The Olde Presbyterian Burial Grounds
On March 8, 1764, Obadiah Ayers conveyed to the
Presbyterian Committee in Hardwick (which was the original name of this township) a certain piece of ground "on which lo of land a meeting house was built by the Presbyterian congregation", and in 1763, the Old Historical Burial Grounds was established as the first
burial ground in Hackettstown. One hundred years later, in 1863, it was declared full.Radar surveys have estimated that there are between 900 to 1,000 people buried in the cemetery, 29 of the interred are Revolutionary War Soldiers. Of the 255 headstones that remain today, 60 of them belong to children. The first individual to be buried in the Cemetery was Nathanial Foster, who died while building the Church in 1763. Isaac Smith, one of the Revolutionary War Soldiers buried there, was born in 1753 and died on February 7, 1825. He was a colonel of the First Regiment, Hunterdon. He resigned on February 15, 1777 to accept the appointment of Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Also interred is John Reading, who served as Governor of New Jersey in 1746.
The Old Burial Grounds Committee continues to restore and repair the stone wall that surrounds the yard and headstones contained within, preserving both Hackettstown's important historic heritage and her contributions to the Revolutionary War. For volunteer opportunities or more information on the Olde Burial Ground and the ongoing restoration and preservation efforts, please contact the Olde Burial Ground Restoration Committee at 908.852.5941.
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