About Us Our History
In November 2011, FPCS turned 225 years old!!
Ours is the oldest church in Sussex county still standing on its original site. The roots of the membership are deep and far-reaching.
For the purpose of building a church, fifty-four acres of land had been given to Robert Ogden II by the Proprietors of East Jersey. The First Presbyterian Church in Hardyston (as the Sparta church was then called) was incorporated on November 23, 1786. The actual congregation was ten members.
For the purpose of building a church, fifty-four acres of land had been given to Robert Ogden II by the Proprietors of East Jersey. The First Presbyterian Church in Hardyston (as the Sparta church was then called) was incorporated on November 23, 1786. The actual congregation was ten members.
When snow was on the ground in the fall of 1786, the people of Sparta began to build the church. Before Noah Talmage struck the first oak, Robert Ogden II, standing in his sleigh, offered a prayer for the new endeavor.
Two stories in height, the structure was framed in heavy timbers and covered by weatherboard. The church had a single-gable roof running from the front to the back of the 52' x 30' structure and there were three front doors. The original window frames are still in place. In later years they were made to look taller by the use of shutters between windows. Looking at the roof of the church from the side today, one can easily recognize the original church before a basement was constructed underneath in 1869, a small chancel was extended at the rear in 1924 and 1952, and 26 feet were added to the front and the steeple moved forward in 1961.
The main beams supporting the church today are the original hand-hewn logs that were cut and shaped by the early settlers of Sparta. The original church had a dirt floor and was unheated. The parishioners sat on round hand-hewn logs and listened to two hour sermons.
The original church complex, including the old cemetery, dates to 1786 and was named a New Jersey State Historic Site in 1981. In 1812, a school was added on site and was replaced in 1860 after a fire destroyed it. Our fellowship hall, Pehrson Hall, was built in 1956. The Aaronson Education wing, built in 1986, houses a library, classrooms and meeting rooms. The recent restoration of our 200 year old church maintained the Colonial appearance with modern conveniences added such as air conditioning, better handicap access, and an improved sound system. The church pipe organ also received a major overhaul, thereby enhancing its musical quality.
Recently renovated, the church's colonial sanctuary reflects the history and strength of its original parishioners, yet its modern extensive new wing of classrooms and meeting rooms demonstrate the energy and vitality of a dynamic congregation.
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