Religion was central to Madison life from the very beginning. In colonial times, Presbyterianism was the dominant religion in America, as well as here in Bottle Hill (so called for its bottle-shaped tract of land).
Worshippers from Bottle Hill and Chatham trekked 15 miles to Whippany Presbyterian Church until 1747, when they broke away to form a new congregation in Bottle Hill. This was a boon for our village, in an era when a church created both an identity and social center.
In 1749, their new meetinghouse overlooking Hillside Cemetery was completed. This simple structure – unadorned by steeple or bell – served as the village’s only church for the next 75 years. The growing Presbyterian parish built a larger brick church (now the Masonic Lodge) opposite Hillside Cemetery in 1825.
In 1888, church members James and Margaretta Webb built the Romanesque Webb Memorial Chapel on Green Avenue in memory of their son. (See above watercolor by Pat Longley.) An adjoining Parish House was erected in 1929 for the Sunday school. The present sanctuary on Green Avenue was built in 1954 to serve the expanding congregation. Its prominent steeple is a Madison landmark today.
In 1997, The Presbyterian Church of Madison celebrated its 250th anniversary with a gala dinner, an 1820s-style service in the Masonic Lodge and a year-long lecture series by distinguished theologians. In 2004, the church celebrated the 50th birthday of its sanctuary, a large gathering space with exceptional acoustics.
