The History of First Presbyterian Church in Englewood

The City of Englewood, lying on the western slope of the Palisades of the Hudson within the valley at the northeast end of the Great Hackensack Meadows, began as a somewhat exclusive real estate development. The future town was the vision of J. Wyman Jones, also a founder of the First Presbyterian Church, who filed the map of the proposed subdivision in the Bergen County Clerk's office in Hackensack on August 15, 1859.

Two hundred fifty years earlier, in September 1609, Henry Hudson sailed the Half Moon up the long estuary of the Atlantic past the Palisades taking soundings as he went. An intrepid Englishman in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, this master mariner was exploring the Middle Atlantic coast in the hope of discovering a northwest passage to the Orient. In 1623, the Dutch formally claimed the central portion of the coast calling it “Nieuw Nederlandt”, and in 1625 founded the town of “Nieuw Amsterdam” at the southern tip of Manhattan Island. By the 1630’s a few plantations existed on the western shore of “de Groote Rivier” (Hudson) in what is now New Jersey, and later farther to the north “Vriessendael” and a trading post at “Acheter Col” now Edgewater and Bogota respectively, were established. Both were destroyed in the Indian War in 1643, and there was no permanent settlement in what is now northern Bergen County until David Demarest and other Huguenots came to the New Milford area in 1677. They established their French Church there about 1682, but in the 1690's decided to merge with the Dutch Reformed Church at Hackensack which had been founded in 1686.

In 1664, the English captured Nieuw Amsterdam, and the Dutch renounced all claims to North America. Under English rule the Provinces of New York and New Jersey were created, and settlement proceeded relatively rapidly. Many large tracts of land in the Province of New Jersey were patented to speculators, who gradually resold to settlers.

About 1705, Garret Lydecker purchased 1000 acres of land in the northern part of the locality then known as the English Neighborhood. His house is said to have stood near the intersection of today's Grand and Palisade Avenues. Other early family names in this part of Bergen County were Westervelt, Banta, Bogert, Van Buskirk, Vreeland, DeMott, and Demarest.

These families were predominantly of Dutch and Huguenot descent, and no doubt prior to the war, led a peaceful existence raising grain and livestock and worshipping at the English Neighborhood Dutch Reformed Church, then located in what is now Leonia. During the 1770's its pastor was Domine Garret Lydecker, a grandson of Garret Lydecker, the settler. A vehement Loyalist, he used his pulpit to rail against the Independence movement.

Perhaps the most important occurrence here during the war was the retreat of the Continental Army from Fort Lee on November 20, 1776. The previous night Lord Cornwallis sailed up the Hudson with about 6000 British troops, who disembarked and scaled the Palisades at one, or possibly two landings in the Closter area. Washington was warned of the advance of the British and ordered General Greene to evacuate the Fort. The last of the Americans escaped past the Liberty Pole shortly before the first of the British appeared on Tenafly Road. The Revolutionary War period was a grim time for most of the inhabitants of the area, some of whom left to live elsewhere. Bands of local Tory supporters raided the farms of Patriot relatives and former friends, while the British appeared again in September, 1778 plundering the harvest. At other times the Americans themselves did the raiding, as did Generals Greene and Lee who were ordered to forage for livestock but found little worth taking. In the late summer of 1780 Washington and the Continental Army camped near Liberty Pole-present day west Englewood and north-eastern Teaneck. Accompanying him were Generals Marquis deLafayette, Anthony Wayne and Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton.

After the war ended in 1783 and the British evacuated New York, the shattered local economy returned to relative prosperity. The fertile land began once again to yield fruit, vegetables and grain- much of which was transported to the markets in the fast-growing city of New York. From this time on, the area was to be closely linked to the fortunes of the great city to the southeast.

By 1804, a school had been established at Liberty Pole, and the first tavern, owned by Teunis Cooper, stood at the intersection of present day Tenafly Road and West Palisade Avenue. A later Liberty Pole Tavern, a frame structure built in 1835 to the west of the present monument, was owned by the Vanderbeek family, and was for many years the polling place for Hackensack Township.

The Tavern was the local social center- the place for quaffing beer and apple jack while exchanging news and gossip. In addition, it served as the post office and a stage coach stop. Forest Avenue was constructed across the marsh in 1834 to provide quicker access to the Teaneck area, and at its intersection with English Neighborhood Road (Grand Avenue), John Van Brunt opened a grocery store. He served as a state senator from 1849 to I851, and was one of the original Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Englewood.

The Rev. Henry M. Booth, D.D. writes of the farmers of the valley that "they were an industrious, honest, and frugal people. Cautious and slow by native temperament, they were steadfast in the friendships which they formed. No one who is familiar with the early history of Englewood fails to acknowledge the sincere and cordial hospitality of the original residents". He further quotes a quaint passage of another author 'a more peaceful valley than the one through which the Northern Railroad was constructed can scarcely be imagined. The natural beauty of the country, and the substantial and comfortable appearance of the quiet homes, dotted among its slopes, made a drive from Hoboken to Piermont a charming one. Especially in the Spring was it attractive"

"The road-sides were lined with fruit trees, and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air. The roads were narrow, and wild vines trailed along the fences in great profusion. The expression of the country was rural, thrifty, peaceful and old."

Were it not for the building of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey, the area from Ridgefield to Piermont undoubtedly would have developed very differently and probably much later. The Railroad was organized mainly by Thomas W. Demarest and John Van Brunt, both residents of the English Neighborhood, who were Secretary-Treasurer and President respectively. It was chartered in February 1854, and after the acquisition of land for the right of way, construction commenced at Sparkill, N.Y., and continued southward. William Sneeden, the chief engineer, chose a route to the east of Overpeck Creek and the Hackensack River, thus avoiding the necessity of building two drawbridges. By 1859 the track was completed, and on May 26 service was begun from the Erie Terminus at Piermont, N.Y. to Jersey City.

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© 2002 First Presbyterian Church
Last updated: 4/2/03