Our Church History 1846-Present

Standing on the corner of Kinderkamack and Continental Avenues, it’s hard to imagine the deep roots FCC River Edge has in our area. Our story begins in 1846, almost 20 years before the end of the Civil War. River Edge, then known as New Barbadoes, was a little farming community. Most of the homes stood between the Hackensack River and a narrow dirt road, and people most likely travelled by foot or by horse and buggy.

At that time, a small group of women rallied to address the need for the formation of a formal Christian Education Program to replace sporadic children's lessons held at home. Funded by donations, a white clapboard building called the Sabbath School was erected. Worship services eventually followed and offerings were collected using a cigar box and a broomstick.

As time went on, the Sabbath School gained in popularity and attendance for many years until interest started to dwindle. Once again, a group of dedicated women cleaned out the old chapel and reopened it with eight students. In 1897, a new stone church was built on the same property, and on August 26, 1899, the First Congregational Church of River Edge was officially organized. As membership grew, our current church was constructed in 1954, and, with some modifications, remains the same today.

FCC River Edge is proud of our history and our humble beginnings as a tiny church built close to two centuries ago. Most importantly, we are proud of those who came before us and believed in the values that still hold true today. As a favorite hymn reminds us....the church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is the PEOPLE!!

Our Church Past - The Early Years

The Sabbath Day School, a small white clapboard building was erected in 1846, and measured 25' long and 17' wide. Some 50 years later, the River Edge Chapel Association built a new church on this same land. Stones from the original building were incorporated into the new stone church building Some of these stones can be seen in the courtyard and the interior wall of the Pastor's office.

The stone church, built in 1897, became too small to hold the booming post World War II congregation. In 1949, a new church school building was erected that included 12 new classrooms and a chlldren's chapel. Even with two sessions and two classes of each grade, many of the classrooms were overcrowded.

Breaking Ground For A New Era

In 1954 FCC River Edge broke ground on yet another church building unique in its modern style and poised for the future.