The Old French Burying Ground is situated upon Lot #3 in the French Patent, encompassing 200 acres, surveyed for Samuel Demarest on January 13, 1695. By his last will and testament, probated October 19, 1728, Samuel Demarest, Senior, of Hackinsack, yeoman, devised this tract to his son Simon. Simon may have erected the now vanished house on the west side of River Road about the time of his marriage to Vroutie Herring in December 1722. Interestingly, the oldest recorded burial in the Old French Burying Ground dates to 1721, suggesting settlement at about this date. The cemetery was rarely used again until the Revolution, when circumstances perhaps made it difficult or impossible for neighbors to conduct burials in the nearest church yards.

​

By his last will and testament, probated April 8, 1761, Simon bequeathed the "land where my improvements are, on which I live" to his youngest son, Jacob. Jacob S. Demarest married Elizabeth Steenbrander at Schraalenburgh on August 27, 1768 and they had three children, all baptized at Schraalenburgh Church, namely: Vroutje, born July 31, 1769; David, born July 2, 1771; and Symon, born January 29, 1773. The family apparently removed to New York City either during or after the Revolution. Jacob possibly died there in November 1787 - in any event, they disappear from local records.

​

On the Erskine-Watkins Map #113 (ca. 1778), an old Demarest house on the west side of River Road was marked "Elias Romeyn." Born in Dutchess County, Captain Romeyn removed to this neighborhood after the British captured New York City and his militia company guarded New Bridge, Brower's Hill and Liberty Pole throughout the war. He and his men were attacked at Liberty Pole on September 22, 1778, by a regiment of British dragoons. In 1782, Captain Romeyn was court-martialed and convicted of robbing the inhabitants of the neighborhood and of accepting bribes to overlook illicit traders along the Hackensack River who shipped goods to British-held Manhattan. He then departed the area.

​

Jacobus Paulison, a son of Paulus M. Paulison and Rachel Demarest, purchased 100 acres of the estate of Jacob S. Demarest in 1791 and then erected a gristmill upon the Hackensack River. He had this two-room stone cottage built for his son John J. Paulison on the Mill Lane shortly after his marriage to Altie Ely, daughter of William Ely and Maria Demarest, on April 4, 1794. John Paulison took over management of his father's gristmill in that same year.

​

When Jacobus died in November 1808, he left instructions to divide his farm between his two sons: Paulus received that portion to the north and the east of the division line, including the old Demarest homestead and barn on the west side of River Road; John received the land to the south and west, bounded east on the Franse Valletje and west on the Hackensack River, "together with the Mill house, New Barn, [and] dwelling house..." where he resided. In August 1821, Paulus Paulison agreed to allow William Ely, Andrew Zabriskie and others who had friends and relatives in the French Burying Ground near his house to enclose the old cemetery with a fence. This agreement mentions the "lane leading from the public road [River Road] to John Paulison's house."

​

John Paulison died December 19, 1852, aged 79 years. His first wife had died in 1802, where upon he married Abigail Van Norden who survived him by three years, dying in March 1855 at 84 years of age. According to an inventory made in January 1853, the Paulisons used one of the two rooms of the stone house as a "Bedroom," outfitted with a bed, bedding and cupboard; chairs, tables and sundry items were dispersed throughout the two rooms. Dry goods were stored in the garret; perishables were kept cool in either the east or west cellar. A small frame Kitchen was formerly appended to the west gable end of the house, a doorway beside the fireplace providing entrance to this wing. The curious shingled opening at the rear of the stone house accommodated a "hovel" or frame shed, perhaps used much like a "mud room" to store tools and fishing net.

​

In June 1853, Albert Van Voorhis, John Paulison's son-in-law and executor, sold the old homestead farm, comprising 89.16 acres, to Abraham Collard. In October 1855, Collard sold 35.59 acres of the farm (including the old stone house) lying on the west side of River Road to Christian Sackman of Hudson County, but reserved the use of the Old Grist Mill until May 1, 1856. The 1860 Census for Hackensack Township lists Christian Sackman, 44 years old, a farmer, born in Germany. His wife Christina, 48 years old, was also German born. Their children, residing at home, were: George, 19 years old, born in New York, listed as an "Agent"; Caroline, 15 years old, also born in New York; and Margaret 11 years old, born in New York. Their neighbor, apparently residing in the older house near River Road, was James Paulison, 59 years old, a farmer; his wife Ellen, 53 years old; and son Paul, 23 years old, also listed as an agent.

​