The Newburgh Glebe was established in 1719 by immigrants from the German Palatinate of the Rhine. Each family was given 100-300 acres and a central plot for support of a Lutheran minister. The first patent of the Glebe, then known as the German patent or Palatine Parish, was surrendered in 1752 after the arrival of Dutch and English settlers. The second patent was established and was then known as the Parish of Newburgh and the clergyman was replaced by a minister of the Church of England. In 1794, it changed again when Presbyterians were elected Trustees of the Glebe.