538 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



people, causing them to walk in continual reverie. They are given to all kinds 

 of marvellous beliefs ; are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see 

 strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood 

 abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions ; stars shoot 

 and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, 

 and the nightmare, with her whole nine fold, seems to make it the favorite 

 scene of her gambols." 



The Dutch church at Sleepy Hollow appears to have been first or- 

 ganized in 1697 ; for the ancient books are still extant, containing the 

 names of members at that early date. We have previously shown that 

 the present edifice was erected in 1699. 



Prior to the year 177 1, this society, (like the rest of the Dutch 

 churches in the colony of New York,) was under the supervision of the 

 Classis of Amsterdam, the latter body being subordinate to the Synod 

 of North Holland. In the contest concerning the substitution of the 

 English for the Dutch preaching cir. 1764, the members of this church 

 took an active part — some supposing that by the suppression of the last 

 it would necessarily involve in course of time the loss of the doctrines, 

 the mode of worship, the government, nay even the very name of the 

 church itself. The Rev. Mr. Johannes Ritzema, at this time the offici- 

 ating minister at Sleepy Hollow, uniformly acted throughout this trying 

 period, as the friend of the English party. Upon the formation of the 

 General Synod of the Reformed Church in North America, in 1771, 

 ;his church was decreed to belong to the Assembly of New York, now 

 called the Classis of New York. The articles of union agreed upon by 

 the Synod of 177 1 were subscribed (among others) by Johannes Ritze- 

 ma and Pierre van Cortlandt of Westchester County. The Dutch Re- 

 formed church at Tarrytown is attached to the mother church, its pastor 

 having the charge of both congregations. The first minister of the 

 church, A. D., 1697, was the Rev.' William Barthoff — styled in the 

 church records, the well learned and Godly Dominus Guilliaume Bar- 

 thoff. 



This individual resided at Hackensack, New Jersey, but performed 

 services here three or four times a year; he continued his ministrations 

 with great acceptance until the year 17 15. 



The following item occurs in the church books, (relating to the ex- 

 pense of bringing and returning the abovesaid minister:) "We have 

 paid Thomas van Houtten, who has fetched said minister and brought 

 him over and taken him back again, whom we have satisfied according 

 to our bounden duty ; and with that, it may please the Almighty and 

 merciful God to grant him to come for a long time." 



The successor of Mr. Barthoff was the Rev. Johannes Ritzema, 



