Bernards Township Library Tour
So much is going on around our beautiful home base in the Somerset Hills of New Jersey, especially in Basking Ridge. Come check it out.
The editors of the Black River Journal recently reached out to the Mr Local History Project with a simple request. They wanted to help tell the story of one of the region’s most cherished holiday traditions, the Basking Ridge Christmas…
Back in 1924, silent films were all the rage. Bernardsville was just becoming a borough and separating from Bernards Township, but there was still only one movie theater, The Liberty Theater. How fortunate was the theater to feature the film…
Our curiosity started with a round-table discussion: Who is Francis Bernard, and should there be a statue to recognize his service to New Jersey? Read the story and tell us what you think at the end. It is almost as…
Americans think the Biden/Trump election was one for the ages, exposing huge ideological beliefs, highly charged politics, and a fight for American values. Looking back at history, most people know the presidential challenges as the country tore apart as two…
Sir Francis Bernard’s Legacy Carries On as Towns Honor the Royal Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts In 1758, Francis Bernard, originally from Lincolnshire, England, was appointed Governor of the province of Nova Caesarea (New Jersey). He packed up his…
As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our community. We will continue to expand this piece as information becomes available. If you have any stories to share, please…
Every great historical story starts with something like, “So we were at this tavern and……” This is one of those stories. America was in the final stages of the Revolutionary war. After an agreement with the French was finalized General…
Is William Alexander, aka The Earl & Lord of Stirling, Basking Ridge’s Most Famous Resident? Our researchers think so. Let’s see if we can answer that question. William Alexander (1726 – Jan 15, 1783) was the son of Secretary &…
Before the Schley Glider Field rose to fame in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, a quiet field in the Lyons section of Bernards Township launched the state’s first glider site for a generation of aviators. Lyons Glider Field The quiet stretch…
Mr. Local History took a ride down Washington Avenue in Bernardsville & Basking Ridge as we uncovered a story that we wanted to check out. Now if you know Washington Avenue and Washington Street, it’s really known as being a…
For over 60 years Bernards Township has had an official flag. The four colored rectangles recognized the four hamlets inside Bernards Township. In the 80s, a vote was made in West Millington to join the nearby Basking Ridge hamlet losing…
“Beautiful Bernards” is a perfect example of “sharing local history with a social twist!” Mr. Local History Project’s mission – the red and gold have a tie to Bernards Township history. Two years ago, Mr. Local History donated a garden…
Want a quick way to search for articles about the history of one of the towns we love to cover?The Mr. Local History Project has created a few quick searches to give you a head start. Our researchers choose where…