Wolver Hollow Dutch Reformed Church

Date: 1732 [unknown]
Location: 2 Brookville Road Brookville, NY 11545
Surname/tag: Duryea

Introduction

The Dutch Reform Church in what is now the city of Brookville has a strong place in our Duryea history. From the records of that church in the books A documentary history of het (the) Nederdeutsche gemeente we find it mentioned again and again where baptisms, marriages and other records were kept. It is important for the understanding of the history of this family we appreciate where this church was located and the role in played.

History

From the Village of Brookville website:

The area of the Village of Brookville was settled in the 17th and 18th centuries by English and Dutch farmers. In 1732, the Dutch bought the property at the intersection of what we know as Wheatley Road and Brookville Road to establish a church. There were many springs and a brook on the property, and it is said that the wolves gathered there to drink. Thus, the Dutch called Wolver Hollow. The church, which was built at that time, was known as the Reformed Dutch Church of Oyster Bay.

Four different structures have been built over the years and the present stately and beautiful building was dedicated in 1924. It was renamed the Brookville Reformed Church and still stands on the original site.

Perhaps because the countryside boasted many brooks, the area became known as Brookville, and it was in the County of Queens until the County of Nassau was incorporated in 1899. Throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, the area remained virtually unchanged, being farmland and woods with abundant wildlife.

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From HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY with illustrations, Portraits & Sketches of Prominent Families and Individuals. New York: W.W. Munsell & Co.; 1882. pp. 469-576.:

Brookville, called by the Indians Susco’s Wigwam and by the Dutch Wolver Hollow, is a hamlet on Shoo Brook, above Beaver Swamp. It was founded soon after 1650, by the Dutch, for the purpose of affording protection to their eastern border. A Dutch settlement has sprung up here, and from it

THE REFORMED (DUTCH) CHURCH OF OYSTER BAY.

The house of worship is in Brookville. The church took its name, as was not unusual many years ago, from the township rather than from the immediate locality in which it was situated.

On the 9th of September 1732 the people of Wolver Hollow, Cedar Swamp (now Greenvale), Eastwood (now Syosset) and Matinecock (now Locust Valley) and vicinities met and decided to have a church of their own. Some were members of the Reformed Dutch church of Jamaica, more attended there, and most of them were of Dutch parentage and spoke the Dutch language; so the new church was Dutch Reformed. For many years the services were conducted in that language.

At the meeting of the 9th of September 1732 a subscription was started and it was determined to build a house of worship at once. On the 25th of the same month an acre of ground for a building site was bought of Edmund Wright for £6, New York money. The church building was probably completed as early as April 1734,for on the 25th day of that month the people met in it and elected Peter Luyster and Cornelius Hoagland church masters (kerche meesters), to have charge of the sittings, and to take a general oversight of the house of worship; The first structure was an eight- sided building, with pointed roof, surmounted by a weather vane. The good old Dutch people were accustomed to look toward the church to see which way the wind blew, in more than one sense. When it did not blow from the right quarter, especially inside, they were inclined to inquire the reason. The men and women occupied different parts of the church, the former sitting on benches (bancken) or pews near the pulpit (though there was a row of benches along the walls), while the latter were seated farther away, each by herself on a straight backed chair.

The first house of worship stood for nearly one hundred years. It was taken down in 1832, and the present one was raised August 29th of the same year, and dedicated January 20th 1833. This was remodeled in 1875.

(Please note here that this record was written before the present church was built.)

There is in the records no list of members at the organization, but there is a record of those who subscribed for building the first church. In this list there are names spelled : Amerman, Brinkerhoff, Bennet, Durland, Haff, Hegeman, Hoogland, Hardenberg, Janse (Jansen), Koole (Cole), Luister, Loyse, Monfoort, Noorstrant, Onderdonck, Polhemus, Remsen, Reyde (Ryder), Schenck, Symense (Simonson), Snedecer, Van Nortstrant, Voorhis, Vanvoris, Van Wyck and Woertman.

In 1836 a house near the church, with several acres of ground and necessary buildings, was bought for a parsonage. This has at different times been repaired, and in 1880 was rebuilt, remodeled and enlarged, making it a tasty and comfortable parsonage.

The Sabbath-school connected with the church was begun about 1834, with James Madison Montfort as superintendent. No records of the school except of late years remain. During the past few years J.B. Luyster, W. McKay, William Chapman and H.A. Stoutenberg (the present incumbent) have superintended the Sabbath- school. Its present membership is 150; its library contains over 300 volumes.

For two- thirds of the first century of its existence the church was associated with the Reformed churches of Newtown, Jamaica and Success, now North Hempstead (at Manhasset), and under the same pastoral care; and from 1802 until 1834 was associated with the church at Manhasset alone. For nine years after its organization the church of Oyster Bay, with its associates, waited in vain for a pastor from Holland; and in 1741 settled Johannes H. Goetschius, who left in 1748.

From 1754 to 1760 Thomas Romeyn was pastor. He was followed after an interval of years, in 1766, by Hermanes Van Boelen, who remained six years.

In 1775 Solomon Froeugh, noted in later years for his secession from the Reformed Dutch church, became pastor. His stay was short. He was a noted Whig and was forced to leave Long Island to escape from the British, after a pastorate of fifteen months.

After him came Rymer Van Nest, who remained as pastor from 1785 to 1797. In 1794 Z.H. Kuypers (Cooper) became a collegiate minister, and remained in charge as pastor until 1824. With Mr. Kuypers in 1813 D.S. Bogert became colleague, and he left in 1826.

Henry Hermanes followed, but staid less than a year.

He was succeeded in 1827 by James Otterson, who gave up his charge in 1834. After Mr. Otterson left, this church separated from that of North Hempstead, and called R.A. Quinn in 1835.

In 1841 he left and Thomas B. Gregory became pastor, remaining until 1844. He was followed the same year by P.D. Oakey, who removed at the beginning of 1847.

From the middle of that year Rev. N.E. Smith was pastor until February 1853; then J.L. McNair twenty months; I.A. De Baun three years from 1855; J.C. Lowe from 1859 until 1863; J. Searle, 1863-66; J.H. Smock, 1866-71; M. Swick, exactly six years. In 1877 J.A. Davis, the present pastor, assumed charge.

The church reports a membership of 131, and about 130 families under the care of its pastor. While its increase has not been great, considering its years of life, it is well to remember that as many as twelve churches have been formed within what were once its bounds.

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