News and articles of historic interest from the official Bernards Township historian.
Views: 7,740 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
Views: 10,769 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
Views: 23,279 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
Views: 31,308 Basking Ridge, New Jersey’s Most Famous Incident Yes, this historic event made the series, so look for it. The episode covering that timeframe is Episode 3: “The Times That Try Men’s Souls (July 1776 – January 1777)” about… Read More »Widow White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge was More Than a Grog Stop
Views: 21,351 William Annin has a prominent place in the history of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and Liberty Corner. The Mr. Local History Project looks back at one of Liberty Corner’s founding families, known worldwide as the largest manufacturer of… Read More »The Annins of Liberty Corner: Patriots, Flag Company and a Middle School
Views: 15,645 “Holly cow, Basking Ridge has so many great historic moments, so as the Township Historian, I have to tell everyone about the three greatest historical moments in Basking Ridge history. Brooks Betz – Bernards Township historian Online, we’ve… Read More »Three Historic Moments That Changed Basking Ridge & America
Views: 17,890 It’s an age-old question, and the internet didn’t know the answer. So the Mr. Local History Project went digging. Why was Bernardsville once called Vealtown? Our research began with a post on social media, because, yes, there are… Read More »Retrospective: Why Bernardsville was Once Called Vealtown
Views: 37,502 NOTE: Remember that Warren, Far Hills, and Bernardsville were part of Bernards Township, so these family stories also include those areas. History showcases some of the greatest reminders of where we came from. Many people new to the… Read More »The Founding Families of Bernards Township (Basking Ridge)
Views: 7,880 Films Document Basking Ridge and Surrounding Area History If you’re a fan of local history, two area film makers have created documentary films showcasing two of the most regarded historic stories in Bernards Township. While many people don’t… Read More »Films Document A Defeated Jetport and the Mightiest Oak
Views: 23,679 One of the most iconic historic properties in the Somerset Hills is an English Tudor-style estate that sits atop a high ridge in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township. Built in 1912, this Basking Ridge landmark was… Read More »Historic 1912 Bernards Township Town Hall – The Astor Estate in Basking Ridge
Views: 11,627 Tucked in the northernmost section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, along the Passaic River lies a small historic district. If you drive through it, you’ll notice the area’s rich history, marked by its grist mill and restored barns.… Read More »Franklin Corners and William Childs Williamsburg-esque Vision
Views: 2,331 The Bernards Township flag, officially adopted in 1960 to commemorate the township’s bicentennial, was designed by resident James Fogelman. The flag features a simple yet meaningful design, quartered into four rectangles of red and gold, representing the township’s… Read More »Bernards Township Flag Needs Clarification
Views: 21,590 Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 to commemorate the Continental Congress’s adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777. The flag was immediately couriered to General Washington’s camp in a field just north of Route 22,… Read More »The American Flag Means Liberty Corner’s Annin Family
Views: 7,505 Basking Ridge Oak Tree Community Video Photo Album Did you send us your photo yet? We will make another version, so keep them coming. On April 24-26, 2017, the New Jersey town of Basking Ridge lost its oldest… Read More »Basking Ridge Oak Tree Community Video Photo Collection
Views: 33,635 Confirmed! Jared Leading NASA Isaacman, a former Basking Ridge High School student, decided not to graduate and leave the school because school just wasn’t for him. Fast forward to a man who bankrolled the Polaris Dawn mission, launching… Read More »Jersey’s Jared Isaacman – Ridge Dropout- Billionaire – Astronaut & NASA Dream Job
