About This Place
The First Dutch Reformed Church of Hackensack, established in 1686, was the religious and political center of the patriot movement in Bergen County. The congregation was overwhelmingly supportive of independence, and its ministers — including Reverend Dirck Romeyn — used the pulpit to advocate for the patriot cause. During the British occupation of Bergen County, the church building was seized by British forces and used as a military prison and hospital. The building suffered significant damage during the war and was rebuilt afterward.
The current church structure, while not the original Revolutionary-era building, occupies the same site on the Green and continues the congregation's unbroken history. The churchyard contains graves dating to the colonial period.
Revolutionary Significance
The First Dutch Reformed Church was the focal point of patriot organizing in Hackensack. Its congregation included many of the town's leading patriot families, and its ministers preached in support of independence. During the British occupation, the church was desecrated and converted to military use — an act that deepened the bitterness between patriot and Loyalist factions in the community. The church's restoration after the war symbolized the resilience of the patriot cause.
Location
42 Court Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
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Events at This Location
1774
Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack
1775
Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack
1775
Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack
1775
Sam of Hackensack
1776
Sam of Hackensack
1776
Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack
1776
Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack
1776
Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack
1776
Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Sam of Hackensack
1777
Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack
1777
Judge John Fell
1778
Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Sam of Hackensack
1778
Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack
1778
Theodosia Prevost Burr
1778
Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Sam of Hackensack
1783
Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack