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Archiver > NJHUNTER > 2001-01 > 0979062125


From: Sharon / Harry Colquhoun <>
Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Amwell Church Cemetery
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 12:42:05 -0500


According to a history of The United First Presbyterian Church of Amwell, the
First Presbyterian Church of Reaville was originally located in what is now the
Pleasant Ridge Cemetery and was known as The Old House. In 1810, the United
1st Presby Church became known as the German Presbyterian Church of Amwell.
Prior to that it was Dutch Reformed. That same year of 1810, the Old House was
in need of a minister and was without funds. The two churches were united as
The Old House and The Stone Church but their worship was separate, as were
their funds. One shrewd old elder said "he thought he knew a Dutchman too well
to believe that he would marry a widow without funds". The Old Stone House
became tgoo small. The Old House voted against a new building. In 1818 a plot
of land was given by Joseph Kugler on the opposite side of Wertsville Rd and
the new church was built and dedicated. It's still used today. Eventually the
Old House was superseded by a new building in the village of Raeville. It's
also still in use.

The O;ld Stone Church disappeared. A record from 1810 indicates that a stone
wall was started around the cemetery and some think they used the stones from
the building. The oldest section of the cemetery is laid out with heads to the
west and feet to the east! In 1908 John D. Rockefeller dedicated a large
granite monument to his ancestor, Johan Peter Rockefeller. They also had the
wall enlarged to surround the whole plot and cemented capstones on top of the
wall.

Don't know the answer to your original question - but wasn't this
interesting???

Sharon Moore Colquhoun
Belle Mead NJ


Susan Case wrote:

> When I was at the Cemetery of the Amwell Presbyterian Church , Pleasant
> Ridge Cemetery, I saw a sign which says, "Amwell Church Site of the First
> Presbyterian Church built in 1738. Here George Whitefield's sermon to 3000
> people in 1740 inspired religious zeal." Does anyone have any information
> on this event?
>
> ==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
> Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
> http://members.aol.com/njysprez/index.htm


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