The Reformed Church

— The Holland people in the northern part of the town were no doubt connected with the neighboring Dutch congregations at a day quite as early as the Puritans of the town with their own. The Dutch Churches were on the west at Horseneck, on the north at Totowa, on the northeast at Acquackanonck, and on the southeast at Second River. While such men as Bertholf, at Acquackanonck and Second River, were abounding in apostolic missionary journeys, and the learned and humble-minded Meyer was at Totowa and Horseneck, and their associates or successors, Coens, Van Sanvoord, Hoeghoort, Marinus, Leydt and Schoonmaker were caring for the Holland people all the way down to 1794, the Holland farmers of the Franklin, Stone House Plain and Speertown neighborhoods found attractive churches and pastors at hand. Their natural affinity was at Acquackanonek and Second River. However early the school-house was erected, there was the preacher in an occasional service in the Dutch tongue and later in the English. It is probable that Stone House Plains was first a regular preaching-station under the Rev. Peter Stryker, who came to Second River in 1794. Under him the Reformed Church at Stone House Plain was organized in 1801. The first church edifice was erected in 1802. The present edifice, built of freestone and ten feet longer than the first, was built on the old site in 1857, the spire completed in 1860—61. The Rev. Mr. Stryker served both churches for some years. The Rev. Staats Van Sanvoord seems to have succeeded him as pastor of the two churches, and the two churches continued together until 1826.

A good number of the Holland people, such as the Cadmus, Joralemon and Kidney families, residing among the Puritan population, were also connected with the church at Second River.