“Christ Church, Woodside, Newark, N. J., from which the First Reformed Church of that place was organized, held its first service of public worship in the schoolhouse on the corner of the old Belleville road and Cottage street, on the 19th of February, 1871, Rev. John M. Macauley, D. D., officiating. In the following month—March 12, 1871—Dr. Ray Palmer and Rev. Mr. Strieby preached; with this single exception Dr. Macauley continued to preach there for two years. During this time a call, signed by every member of the church not absent from home at the time, was tendered to Dr. Macauley to become the regular pastor of the church. “In September, 1872, the question of a denominational connection was decided in favor of the Reformed (Dutch) Church and application was made to the classis of Newark for admission. This application met favorable consideration and a committee consisting of Revs. E. P. Terhune, D. D., J. P. Strong, D. D., C. E. Hart, and Elders A. C. Wheaton, James Browe, was appointed to visit Woodside and organize the church in accordance with the regulations of classis. “Woodside, October 30, 1872. “The committee appointed by classis to organize a Reformed Church at Woodside assembled for that purpose Wednesday evening, October 30th, at the schoolhouse. The exercises were opened by religious services. Rev. Dr. J. P. Strong preached a sermon from Psalm lxxxvii., 3d verse. “After these services the committee proceeded to receive the members, thirty-two in number, applying to be organized as a church. “The organization was completed by the election of Horace H. Nichols, Charles C. Hine and Baxter G. Blackwood as Elders, and James Swinnerton, Jr., Louis Dovell and E. A. Boyden as Deacons. “The following resolutions were adopted:— “Resolved, That the ordination of officers take place on Sabbath, November 17, 1872. “Resolved, That the title of the church be ‘Christ Church, The First Reformed Church, Woodside’. “November 17, 1872, after morning service, and in pursuance of previous action, the ordination of the officers elected October 30th was taken up, Dr. Macauley officiating. Mr. Boyden having declined to act as Deacon, Messrs. Dovell and Swinnerton were duly ordained to that office, and Messrs. Blackwood, Nichols and Hine as Elders.” [Illustration: Christ’s Church, Washington And Delevan Avenues. The first building of this congregation and the third church to be organized in the house of Mr. C. C. Hine. Note the horse cars.]