The early history of Presbyterianism in Phillipsburg dates back to the days when the saintly David Brainard, clergyman and physician, ministered to the Lenni Lenapes from 1740 to 1744.  Where the D., L. & W. Railway intersects Brainard street a long church was built.  It disappeared before the closed of that century.  Time passed without the record of any church, with some itinerant Methodist or Presbyterian missionary occasionally holding a service in any convenient place.  That was the limit.  The founding of the First Presbyterian Church was the result of an awakening spirit that took possession of the citizens of the town, away back in 1852.

        The people were not only elated over the newly acquired conveniences of travel that opened their community to the surrounding world, but they were enthusiastic in the matter of a church home, within their own borders, that they might not have to travel to Easton or other places near by.  Application was made to the Presbytery of Newton for permission to build a church, and in response to the petition, the Presbytery appointed a committee to meet on Tuesday, December 13, 1852, to organize a church "If the way be clear."

        The committee met at the time suggested, in the "Old Academy," now the Sitgreaves school, and after devotional exercises a sermon was preached by Rev. George C. Bush.  All who had letters of demission from other churches or wished to join by profession of faith were requested to come forward that they might be organized into a church.  Some thirty-one responded with certificates and became the charger members of the newly organized church.  Elders and deacons were immediately elected and installed, and a Sunday School was also organized.

        Denomination was forgotten in the joy of having a church at home.  Thus, with songs of praise, prayers and benedictions, on Decmeber 13, 1853, the First Presbyterian Church of Phillipsburg, N.J., sprang into existence.  Rev. S. Stoyes was acting pastor at this time, an he was fully called as pastor April 16, 1855.  The matter of building a church was uppermost in the minds of the congregation.  Out of many sites the present one was chosen.  The cornerstone was laid in 1854, and the service of dedication of the completed edifice was held September 13th, 1858, the Rev. Nicholas Murray, D.D., of Elizabeth, N.J., preaching the sermon.  The congregation then worshipped in the building which we occupy today.

        The following pastors have served the congregation:  Rev. S. Stoyes, 1853-1856; Rev. W. C. Cattell, D.D., 7 months; Rev.James Y. Mitchell, D.D., 1857-162; Rev.James Petrie, 1862-1867; Rev. Henry B. Townsend, 1867-1887; Rev. E. M. Fergusson, 1889-1892; REv. Alfred N. Raven, 1892-1896; Rev. Percy Y. Schelly, 1896-1909; and Rev. J. Hackney Colclough, the present pastor, 1909--.  Space will not permit the words of commendation that these beloved pastors and those who labored with them are entitled to.

        The present parsonage, the second one bilt by the church, is one of the finest in the Synod, and will always minister to the comfort and convenience of the pastor who occupies it.  The church has always fostered the missionary spirit, and today the hustling North End Mission and the thriving, well founded Westminster Presbyterian church of our town remain as living monuments of the missionary spirit of the Old First Church.

        The following members constitute the officiary of the church:  Session--Rev. J. Hackney Colclough, Moderator; Alexander V. Johnson, James Drake, John Souders, John Swackhamer, David Smith, Isaac L. Foster, Clerk.  Trustees--E. E. Carhart, Chairman; E. D. Pursel, Edward Brill, L. O. Beers, R. H. Howell, Geo. W. Smith.  Isaac Vannatta, Treasurer of Board of Trustees.

        Today the church is prosperous and united, with a membership of over 400, and doing a good work in the Master's vineyard.  The Ladies' Aid Society, the Home Missionary and Foreign Missionary Societies, the Sabbath School, the Y. P. S. C. E. Societies, the Ushers' Association and the Choir are ably officered and doing a splendid work.  The Eldership and Trustees are earnestly caring for the spiritual and temporal needs of the congregation.  The present pastor and people appreciate the heritage committed to them by those gone on, and with a firm faith in God and our work, believe there is a great service and future for this branch of Zion.  May God also prosper our sister churches in town.  During this Charter Jubilee the First church heartily joins in and prays that our town may prosper materially, and also be devoted to the things that belss the home, uplift our daily life and make it happy, and advance the Kingdom of God.

        The beginnings of Methodism in Phillipsburg go back as far as the year 1824, when Philip Reese persuaded the Rev. D. W. Bartine, of Easton, to preach occasionally in Phillipsburg.  Converts made during these years affiliated with the Easton Church until 1855, when the Rev. R. B. Lockwood, a young member of the New Jersey Conference, was appointed regular preacher in Phillipsburg.  He preached his first sermon in the old Sitgreaves building on Hudson street, May 20th, 1855, and at the close of the service a new society was organized known today as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Phillipsburg.  Services were held every Sabbath in the old school building unti January 1856.  On June 18, 1855, the present site was selected, a triangular strip running along the lands of the Central Railroad.  Enough of this was traded off with the railroad to square up the property.  On January 27th, 1856, the new building, 45 feet front by 68 feet deep, had progressed far enough to permit the dedication and use of the Lecture Room, and the main auditorium was dedicated October 3d, 1858.  This building has been enlarged once by the addition of thirty feet, again by the addition of a twelve foot deep alcove to accommodate the organ, and again by the addition of a kitchen extending the length of the church to the limit of the lot.

        The men who have served as pastors are R. B. Lockwood, 1855-56; J. R. Adams, 1857-8; S. T. Moore, 1859-60; E. A. Day, 1861; A. M. Palmer, 1862-3; B. O. Parvin, 1864; S. Parsons, 1865-6; T. H. Landon, 1867-8; J. W. Seran, 1869-71; W. N. Searles, 1872-4; D. Walters, 1875-7; R. B. Lockwood, 1878-9; A. M. Palmer, 1880-2; G. F. Dickenson, 1883-4; J. R. Bryan, 1885-7; S. N. Bebout, 1888-90; W. H. Ruth, 1891; W. S. Galloway, 1892-3; R. K. Boyd, 1894-6; E. V. King, D. D., 1897-1902; Chas. Waldron, 1903-8; Frederick J. Hubach, A. M., B. D., 1909--.

        Great revivals and large additions to the church membership characterized the history of this church.  From it sprang the now prosperous and flourishing Wesley Chapel, and the enterprise at Green's Bridge, which flourished for a time, but could not withstand the tempests of that day.  Such names as Weller, Reese, Lovell, Lake, Farrand, Meyers, Hixon, Titus, Carling, Pierson and many others deserve to linger in the memory of their successors.

        The Sunday School, always energetic, had for its superintendents Chas. Reese, John Miller, J. R. Lovell, T. J. Titus, Newton H. Bieber, Dr. G. H. Jones, R. N. Lauer, W. A. Hummer, T. D. Tanner, O. A. Hummer, S. A. Metz, Dr. H. W. Souders.

        From time to time improvements have been made in the building and its furnishings, and in the fall of 1909 improvements were made to the front and interior including a beautiful new pipe organ, new windows and fixtures, and a redecorating of the entire church inside and out, so that today this church stands as one of the finest and best equipped buildings of its kind in the country.  The total enrollment of church membership today is 658, of the Sunday School 425, a Ladies' Aid Society of 150, an Epworth League of 120, a Junior Society of 75, a Brotherhood chapter of 50, a Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of 60 members, and a Home Missionary Society of 25 members, a choir of 28 members, the Dorcas Guild for Young Ladies numbering 25, and a troop of Boy Scouts.  The church gave last year nearly $700 for various benevolent and chartibable purposes, and it maintains a large and efficient committee who visit the sick and give help whenever needed.  The church publishes a monthly paper called "Our Work," which is distributed free to all attendants upon church services.  Last year over 8,500 copies were thus distributed, besides hundreds of religious periodicals, books and pamphlets, which are provided by members of the church.  A strong official body manages its affairs and their progressive efforts are being ably and loyally sustained by the membership.  This church is certainly to be reckoned with as a moral power in Phillipsburg.  Its three class meetings and the midweek service afford splendid opportunity for religious self-culture.  Its doors are open to all, seats are free, and a helping hand is freely given.

        The Offician Board--Pastor, Rev. Frederick J. Hubach, A. M., D. D.  Address 289 South Main street; Alfred Haley, Financial Secretary, 119 Summit Ave.; A. R. Alpaugh, Recording Secretary, 488 South Main Street; A. F. Robeson, Treasurer, 26 Brainerd Street.

        Trustees--George Flemming, David Lutz, A. R. Alpaugh, M. T. Hagerty, H. W. Souder, Alfred Haley, Alpha Robeson.

        Stewards, 1911--Wm. VanEmburg, Floyd Smith, Andrew Hummer, Lewis Hawk, J. S. Brader, Alfred Haley, Frank Clifford, John Dagon, Arthur Gardner, A. M. Yeisley, H. Sarson, C. A. Ehly, Wm. C. Smith, Albert Cooper, W. M. Davis, E. R. Beckwith.

        Class Leaders--David Lutz, Stewart Brotzman, Miss E. Hann, Mrs. Annie Frain.

        Other Members--Mrs. Nellie Wright, Mrs. F. J. Hubach, Mrs. R. Meek.

        The Wesley M. E. Church was organized in the year 1872.  A need was felt for religious instruction in the new residential part of the city on the hiull, and so the church grew naturally out of a Sunday School that had been started in that section two or three years before.   Lots were purchased on Lewis street at a cost of $700, and a chapel built at a cost of $3,500, which was dedicated in January, 1873.  The Newark Conference that spring sent A. H. Bellis, who was its first pastor, from 1873-75.  His successors have been D. B. F. Randolph, 1875-78; W. E. Blakeslee, 1878-80, under whose direction the parsonage was built; J. F. Dodd, 1880-83; Enoch Menchem, 1883-86; J. R.Wright, 1886-90, during whose pastorate the church auditorium was built; T. E. Gordon, 1890-93; Thomas Hall, 1893-97; S. H. Jones, 1897-01; F. L. West, 1901-04, during whose pastorate a $2,900 mortgage was paid off and the parsonage enlarged and improved; J. F. Maschman, 1904-09 during whose pastorate several improvements were made; and the present pastor, O. M. West, 1909--, under whose pastorate about $4,000 have been expended in building a young men's Sunday School class and club room and otherwise improving the church and parsonage property, which is now valued at $25,000.

        There has been a steady growth of the church and its societies from the time of its organization with 37 members and 36 probationers to the present. The church now has 570 members and probationers, 680 enrolled in all departments of the Sunday School, 204 in Senior Epworth League, 180 in Junior Epworth League, 75 in the Ladies' Aid Society, 37 in the Helping Hand Society, 30 in the Woman's Home Missionary Society, 25 in the Queen Esther Circle, 22 in Mother's Jewels Society, 29 in the Official Board, 87 in the Wesley Young Men's Club, and 52 in the Wesley Brotherhood.

        The church and its organizations now raise about $5,000 a year to meet its salaries, current expenses, improvements and benevolence.

        The Wesley church and congregation join heartily in the Charter Jubilee celebration of the town of Phillipsburg, and are glad that they have had a part in the town's moral uplift and the development of her extensive and varied industries.  Long may she live.

        Church Officers:  Rev. Orman M. West, Pastor; Trustees--W. E. Harwig, J. O. Carpenter, J. E. Potts, H. Carpenter, Dr. H. R. West, C. Cole, J. Watts, J. McCrea, G. F. Shafer.  Stewards--V. R. Dodd, J. J. Henderson, G. L. Yeisley, William Caskey, Dr. W. A. Crane, J. L. Young, C. Cole, R. H. Wilson, E. Hawk, E. N. Bruden, J. Watts, William Rymond, J. Kinnaman, C. Sampson, J. V. Nixon, A. Q. Hay.  Class Leaders--James Watts, Owen Rinker, M. Tinsman.  Treasurer--Joseph L. Young.  Financial Secretary--James Watts.  Corresponding Secretary--J. O. Carpenter.  Chorister--Mrs. V. R. Dodd.  Organist--Mrs. J. O. Carpenter.  Sexton--J. L. Young.  Superintendent of Sunday School--J. O. Carpenter.  President of Epworth League--Dr. W. A. Crane.  Superintendent of Junior League--Mrs. J. W. Fichtel.  President of Ladies' Aid Society--Mrs. Dr. W. R. West.  President of Helping Hand Society--Mrs. N. J. Tomer.  President of Women's Home Missionary Society--MRs. J. W. Baxter.  President of Queen Esther Circle--Miss Eva Stokoe.  Prsident of Mothers' Jewels--Miss Laura Pyatt.  President of Wesley Young Men's Club--John Kinnaman.  President of Methodist Brotherhood--Clark Cole.

        Westminster Presbyterian Church was organized by the Presbytery of Newton on Tuesday, April 27th, 1886.  The Sunday School, from which the church developed, was organized about 17 years before that, and, with a brief intermission, has continued to the present time.  The organization was effected in "Dull's Hall," where all the services of the church were held until the completion of the present building in 1890.

        Mr. Walter H. Waygood, a student in Lafayette College, served the church, under the direction of Rev. Mr. Townsend, giving his whole time during his summer vacation of 1886, and being with them off and on until the coming of Rev. E. C. Cline, who was the first regular pastor, and served them for about sixteen years, when he retired and was elected pastor emeritus.  Under his pastorate the church building was erected and the foundation laid deep and strong for the subsequent growth of the congregation.

        The present pastor, Rev. James Moore, was installed October 1st, 1903.  During his pastorate the commodious and comfortable manse was built.

        The present officers are as follows:  Pastor, Rev. James Moore; Pastor Emeritus, Rev. E. C. Cline; Ruling Elders, G. H. Cline, J. C. Weller, J. J. Moore, W. H. Souders (clerk); Trustees, Dr. J. H. Griffith (president), Theodore Inscho, Samuel Baker, Stewart Fritts, John C. Hill, Samuel Loare, H. J. Wenzelberger, Edward Breen, Frank S. Lantz (secretary); Treasurer, H. J. Parker.

       Prior to the year 1858, the few scattered Catholics of Phillipsburg attended divine service in St. Bernard's Church, Easton.  In that year Rev. James McKee was sent here to organize a parish, but his stay was very short.  He was succeeded by Rev. John Smith, who began the first church.  The corner stone was laid by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, of Newark, in September, 1860.  Father Smith, being in poor health, was obliged to relinquish the work, and died a few months later.

        Rev. C. J. O'Reilly was given charge in December, 1860, and continued the work of Father Smith.  He completed the church, which was deemed amply large for many years.

        As the industries of the town grew, so did also the population, and in 1873 Father O'Reilly found it necessary to provide for his rapidly increasing congregation.  Bishop M A. Corrigan, of Newark, afterwards Archbishop of New York, laid the corner stone of the present structure.  Only half of the building, however, was finished.  The little church telescoped into the larger one, and although the appearance was not very attractive, it accommodated the people for many years.

        After laboring here for 24 years, Father O'Reilly was caled to his reward, December, 1886.  His memory is still revered by the people among whom he labored and whom he loved.  This was his first and only parish.

        Rev. R. E. Burke, of Mt. Holly, was appinted his successor by Bishop M. J. O'Farrell, of Trenton.  He completed the main body of the church, and thus provided for his fast increasing congregation.  It has a seating capacity of nearly 1,200.

        It was in his pastorate that the Sisters of Mercy came to Phillipsburg and opened St. Catherine's Academy.  A little latter he re-established the Parochial School.

        In September, 1897, after serving the parish 11 years, he was transferred to St. Mary's Church, Bordentown, and the present pastor, Rt. Rev. Mgr. P. F. Connolly, was sent to take his place.

        In the spring of 1907, at a meeting of the congregation, it was resolved to finish the tower of the church and erect the steeple.  The Golden Jubilee year of the church and the Charter Jubilee of the town were approaching, and it was deemed worthy of these two events to give the finishing touches to the church.

        The work began August, 1910, and the spring of 1911 saw the completion of the exterior of the church.  The height from the street to the top of the cross is 175 feet.

        A large four-dial clock was installed int he tower, adding greatly to the beauty of the building, and the convenience of the people.

        After finishing the outside of the church, the congregation wished the inside to be renovated.  For moths the decorators were at work, and when the scaffolding was removed, the beauty displayed more than surpassed their expectations.

        The officials of the church are:  Rt. Rev. Mgr. P. F. Connolly, pastor; Rev. P. J. Quinn, first assistant, and Rev. M. R. Spillane, second assistant.  Lay Trustees, Thomas Newman and Michael Kenney.  The present membership is nearly 4,000.