Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Sing 7PM – Watch on Your TV or Device
ONLINE STREAM: Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Sing on The Town Green at 7pm on Dec. 24th.
Township Historian
News and articles of historic interest from the official Bernards Township historian.
Holiday Tradition – Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Community Sing
The town of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, welcomes its 102nd Christmas Eve Sing on The Town Green at 7pm on Dec. 24, 2023. The town’s residents, friends, and guests gather to sing traditional carols and celebrate local history, documented by the Mr. Local History Project.
December 13, 1776 – Basking Ridge , New Jersey Altered American History
Views: 8,613 The world might have had a different look if it weren’t for this day’s event.December 13, 1776 in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Basking Ridge, New Jersey’s most famous incident, occurred on December 13, 1776, at about noon. General… Read More »December 13, 1776 – Basking Ridge , New Jersey Altered American History
America’s First Republican Vice President Nominee – Basking Ridge’s William Dayton Beats out Abraham Lincoln
Views: 7,100 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… Read More »America’s First Republican Vice President Nominee – Basking Ridge’s William Dayton Beats out Abraham Lincoln
Stirling Manor- 13 Colonies’ Most Prestigious Manor Was Right In Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Views: 1,558 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… Read More »Stirling Manor- 13 Colonies’ Most Prestigious Manor Was Right In Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Bernards Township Charter Day – May 15, 2021 CANCELLED
Views: 10,587 We lost 2019 to Charter Day to storms.We lost 2020 Charter Day to Covid-19. Now we lost 2021 Charter Day to Covid-19 AGAIN! Get ready for a fun filled street fair and festival on Saturday, May 15, 2021… Read More »Bernards Township Charter Day – May 15, 2021 CANCELLED
Basking Ridge Live Cam – Mr. Local History’s Beautiful Town Green
Views: 9,986 Yes, there is sound too. You can mute it if you like.IF you just see the link, the stream is offline. Check back later. How’s life in Basking Ridge? Check in on the Town Green from atop the… Read More »Basking Ridge Live Cam – Mr. Local History’s Beautiful Town Green
Dr. Robert Finley, Founder of a Classical Prep School and the American Colonization Society
Views: 8,998 Dr. Robert Finley’s Work To Help Blacks, Defeat Slavery, and Colonize Liberia Original Post: October 19, 2000Updated: October 26, 2025 An abolitionist, as the name implies, is a person who sought to abolish slavery during the 19th century.… Read More »Dr. Robert Finley, Founder of a Classical Prep School and the American Colonization Society
Bill Beatty and the Hills Haunted Phareloch Castle
Views: 15,879 Tucked below the Hills on a quiet cul-de-sac in the Liberty Corner section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, sits a turreted French Norman-style castle known to locals as Pharelock Castle. Very few locals remember the sad story about… Read More »Bill Beatty and the Hills Haunted Phareloch Castle
Then & Now: Post 9/11-Somerset Hills Family Friends and Neighbors & Their Legacy
Views: 25,937 On September 11, 2001, we lost friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones in a tragedy that changed our nation forever. Their absence is felt every day, yet in the years since that heartbreaking morning, we have also witnessed… Read More »Then & Now: Post 9/11-Somerset Hills Family Friends and Neighbors & Their Legacy
The Life of Irwin Richardt -The Patriot of Liberty Corner
Views: 15,394 The Patriot of Liberty Corner “Those who would give up liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin. “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” Thomas Jefferson Welcome to Irwin… Read More »The Life of Irwin Richardt -The Patriot of Liberty Corner
Ice Cream History around the Somerset Hills
Views: 9,934 July is National Ice Cream Month, so it’s time for Mr. Local History’s look back at the history, the good fun (and some “good humor”). The first official account of ice cream in the New World dates back… Read More »Ice Cream History around the Somerset Hills
Bernards Township Day of Community Service and Pride 2024 Challenge
Views: 6,231 DATE: Friday, May 24, 2024 – Day Focuses on Community Service and Pride in Bernards Township The Mr. Local History Project celebrates Bernards Township Day with two great historic items. Get a vinyl sticker or an original Bernards… Read More »Bernards Township Day of Community Service and Pride 2024 Challenge
Traveling Historic Highways – The Van Dorn Mill
Views: 7,611 Somerset County is full of great history almost to a fault. Driving up and down Route 202 we often forget to see the historic beauty right in front of our eyes. Mr. Local History must drive by the… Read More »Traveling Historic Highways – The Van Dorn Mill
History of the US Golf Association Headquarters, Museum and the US Open
Views: 17,657 It’s 2025, and the US Open is at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, but the ties to New Jersey and the USGA are significant. MOVE RUMORS UPDATE:OK, now the story is getting better! Janeen Driscoll, USGA director of… Read More »History of the US Golf Association Headquarters, Museum and the US Open