Cold Spring Presbyterian Church, historic church and cemetery in Cold Spring, New Jersey
Cold Spring Presbyterian Church is a red brick building constructed in 1823 in the Federal style, featuring two stories on land that has hosted worship for generations in Lower Township. Inside, the structure has pews with individual doors dating from its founding era and a U-shaped balcony with an organ, choir space, and seating for roughly one hundred people on the upper level and two hundred in the main floor.
The congregation began in 1714 in a simple log building and moved to a wooden frame structure in 1764 before settling into the current brick building in 1823. The cemetery holds graves of Mayflower descendants and cholera victims from 1832, reflecting both the pioneers' roots and the hardships early settlers endured.
The church's name reflects Presbyterian roots from Scottish reformer John Knox and French theologian John Calvin, whose teachings emphasized education and community leadership. Visitors can see how this tradition still shapes how people gather and worship in this small settlement.
The grounds spread across large open areas with parking and expansive lawns beside wetlands and wooded spaces where bald eagles frequent. Guided walking tours of the historic campus are available during warmer months, with guides in period dress explaining the building, cemetery, and early burials.
Locals affectionately call the building 'Old Brick,' and its cemetery contains a large communal grave for cholera victims from 1832 with no record of how many people are buried there. This unmarked grave holds an unspoken piece of local history that many visitors pass by without noticing.
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