Not too long ago, preparing for an exhibit about River Edge this Fall, we came across a 100th Anniversary publication, dated 1976 for the Cherry Hill Reformed Church.
It was chock full of interesting facts and images. Among those goodies was an article from The Record dated 1940 that provides a newly discovered fact about the once primary church in the community and about the history of the neighborhood in which it was an anchor presence.
The article entitled “Passing Years Erase Shame of Cherry Hill So reformed Church Hangs Out Its Old Sign”.
We’ll let this article tell the story:
“Passage of time has dimmed the evil reputation of New York’s Cherry Hill gangs and healed the ravages wrought by the cyclone that struck the Cherry Hill section of River Edge 50 years ago. Now that name will once more be used to identify the Dutch Reformed Church of North Hackensack.”
“Actually it has always been legally the Cherry Hill Reformed Church, The name simply fell into the discard when the entire southern section of the Borough of River Edge changed its name to North Hackensack”.
“The change was brought about in 1908 by local residents and summer visitors each for their own reasons. The summer visitors were important. At the turn of the century the section was a popular resort for New Yorkers who found it an easy drive from town over country roads. They came in flocks to swim, boat and fish in the then unpolluted Hackensack River”.
“They were embarrassed, however, when the increasing notoriety of the Cherry Hill gang of their home town gave the name a bad odor. They found that the simple announcement that they were spending the weekend at Cherry Hill brought a landslide of jokes. As upright citizens they resented being connected in any way with the thugs who formed one of the city’s toughest gangs”.
“Local residents were influenced both by a desire to forget the cyclone and the expressed wish of many to become part pf the city of Hackensack. They felt that the local development would be speeded by the change of allegiance”.
“Nothing came of the move to join Hackensack although many residents still believe that it should be done even now”.
“An ironical point is found in the fact that when a real estate development started in the section a short time ago the old name, not considered up an coming enough to encourage growth a short time ago, was selected by builders as having greater charm and significance for prospective purchases”.
“So the old church on Main and Elizabeth Streets will begin the 65th year of its existence as the Cherry Hill Church”.