News and articles of historic interest from the official Bernards Township historian.
Views: 12,222 In the News:What could the West African nation of Liberia possibly have to do with Basking Ridge, New Jersey? Liberia has recently returned to American headlines after agreeing to accept certain people deported from the United States who… Read More »Dr. Robert Finley, Founder of Basking Ridge’s Brick Academy, American Colonization Society, and Liberia Africa
Views: 11,198 Twenty-five years ago, on the clear, crisp morning at 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, the first plane hit the North Tower, and our community was changed forever. Please take a moment to remember those 21 residents from… Read More »#911neverforget in the Somerset Hills
Views: 37,087 Twenty-five years ago 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… Read More »Then & Now: Post 9/11-Somerset Hills Family, Friends and Neighbors & Their Legacy
Views: 10,946 Memories and a BIG Photo Collection The official end of summer was upon us. People were coming home from summer vacation. Football practice was underway at the high school, and the students were prepping for the start of… Read More »Kiwanis Fair Basking Ridge Marked the End of Summer with a Bang
Views: 15,374 Bernards Township has a long history of being a sleepy rural town. Then, the US built the Lyons VA, and everything changed as the population grew. Then AT&T came to town in the 1970s, and everything started to… Read More »History of Housing Developments in Bernards Township
Views: 8,328 UPDATE: January 19, 2026 A few researchers at the Mr. Local History Project are looking for a few Chinese and Indian residents interested in tracing the roots of these two growing communities in Bernards Township to the first… Read More »Bernards Township History: The Asian Origins Initiative
Views: 12,455 The world might have looked different if it weren’t for today’s event.December 13, 177,6 in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Basking Ridge, New Jersey’s most famous incident, occurred on December 13, 1776, at about noon. General Charles Lee (1731-1782)… Read More »December 13, 1776 – Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Altered American History
Views: 10,400 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
Views: 3,429 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 – The 13 Colonies’ Most Prestigious Home was in Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Views: 13,232 Yes, there is sound too. You can unmute it if you like. Live now Live viewer count is not available at this time. 2026 Signature Basking Ridge Events near the Town GreenSaturday, May 16, 2026 – 12:00 –… Read More »Basking Ridge Live Cam – Mr. Local History’s Hometown
ONLINE STREAM: Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Sing on The Town Green at 7pm on Dec. 24th.
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… Read More »Holiday Tradition – Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Community Sing
Views: 21,024 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
Views: 19,226 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
Views: 12,298 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
