rev. C. T. Demarest is next perhaps in the order of time. He was a graduate of Columbia College in 1804; studied theology under Froeligh ; was licensed by the Classis of Paramus, 1807. His charges were, White House, 1808-13; English Neighborhood, 1813- 24 ; when, with a large part of his congregation, including his Con- sistory, he seceded from the Reformed Church, and was suspended from the ministry. He served the Church of the secession until his death, in 1863.
Following the Demarests came the Rev. Jacob T. Field. He was settled at Pompton Plains, which included Pompton and Wan- aque, from 1813-16; and, after the organization of the Church at Pompton, he served that Church from 1815-27. Field, who be- came a member of the Classis of Bergen, April 26. 1814, was there- fore in his work in Preakness, in part at least cotemporary with the
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two Demarests, and the others named in their later ministry ; as he was cotemporary also with his own successor, Rev. Ava Neal, at Pompton Plains, who likewise, during a portion of his pastorate, labored in that connection with Fairfield.
Shortly after Field's coming to Pompton Plains, the people of Pompton and Wanaque built their church where it now stands, and had it dedicated, October 16, 1813. The sermon was preached by Rev. Jacob T. Field, of Pompton Plains, from Psalms 132 : 14-16. On the afternoon of the same day, Rev. Wilhelmus Eltinge, of Paramus, preached from Luke 10; 5, 6. The desire, however, of the Pompton and Wanaque people soon asserted itself in a pro- osition to the Pompton Plains Consistory, that they have half the services of the Domine, and they would pay him half his salary. With this end in view, (which, at one time, appeared practicable, viz : that a joint call might be made out by the two Churches, by which it would be possible), Classis on June 1, 1815, directed that an organization of the Pompton Church should be at once effected ; and this was done, as nearly as can be determined, on the eighteenth of the same month. But the joint call contemplated was never made out. By certain action of the Pompton Plains Consistory, a separation occurred instead. On December 18, 1815, a call was made by the Pompton and Wanaque people alone on Mr. Field, which he afterwards accepted. On the day of its acceptance, April 30, 1816, it was approved by Classis. His installation took place some time in June or July, although his labors began immediately after accepting the call, which was for $600, without a parsonage. The pastorate of brother Field at Pompton Plains closed April 10, 1827, but he was not dismissed to the Classis of Paramus until April 15, 1828.
The following is taken from "The Pastor and the Church," by Dr. Welles, pp. 83, 4.
"The Rev. Jacob Ten Eyck Field was born in Lamington, Somerset Co., N. J., October 31, 1787, graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1806, and pursued his theological studies under the Rev. Dr. Woodhull, of Monmouth Conuty, N. J. He labored as a missionary for a year or two in and around Stroudsburgh, Pa. In the Spring of 1810, he was called to the Presbyterian Church of Flemington, N. J., and was ordained and installed its pastor November 28, 1810. Here he remained until May 4, 1813, when much to the regret of the congregation, he accepted a call to the Reformed Church of Pompton Plains." After serving at Pomp-
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ton, "he came to Paterson and remained until 1832, when, at his request, Classis gave him a letter of commendation to the Churches of all sister denominations, as he expressed his intention of going into the western country. He was stated supply for a time of the Presbyterian Churches of Stroudsburgh and Middle Smithfield, Pa., and in June, 1838, was installed pastor of these Churches. In 1839, when fifty-two years of age, he was disabled by a stroke of paralysis, from which he never recovered sufficiently to resume the work of the ministry. Two years later, in 1841, he went to Belvi- dere, N. J., and there resided until his death, May 17, 1866," in his 79th year, "and was laid to rest at Shawnee, Pa. Dr. Duryea says : 'He was a good man, much esteemed, a plain and faithful preacher'; while the Classis of Paramus bears record that he was a man 'of ardent piety and exemplary deportment, faithful and devoted to the cause of his Master.'"
Rev. S. Van Santvoord also was a supply here until 1825, very much in demand, it appears, after 1814, when as a young man he was ordained and installed over the Church of Belleville, where for fourteen years he served. Rev. S. Van Santvoord was born in 1790 ; graduated from Union College, 1811; N. B. Seminary, 1814 ; was licensed by the Classis of New Brunswick the same year ; Belle- ville was his first charge, from that time, until 1828; for a year or more after this, he was an agent to collect funds for the Seminary ; when from 1829 to 1834, he was pastor at Schodack, and from 1829 to some time in 1830, also at Coeymans ; from 1834-9 he was stated supply at New Baltimore; was pastor at Onisquethaw, 1839-64, supplying likewise Second Berne, 1841-2, and New Salem, 1843-4; and serving as pastor at Jerusalem, 1845-57. He lived to a very great age, dying in 1882, aged 92.
In the Pompton Plains Reformed Church records we find the following entry under date of Aug. 10, 1816, although nothing appears to have come of it:
"Consistory met at the church on Pompton Plains in con- junction with two elders sent from Preakness as a committee to consult to make a call on the Rev. Isaiah Y. Johnstone." (Elders John Van Winkle and Peter Voorhis.)
"Resolved, that the Preakness congregation is to have one third of the services, when a minister is obtained."
"Resolved, that the preaching be in the Church on Pompton Plains two thirds of the time, until Towagha shall build a church there they
NOTE .-- "Towagha" was probably a neighborhood in the direction of Montville, pronounced something like "Wachow." (John Neafie.)
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shall be entitled to one third of the services provided they raise one third of the money to pay the minister."
"Resolved, that Ewout Van Gelder be appointed to draw up a sub- scription list according to the above resolutions."
In Corwin's Manual we learn that Isaiah Y. Johnson, also spelled Johnston, was born 1783; was graduated from Williams College, 1813, and from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, 1816, in which year he was licensed by the Classis of New Bruns- wick. His charges were Argyle and Fort Miller, 1817-21; and Schodack, 1821-4, in which latter year he died. "His expression was intellectual and bland ; his manners affable, always courteous, cheerful, and of easy dignity. He was attractive to the youth of his charges. His habits were very systematic."
In this same year, viz: 1816, before the Rev. Ava Neal, a classmate of Mr. Johnson, and the last of these supplies for Preak- ness, came into the Classis of Bergen, as a young man from the Seminary, an effort was made by this Church, it appears also in conjunction with Pompton Plains, to call him as pastor of the two. An agreement was drawn up to that effect by which Preakness was to pay one-third of his $550 salary, and have one-third of his time, and Pompton Plains was to pay the other two-thirds, besides fur- nishing the parsonage, and have him two Sundays to Preakness's one. But for some reason this contemplated arrangement likewise failed; and the next year Fairfield supplanted, or in some way came into the place of, Preakness in the contract.
A copy of the agreement as to Preakness and Pompton Plains is herewith furnished :
"At a meeting of the committee of the two congregations of Pompton Plains and the congregation of Preakness, it being mu- tually agreed that Ewout Van Gelder and Peter T. Doremus as soon as convenient call on the Reverend Ava Neil in order to consult the said Revd. Ava Neil for what sum he will accept a call to serve the two aforesaid congregations to perform divine service as follows, that is to perform his service two-thirds at Pompton Plains and one-third in the congregation of Preakness, and it being agreed by the undersigned that if the sd Neel shall be called for five hun- dred and fifty dollars annually that the congregation of Preakness is to pay for this proportion the sum of one hundred and eighty- three dollars and thirty-three cents, if for less sum than aforesaid to reduce in proportion, and if for a higher sum than above men- tioned to raise. And the congregation of Pompton Plains to find the Parsonage and wood, etc., according as the above named Ewout
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Van Gelder, and Peter T. Doremus may think to engage and agree with him the said Revd. Ava Niel, as witness our hands this twenty - ninth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixteen.
HENRY MANDEVILLE, PETER T. DOREMUS, ISAAC VAN SAUN, C. MERSIELES.
In the records of the Pompton Plains Church, under date of Feb. 9, 1817, we find in connection with this matter the following : "The Consistory did not proceed in making out a call on the candidate Isaiah Y. Johnstone, but turned their attention to the Candidate Ava Neal. The attempt to become connected with the congregation of Preakness failed, and the Consistory made out a call on Mr. Neal for his services two-thirds of the year, at the same time that the Consistory of Fairfield called him for the remaining third. Mr. Neal accepted the call, and was ordained pastor of this Church Feb. 9th, 1817,"-which united charge he held 1817-22, when he withdrew from Fairfield, and served Pompton Plains alone until 1828. Neal was graduated from Columbia College, New York, in 1810. He was a tutor in Rutgers College in 1814, a graduate of the Seminary at New Brunswick, and licensed by the Classis of New Brunswick in 1816, but did not become a member of the Classis of Bergen until Feb. 9, 1817. In 1829, he was sus- pended from the ministry, for conduct unbecoming a minister: 1st Charge, Drunkenness. 2nd Charge, Some dishonorable business transaction. But was restored in 1833, and at his request, dis- missed from the Classis. He died in 1839.
Though Preakness failed in her object in regard to the calling of a minister in connection with Pompton Plains, the attempt made to that end seems to have done the people at least some good ; for, instead of having only occasional or semi-occasional supplies most of the time since the organization of the congregation up to that date, after this there is a marked improvement,-for the supplies were more regular and numerous from now on until the final call- ing of the first pastor here, the Rev. Zachariah H. Kuypers. With- in this period, we definitely know of preaching having occurred in this church at any rate 97 Sundays; which was an average of more than 12 Sundays a year, as follows: Revs. S. Van Santvoord, 18 times ; P. Stryker, 11 times ; J. T. Field, 10 .; Duryee and Cornelison, each 9; J. V. C. Romeyn, ?; C. Demarest and Ava Neal, each 5;
1 1
1
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1
John Demarest and Brinkerhoff, each 4; Bogardus, 3; Eltinge, 2; and ten others, viz: Boyd, James Demarest, Goetchius, Smulse, Switz, Van hand, Bogerd, (Bogart), Cruikshank, Van Derveer, Cooper, (Kuypers) candidate, each once.
We know nothing more of the connection of any of these men with Preakness; and with them, except for the'short term of six ./' months, in 1842-3, under Domine Woods, ended the mere supply system for this Church,-unless we include one and one-half. years · in 1887-8, under Beekman. Preakness Church, until the date now 1. reached, was represented in Classis simply by Elders, as we have fully noticed. But from this point forward, with only short 1 periods between pastorates, with the single, or perhaps two excep- tions, just observed, the congregation here claimed the dignity of 'having a regularly settled pastor.
5
The congregation, although organized, as we have seen, by Classis, the first Sunday in December, 1801, about three years after the erection of the first church building, was not an incorporated body, until about ten years thereafter. In 1811, the Elders and Deacons of the Church, and their successors in office, by a Special Act of the State Legislature, a copy of which we give below, be- came forever the trustees of the congregation. Here is the copy of the Act: 1
"Be it known to all whom it may Concern that pursuant to an Act of the Legislature of New Jersey, Intitled, 'An Act to Incorporate Trustees of Religious Societies,' Passed the 13th day of June. 1799," (Elmer's Digest, pp. 459-462).
"We the Subscribers Elders and Deacons of the Dutch Reformed protestant Congregation formed and established at Preakness in the County of Bergen . Do by these presents, and by virtue of the said Act, Certify and Declare that the Trustees of the said Congregation and their successor's in office shall. forever hereafter be known as a body politic and corporate in law Be called known and distinguished by the name and stile of the Dutch Reformed Protestant Congregation of Preakness in the County of Bergen and State of New Jersey."
In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals this twelfth day of September in the year. of our Lord One Thousand and eight hundred and eleven."
CORNELIUS KIP, A B Seal, ISAAC VAN SAUN, C D Seal,
Elders. CORNELIUS MERSELIS, E F Seal, TUNIS I. HENNION, G H Seal, 1
NICHOLAS KIP, I J Seal,
Deacons. JACOB POLHEMUS, K L Seal, REM ONDERDUNK, M N Seal
O P
Received in the office (County Clerk, Hackensack) and Recorded the 23rd day of October, 1811.
ABRM. WESTERVELT, Clerk.
.
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
A copy of this Act on which is written, or subscribed, "A True Copy from the original taken Before it was Recorded," is among our old Church papers, but said copy is, in several minor respects, different from what is recorded at Hackensack, and as we have given it.
Another Act vesting certain real estate in the successors of these Trustees was passed by the Legislature of New Jersey, Mch. 19, 1851, which see later on.
Repairs seem to have been necessary on the "church steeple" very soon after the building was completed. We have never heard of the "steeples" having been struck by lightning, but this may have been the case. At any rate, in this connection, we have a subscription paper which speaks for itself:
"We the subescribers do promise to pay the Consistory of the congregation of Preakness or to their successors in office the severa! sums affixed opposite to our names for the purpose of discharging the sum of One Hundred and Sixty dollars which said sum of money having accrued by the Repairs done to the steeple of the Meeting House in Preakness and also for finishing the gallery, etc As witness our hands this twenty-eight day of November, 1811.
To wit:
C. Merselis
$15.00
Tunis I. Hennion
10.00
Garret Merselis 12.00
Albert Berdan 10.00
Uriah R. Van Riper
8.00
Elizabeth V. Riper
3.00
Henry Cooper
6.00
James Akerman, Jr.
1.00
Jacob Polhemus
9.00
R. I. Schuyler
1.00
Edward Jones
1.50
John Johnson
1.00
Henry Van Wart .50
Isaac Van Blarcom
1.50
$79.50
Lower Preakness subscription
120.47
$199.97
The names on this subscription paper evidently are all of people from Upper Preakness, as underneath them and the result are added the words: "Lower Preakness subscription $120.47,"_
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making a total on the two subscriptions of $199.97,-a respectable · sum surely, and more than was asked for.
The Upper Preakness subscription presumably was passed around by Jacob Polhemus as per endorsement on it:
"SIR :- You will go through your district, and get all the subscribers you can. I hope you will do it with all possible speed.
Yours with Respectfull esteem &c.,
JACOB POLHEMUS.
C. MERSIELES.
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
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i
: CHAPTER VI,
THE UNION OF PREAKNESS WITH PONDS AND WYCKOFF, AND THE PASTORATE OF THE REV. Z. H. KUYPERS. )
In 1825, the year in which the name of Queen's College, at New Brunswick, was changed to that of Rutgers, the Rev. Zach- ariah Hoffman Kuypers, (or Cooper), whose father, the Rev. Warmoldus Kuypers, came from Holland to the Island of Curacoa, in the West Indies, and thence, about 1769, to New York, assumed charge of the Preakness Church, in connection with Ponds and Wyckoff,-the Wyckoff Church having been organized only in 1822, and incorporated, under the laws of the State of New Jer- sey in 1824. Kuypers's calls to Ponds and Preakness were dated Feb. 24, 1825, and presumably that to Wyckoff was dated at the same time. He had been heard in Preakness as a candidate Jan. 30, previous, and hence his call to this Church particularly was very prompt. He was to preach in each church every third Sunday, and for his services was to receive one hundred dollars per year from each congregation. Preakness paid him semi-annually, and we have on hand probably all his receipts,-any how there is a large number of them.
No doubt the other Churches paid him as often. Kuypers was received into the Classis of Bergen, in which all these Churches then were, Apr. 19, 1825, not quite two months after the date of his calls. He was present that day at the opening of Classis at Stone House Plains, and before being received, was invited to sit as an "advisory member." Under "Approbation of Calls" in the Minutes of Classis, we read: "Calls on the Rev. Zecharias Kuypers were presented from Ponds, Wyckoff, and Preakness Churches, which were found in due form, and approved by Classis. Classis at the same time enjoined upon the Consistories of those Churches to affix to said calls their corporate seals," which they had not done: "Mr. Kuypers having produced a certificate of dismission from the Classis of Long Island, properly authenticated, and having signi- fied his acceptance of the calls was then received in connection with the Classis of Bergen, and arrangements were made to install him in each congregation. Mr. Neal was appointed to install him in the Ponds congregation the second Sabbath in May. Mr. Field
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at Wyckoff, the , and Mr. Staats Van Santvoord at
Preakness (No dates for the last two installa- tions). In the Minutes of the meeting at Schraalenburgh Sept. 20, 1825, we find this entry : "The undersigned hereby certify that they have installed the Rev. Zecharias Kuypers, pastor in the con -. gregations of Ponds, Wyckoff, and Preakness, agreeably to the order of Classis to that effect.
"Sept. 20, 1825.
"AVA NEAL, "JACOB T. FIELD, "STAATS VAN SANTVOORD."
Zecharias H. Kuypers was born Feb. 19, 1771, at Rhinebeck, N. Y., where his father was at that time settled; but was brought up at Hackensack; as his father, the same year in which the son was born, removed to the latter place, where he died Sept. 10, 1797, aged 65 years. Zechariah, or Zachariah, as he wrote his name, was educated at Prof. Wilson's School at Hackensack, and studied theology under Dr. Livingston. He was licensed by the Classis of Hackensack in 1793, and was called the next year to the Churches of Queens County, Long Island, viz: Jamaica, Newtown, Success, Oyster Bay, and Lakeville,-although Success, and Lakeville ap- pear really to have been the same Church, or congregation.
When the call of these combined Churches or congregations was presented to Classis Mch. 12, 1794, for approval, the members of Classis could not refrain from expressing their surprise at the small and inadequate sum (£150 New York money, or $375) mentioned in it as the annual salary of their minister. The young brother was received and examined by Classis Apr. 29; when, his examination having been sustained, arrangements were made for his ordination, which occurred in the Church at Success on Sunday, July 13, 1794, Rev. John H. Livingston, D. D., preaching the ser- mon from Matt. 28: 18, 19, 20. "The Church at Success, the largest in Queens County, was crowded to its utmost capacity, by people eager to witness the novel and interesting ceremony. Those who could not get inside the building took seats out of their wagons to stand upon, peering in and listening at the windows, if so be they might hear 'or see something." "That the ceremony of ordination might be seen of all the people, it was usual to have staging erected before the pulpit, and partly resting on the pews, which was prob- ably the case at this time, whereon sat the ministers and candidate,
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
who kneeled at the laying on of hands." (Hist. First Refd Dutch Church of Jamaica, N. Y., pp. 75, 76. Henry Onderdonk, Jr.)
From Dr. Corwin's Manual we learn that "in this extended field," which Kuypers now assumed, (after probably his four sep- arate installations,)" living at Jamaica, he set out from home with his sulky, on Friday or Saturday, returning on Monday or Tues- day. "On these occasions he availed himself of the hospitality of the people and made pastoral visits." In these Churches, but not in all of them, all the time, he labored for 30 years, sometimes hav- ing a colleague, but often not. His life on Long Island was not a pleasant one. "He bought a farm at Jamaica, which involved him in difficulties, and the Sheriff levied on his effects." At times he dabbled in politics, which also gave him a great deal of trouble. At the end of his 30 years in that region, he came back to New Jersey, where he had spent the days of his boyhood and youth. His labors in these parts as pastor of the three Churches of Ponds, Preakness, and Wyckoff, continued from 1825 to 1842, when he was declared emeritus, and for eight and one-half years was with- out a charge, until he died Oct. 14, 1850, aged almost 80 years. (Van Benschoten). The Minutes of the Classis of Passaic, Apr. 15, 1851, Vol. 1, p. 166, say that Rev. Z. Kuypers died Oct. 5, 1850. "The History of the Reformed Dutch Church at Jamaica," p. 88, says it was Oct. 4. Which one of these is correct? Van Bens- choten says: "the old man was a good scholar ; wrote his sermons, committed them to memory, and delivered them without any ges- tures, his eyes closed, or directed to some object on the side of the house, as if trying to recollect" what was to come next. His ser- mons were good, and contained much scripture, of which he always quoted chapter and verse; but his delivery was so monotonous and mechanical, and his mind was so absorbed in recalling the words that followed every time, that he failed to give proper emphasis to what he said, and his preaching therefore to a large extent was without the desired result. While in New Jersey, it is said, he seldom or never prepared a new sermon, using his old stock,-his enemies on Long Island used to say that the sermons he used there were his father's.
Judge Garrison, of Oakland, has told us that the domine also loved music, and was himself a fair singer. His favorite tune was entitled "Majesty," which, oftener than any other, he gave out in his services.
Kuypers, while caring for his New Jersey charge, boarded with
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Samuel Demarest, who lived about a mile southeast of the Ponds Church, on the road from there to Preakness, and likewise within fair access to Wyckoff, in the old stone house now (1899) occupied by the Cummings family. His room was on the second floor north, and was always called the domine's room. Samuel Demarest was the grandfather of the present Samuel Demarest living between Ponds Church and Oakland Station. The domine, although he boarded with Mr. Demarest, availed himself largely of the hos- pitality of his people, going about in his gig or buggy to his various appointments, as well as when he made pastoral visits. In order to fill his appointments, he would leave his boarding place some time on Saturday, or on Sunday morning as best suited him, or circumstances required, and would then spend his time the rest of the day, or over night, with the different families who wished to entertain him. He was socially inclined, and was fond of his pipe, which he seldom permitted to go out, except when necessary, and told long stories, especially of Long Island, which were eagerly listened to above all by the children. He was of a mild temper, un- suspicious, and lacked worldly wisdom. If the Sabbath was stormy, he did not meet his appointments, so that six, and some- times nine, weeks would intervene between his preaching in a cer- tain church,-although the people of Preakness, during these intervals, were not absolutely destitute of church privileges, since on pleasant Sundays, when there was no service in their own church, some of them would go to Totowa, Fairfield, Pompton Plains, Pompton, or Ponds, as best suited them, or according as they were nearer these churches. The Church here seems to have done fairly well under its first pastor, at any rate, for many years, or until he got too old.
We are told that originally Domine Kuypers, like the Master he served, was a carpenter. He could preach in both Dutch and English. He was never married, and as one (Rev. Dr. J. H. Dur- yea) has declared, "It was well, for he never received salary enough to support a wife." When he resigned Apr. 5, 1842, each of his three Churches paid him an extra $100. In physical build, he was a very large, tall, (6 feet 2 inches), broad shouldered, and strong man. But many years before his death, which occurred in New York City, he was afflicted with the shaking palsy. He had brothers, Elias, Gerardus, William, and Peter, all of them minis- ters but the last. Elias became an Episcopalian. The other two were ministers of the Reformed Church.
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