Middlebush Reformed Church
Encyclopedia
Middlebush Reformed Church known as "the church with the red doors", is located at 1 South Middlebush Road at the corner of Amwell Road. It is the fourth oldest church in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
. It was organized in 1834, and the New York Times noted their first church was built in Colonial times
and was one of the landmarks of the region. Middlebush is an unincorporated area and community located in Somerset County
, New Jersey
. The Middlebush Village Historic District
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on April 25, 2007 as district #07000384.
The church is a Reformed Church part of Reformed Church in America
in the Christian
Protestant denominations
formally characterized by a similar Calvinist
system of doctrine.
area of what is now Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
. The initial three member committee included the first Reverend of the church Jacob Schultz. The settlers had "migrated from Manhattan Island seeking more tillable land". Residents were previously traveling to Reformed churches in Hillsborough, New Jersey; Franklin Park, New Jersey
; or New Brunswick, New Jersey
. The few Dutch families initially met in a barn "in what is now O'Connor's Beef 'N Chowder House on Amwell Road" owned by the Voorhees family. One descendant, Mary Amanda Voorhees, "Miss Amanda", later served as the church's organist for forty-five years. "[S]ervices continued there until 1835, when the white frame church was completed". Three locations for the church building were considered: one on Amwell Road north of the current location, one on South Middlebush Road south of the railroad tracks, and the current location on the corner of South Middlebush Road and Amwell Avenue. One acre of land was given for the church lot and about five more acres continuing along South Middlebush Road were purchased by the church. The acreage was divided into smaller lots and sold off in 1839. The cornerstone of the church building was laid on June 7, 1834. During construction, the search for a pastor began. Jacob Schultz, the pastor at Whitehouse Station, New Jersey and Lebanon, New Jersey
was contacted. The new church building was dedicated on February 30, 1835. The final cost was $3,989. Schultz was formally installed as pastor on December 30, 1835.
Lightning destroyed the church building on July 2, 1917, the New York Times noted part of the furniture was saved and the loss was estimated at $50,000. Congregation members who lived nearby rescued furniture and the church membership book. A kerosene lamp was saved, and is currently hanging in the church. Planning for the new building at the same site started immediately but construction was delayed by World War I
. The Gothic revival building was rebuilt using stone from the Martinsville, New Jersey
quarry. The church was rededicated in 1919.
In 1972 the church set up a "mini" school.
In 2003 the church started a community living nativity scene
in 2003 and has continued to date, it includes "four scenes from the Bible
and ends with the birth of Jesus Christ". The annual Christmastime event includes "costumed characters, live animals and carollers
".
The church celebrated their 175th anniversary in 2009. They buried and sealed a time capsule
to be opened at the congregation's 200th anniversary in 2034, 25 years later.
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
. It was organized in 1834, and the New York Times noted their first church was built in Colonial times
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
and was one of the landmarks of the region. Middlebush is an unincorporated area and community located in Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The Middlebush Village Historic District
Middlebush Village Historic District
The Middlebush Village Historic District is a historic district in Somerset County, New Jersey that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. In 2007, it included 37 contributing buildings and 3 contributing sites....
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 25, 2007 as district #07000384.
The church is a Reformed Church part of Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
in the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Protestant denominations
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
formally characterized by a similar Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
system of doctrine.
History
It was organized by Dutch settlers on March 19, 1834 in the Colonial FarmsColonial Farms
Colonial Farms is an area of Middlebush, New Jersey that now contains the Stage House Tavern.-History:Denyse Teunissen from the Netherlands moved from Long Island when he purchased the property in 1703. In 1723, Christian VanDoren purchased from Teunissens. Later the property was divided into...
area of what is now Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
. The initial three member committee included the first Reverend of the church Jacob Schultz. The settlers had "migrated from Manhattan Island seeking more tillable land". Residents were previously traveling to Reformed churches in Hillsborough, New Jersey; Franklin Park, New Jersey
Franklin Park, New Jersey
Franklin Park is an unincorporated area within portions of North Brunswick Township and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex County and Franklin Township in Somerset County, in New Jersey, United States...
; or New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. The few Dutch families initially met in a barn "in what is now O'Connor's Beef 'N Chowder House on Amwell Road" owned by the Voorhees family. One descendant, Mary Amanda Voorhees, "Miss Amanda", later served as the church's organist for forty-five years. "[S]ervices continued there until 1835, when the white frame church was completed". Three locations for the church building were considered: one on Amwell Road north of the current location, one on South Middlebush Road south of the railroad tracks, and the current location on the corner of South Middlebush Road and Amwell Avenue. One acre of land was given for the church lot and about five more acres continuing along South Middlebush Road were purchased by the church. The acreage was divided into smaller lots and sold off in 1839. The cornerstone of the church building was laid on June 7, 1834. During construction, the search for a pastor began. Jacob Schultz, the pastor at Whitehouse Station, New Jersey and Lebanon, New Jersey
Lebanon, New Jersey
Lebanon is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,358.Lebanon was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 26, 1926, from portions of Clinton Township, based on the results of a...
was contacted. The new church building was dedicated on February 30, 1835. The final cost was $3,989. Schultz was formally installed as pastor on December 30, 1835.
Lightning destroyed the church building on July 2, 1917, the New York Times noted part of the furniture was saved and the loss was estimated at $50,000. Congregation members who lived nearby rescued furniture and the church membership book. A kerosene lamp was saved, and is currently hanging in the church. Planning for the new building at the same site started immediately but construction was delayed by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Gothic revival building was rebuilt using stone from the Martinsville, New Jersey
Martinsville, New Jersey
Martinsville is an affluent unincorporated area located within Bridgewater in Somerset County, New Jersey. Martinsville is located in northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township; the 08836 ZIP Code takes in the southern extension of Bernards as well...
quarry. The church was rededicated in 1919.
In 1972 the church set up a "mini" school.
In 2003 the church started a community living nativity scene
Nativity scene
A nativity scene, manger scene, krippe, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke...
in 2003 and has continued to date, it includes "four scenes from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and ends with the birth of Jesus Christ". The annual Christmastime event includes "costumed characters, live animals and carollers
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
".
The church celebrated their 175th anniversary in 2009. They buried and sealed a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
to be opened at the congregation's 200th anniversary in 2034, 25 years later.
Pastors
Pastors have included the following:- Jacob I. Schultz, 1834-1837
- John Addison Van Doren, 1838-1865
- George Swain, 1866-1868
- Stephen L. Mershon, 1869–1874
- James Le Fevre, 1875-1902
- John A. Thomson, 1902-1920
- Frank A. Langwith, 1921-1926
- Harold W. Nelson, 1926-1928
- Russell W. Shepherd, 1928-1930
- Marinus Den Herder, 1931-1932
- Cornelius Van Leeuwen, 1934-1937
- Frank A. Langwith, 1937–1948
- David W. Jenks, student, 1949-1952
- Vernon L. Dethmers, 1952-1960
- Charles B. Bridgman, 1961-1973
- Ronald L. VanderBeek, 1974-1986
- John J. Arnone, assistant, 1981–1982
- Gerald L. Vermilye, interim, 1986
- Taylor Holbrook, 1986-1998
- Ross Rettig, 1999-2001
- George Montanari, 2002-current
Further reading
- Centennial historical account of the Middlebush Reformed Church, Middlebush, N.J., 1834-1934. Middlebush Reformed Church (N.J.), 1934.
- Historical discourse delivered at the semi-centennial anniversary of the Reformed Church of Middlebush, N.J. James Le Ferve, Daily and Weekly Home News Printing House, 1884.
- Favorite recipes of the Middlebush Reformed Church, Middlebush Reformed Church (N.J.), Cookbook Publishers, 1978.
- Writings on American history: Volume 38 of Carnegie Institution of Washington publication Annual report (American Historical Association), KTO Press, 1938.
- The Churches speak on--women's ordination: official statements from religious bodies and ecumenical organizations, J. Gordon Melton, Gary L. Ward, The Churches speak series, Gale Research, 1991, 0810376474, 9780810376472.
- Historical discourse delivered at the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Reformed Church of Middlebush, N.J., John A. Thomson, Published by the Consistory, 1909.
- Historical discourse on occasion of the centennial anniversary of the Reformed Dutch Church of Millstone, Edward Tanjore Corwin, J.J. Reed, Printer, 1866.
- Pre-revolutionary Dutch houses and families in northern New Jersey and southern New York, Rosalie Fellows Bailey, Holland Society of New York, Dover Publications, 1968.