History
The two and a half story brick house was the home of the first ministers of the first Dutch Reformed Churches in the area, built by the combined efforts of the congregations in Somerville, New Jersey, and Raritan, New Jersey, in 1751.
The first occupant was Reverend John Frelinghuysen (1727-1754) who taught seminarians in the house. His son Frederick Frelinghuysen was a Captain in the Continental Army.
Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, one of the seminarians who occupied the house after Frelinghuysen's death along with the former reverend's widow and her children, succeeded Frelinghuysen as minister, occupant of the house, and, in 1756, as husband to the former Mrs. Frelinghuysen.
Hardenbergh helped establish Queen's College, now known as Rutgers University in 1766 and in 1785 became its first President. He moved from the house in 1781 but it continued in use as a parsonage until 1810.
Dr. Peter Stryker bought the house in 1810 and sold it to the Doughty family in 1836. They owned it until 1907 when they sold it to the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
In 1913, the house was set to be knocked down by the railroad, but instead it was moved adjacent to the Wallace House, which was built in 1775.
Harmanus Barkeloo II (1745–1788) and John Waldron (1737–1790) are buried in the cemetery.
Read more about this topic: Old Dutch Parsonage
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