Timeline: History of Churches in Stillwater Township
Stillwater Township has had two Presbyterian Churches: one in Stillwater and a second in Swartswood.
Stillwater Presbyterian Church (1838-2019)
The earliest roots of the Stillwater Presbyterian Church date back to 1769. The original founders of Stillwater were of the German Reformed denomination of Protestantism. It is known that the very first families travelled over the mountain to a church in Walpack and eventually built a log cabin in Stillwater for local services.
1769
Members of the German Reformed and Lutheran religions agreed to “unite in brotherly love” and worship together. On September 12th the elders, including George Wintermute, signed a document of ten Articles.
1771
First church building was erected in the Stillwater Cemetery, the land for which Peter Bernhardt donated. It was made of field stone. This building was used until 1816 at which time the Dutch Reformed group “had risen to the ascendant.” Settlers from Hardwick also took part in the beginning.
1795
Rev. Jacob Senn is known to have preached there. There were no resident preachers in those days. They used the Circuit system whereby preachers travelled around to several churches. The church struggled with chronic financial problems and therefore decided to join a more financially stable Protestant denomination and benefit from the services and support.
1823
Following application to the Presbytery of Newton, on June 13th the congregation officially became known as the Stillwater Presbyterian Church. Henry B. and Isaac Wintermute were elected ruling elders. Rev. Benjamin Lowe became their first full-time minister. The 80 members continued to worship in the old stone church in the cemetery until 1837 when it was abandoned as unsafe. They held services in the nearby school house for the next few years until the new church was built on Main Street. The stone church was demolished in 1847.
1832
German Reformed and German Lutheran officially separated in Stillwater.
1838
New Stillwater Presbyterian Church building opened with Rev. T.B. Condit giving the dedicatory sermon. He served for forty-four years.
1894
Rev. Condit moved into the Presbyterian Manse (which had been built in 1836) taking ownership in lieu of unpaid salary.
2019
The Stillwater Presbyterian Church closed after 180 years.
Swartswood Presbyterian Church
(Known as Second Presbyterian Church of Stillwater)
1833
Second Presbyterian Church of Stillwater erected its own church building in New Paterson (Swartswood) in the Mount Benevolence district. Thomas Mc Dermot was sent from Stillwater church to become pastor. The building was abandoned in 1850 because of deterioration.
1854
A new church was built but was closed down in 1889 (during Prohibition.) Rev. Condit, who also preached there for several years, wrote that there was no interest in religion in that area because of too many evil influences from Gin Point (Middleville) and Rum Corners (Swartswood.)
The church building later became the home of Catholic residents Andrew and Louise Fontanna. who provided space for Sunday Mass until Our Lady of Mount Carmel opened in 1967.
Stillwater Township has had two Methodist churches in its history, the first in the town of Stillwater (1832 to the present) and the second in Swartswood (1856-1975).
Harmony Hill United Methodist Church
1802
Services or “Classes” began in a log cabin on Jacob Main’s farm on Cat Fish Pond Road (until 1832.) Rev. Elijah Woolsey, a circuit-travelling preacher, gave the first sermon to twelve people.
1832
New church built by Thomas Dildine on three tracts of land purchased from Dildine and his wife and Peter Wintermute. Dedication sermon by Isaac Winner, but still no full-time minister.
1839
Designated as an official “station” church with a full-time pastor.
Swartswood Methodist Episcopal Church
1852
The town of “New Paterson” officially changed to “Swartswood.”
1856
Swartswood Methodist Episcopal Church was built on land donated by John V. Hankinson, the former Clerk of Stillwater Township. Harmony Hill Methodist shared their pastor who also served the Methodist Episcopal Church in Waterloo Village. In 1975 the congregation merged with the Harmony Hill Methodist Church and the building was sold to the Stillwater Township Police Department and Municipal Court. In 2012 the Stillwater police department was disbanded and the building donated to Harmony Hill, which then donated it to Samaritan Inn for a food pantry.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Swartswood (est. 1967)
1855
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Newton was built on Jefferson Street, and in 1864 the new church on Halstead Street was built. A century would pass before another Catholic Church would appear in Sussex County to accommodate the hefty population of Catholics living in Stillwater Township, especially in Swartswood. In the 19th century, most of the county’s Catholics were miners who lived in Andover. Prior to the availability of automobiles, many of these Catholics walked to Newton to attend Mass.
Local residents in Swartswood tried fill in the gap. Louis’ Lake House, a popular hotel and restaurant, provided space for Mass on Sundays to meet the demand of its summer guests.
1940s
Pastor Monsignor Michael Donnelly of St. Joseph’s Church in Newton began holding Mass in the old Middleville Schoolhouse on Route 521 that had been vacated when the Stillwater Consolidated Public School opened in 1941. The tiny church was called St. Michael’s Mission Chapel.
1950
Andrew and Louise Fontanna, Catholic residents in Swartswood, offered the second floor of their home to Pastor John Hewetson as a permanent chapel. Their home had been the previous Swartswood Presbyterian Church built in 1854. During the summer, more space was needed for Mass services and the congregation used the Swartswood Volunteer Fire Department.
1964
Monsignor Joseph Gallo purchased the land next to the Swartswood Fire Department from Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cionek.
1967
Ground was broken for Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
1970
The church opened with a congregation of 170 families. Within a decade the number had grown to 450 families.