page_title: Presbyterian Church (Westfield, New Jersey)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Presbyterian Church (Westfield, New Jersey) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: I took this photo of the Westfield Presbyterian Church Burial Ground myself on January 28, 2012. This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 07001108
context_page_description: The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, New Jersey was established in 1728, when twelve to eighteen of the early settlers built a log house for worship near what is now Benson Place.
context_section_description: The Presbyterian Church in the West Fields of Elizabethtown was established in 1728. A great drum was sounded to call people to services. Before then, many of these God-fearing pioneers would make the all-day trip to Elizabeth to attend services, the men carrying firearms to protect themselves from Indians.
  On November 5, 1734 the congregation bought 40 acres (160,000 m²), roughly the area bounded now by the back of the church cemetery on Mountain Avenue, Kimball Avenue, the middle of Mindowaskin Park and East Broad Street. The price was £20. Though the site was reduced or sold over time to about 7 acres (28,000 m²), it is the site the congregation has occupied ever since. A small building was erected.
  It is not known when the second building was erected, but it was probably about 1734 and was situated at the intersection of East Broad Street and Mountain Avenue. The third building was set directly behind its predecessor and was first used about 1805. The present building was erected in 1861, slightly up the hill from the previous one and the sanctuary with the large church spire remains to this day as the main building for worship. An additional building known as “Westminster Hall” was originally designated as a lecture hall. It was built in 1853 and has been added to from time to time, with the last renovation taking place in 1908.
  During the American Revolution, the church pastor was the Reverend Benjamin Woodruff, a staunch patriot. On June 26, 1777, he had the church bell rung to warn residents that some 14,000 British troops were approaching. Again, on June 23, 1780, the bell warned residents that the Redcoats were coming. This time, British soldiers climbed to the belfry and flung the bell to the ground. Tradition says the bell was taken to Staten Island where, later, a prisoner from Westfield heard it ringing and recognized its tone. Eventually it was returned and rehung in the belfry.
  Reverend Woodruff and his wife are buried under the vestibule of the present building; a plaque near the front door commemorates his long and devoted service.
  About 1818 the first Sunday School was started. Education was important to local Presbyterians, who gave the grounds for the first Westfield academy; and the public schools of Westfield grew out of that institution.
  In the early days sermons could last up to two hours. Wood stoves provided some heat, but members often brought foot warmers in the winter. Light was by candles. Muddy roads made carpets impractical; instead, the floor was covered with a thick layer of sand. Along the side of Mountain Avenue was a long row of posts to which horses were tied. Singing was conducted by a presenter who stood before the congregation, gave the pitch from a tuning fork, and sang out the tune in "a loud, stentorious voice".
  Before the American Civil War, church members occasionally voted to take action for or against certain civic practices. In 1847, Session successfully protested to railroad officials the running of trains through Westfield on the Sabbath. Until 1870, Session heard cases involving offenses against the civil law as well as against the discipline of the Session. Some cases involved the moral and spiritual rectitude of church members; a typical offense charged against some young men was intemperance. Others concerned absence from worship service, slander, lying, theft, etc.
  Long after the Revolution, religion and patriotism went hand in hand for church members. For many years each church trustee swore to support the Constitution of the United States.
  The present church structure, built during the early part of the Civil War, was dedicated on March 25, 1862. The congregation at that time numbered less than 250, but the new structure had a seating capacity of 800.
  In 1875 a pipe organ was installed. Two years later a choir loft was added and a variety of music and choral groups have been introduced over the years.
  The cemetery across Mountain Avenue is part of the Church property and was first used for burial about 1720. Seventy-three veterans of the Revolutionary War are bur
caption: The Westfield Presbyterian Church Burying Ground in January, 2012
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