Fairfield History Page

” I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.” (Psalm 143:5)

Fairfield Church is one of the oldest Christian congregations in our country. When the American Revolution was still a century in the future, Fairfield’s first pastor was in his pulpit!

The Succession of the 44 Pastors Serving
The Fairfield Presbyterian Church

Click pastors’ names for further information

M. Bradnor*	1680 – 1695 15 Yrs.	J.N. Wagenhurst	1897 – 1900 3 Yrs.
Thomas Bridges	1695 – 1702 7 Yrs.	John Bamford	1901 – 1903 2 Yrs.
Joseph Smith	1709 – 1711 2 Yrs.	W.J. Trimble	1903 – 1906 3 Yrs.
Samuel Exell	1712 – 1712 1 Yr.	William Bullock	1907 – 1908 1 Yrs.
Howell A.P. Howell	1715 – 1717 2 Yrs.	Nelson B. Kline	1909 – 1910 1 Yrs.
Henry Hook	1718 – 1722 4 Yrs.	William M. Seel	1912 – 1914 2 Yrs.
Noyes Parris	1724 – 1729 4 Yrs.	Franklin Weatherwax	1914 – 1917 3 Yrs.
Daniel Elmer	1729 – 1755 26 Yrs.	Nelson B. Kline	1918 – 1922 4 Yrs.
William Ramsey	1756 – 1771 15 Yrs.	Jacob Dyke	1922 – 1923 1 Yrs.
William Hollingshead	1773 – 1783 10 Yrs.	J. Howard Douglas	1923 – 1928 5 Yrs.
Ethan Osborn	1789 – 1844 55 Yrs.	Clinton Cook 1932 Anniversary, Part 1	1929 – 1941 12 Yrs.
David McKee **	1836 – 1838 2 Yrs.	Arthur Haverly	1942 – 1945 3 Yrs.
Beriah B. Hotchkin	1845 – 1850 5 Yrs.	John Taxis	1945 – 1947 2 Yrs.
David C. Meeker	1851 – 1855 4 Yrs.	Paul Stauning	1947 – 1951 4 Yrs.
James Boggs	1857 – 1866 9 Yrs.	Ralph Tamaccio	1951 – 1954 3 Yrs.
Hiram E. Johnson	1866 – 1869 8 Yrs.	Lincoln Griswold	1955 – 1958 3 Yrs.
Samuel R. Jones	1869 – 1874 5 Yrs.	Allen Ackley	1960 – 1964 4 Yrs.
Samuel R. Anderson	1875 – 1883 8 Yrs.	Vaughn Thurman	1965 – 1967 2 Yrs.
Henry Reeves	1883 – 1885 2 Yrs.	Charles Dennison	1972 – 1976 4 Yrs.
Frank R. Symmes	1886 – 1890 4 Yrs.	Lawrence C. Roff	1977 – 1984 7 Yrs.
Thomas W. Pulham	1891 – 1893 2 Yrs.	Allan Story	1985 – 1992 7 Yrs.
George Warrington	1894 – 1897 3 Yrs.	Michael Schuelke	1992 – 2022 30 Yrs.
		Chris O’Brien	2022 – present

* As noted on the list by the PCA Archives; a list by Lawrence C. Roff gives the name as John Bradnor
** Called as co-pastor with Ethan Osborn

THE LONGEST PASTORATES

Ethan Osborn	55 years	1789 – 1844
Michael Schuelke	30 years	1992 – 2022
Daniel Elmer	26 years	1729 – 1755
William Ramsey	15 years	1756 – 1771
John Bradnor	15 years	1680 – 1695
Clinton Cook	12 years	1929 – 1941
William Hollingshead	10 years	1773 – 1783
James Boggs	9 years	1857 – 1866
Hiram E. Johnson	8 years	1866 – 1869
Samuel R. Anderson	8 years	1875 – 1883
Thomas Bridge	7 years	1695 – 1702
Lawrence C. Roff	7 years	1997 – 1984
Allan Story	7 years	1985 – 1992

Historical Places

Fairfield Presbyterian Church has seen the Providential hand of God in preserving from development the sites of the first three church buildings and burial grounds. Information on these sites is posted below.

Please visit our 325th Anniversary Page where you may find progress reports on the much needed restoration of the New England Town Cemetery.

Visit the 325th page

Past Anniversary Celebrations

Miscellaneous Historical Photos

Photos of the congregation other than regular anniversary celebrations will be posted here. If you have old photos that warrant inclusion in a digital archive of Fairfield Church, please contact the office.

Fairfield Sunday School, June 1954 A.D.

Books

Beriah Hotchkin was a former pastor of the church who published his eulogy of Ethan Osborn, having been induced to do so by the requests of many. Wayne Sparkman of the PCA Historical Center has made available the following digital copy of Hotchkin’s book:

Register of Communicants

Fairfield History Elsewhere on the Internet

P.C.A. Historical Center Article

50 Oldest P.C.A. Churches

New Jersey Churchscape