News and articles of historic interest from the official Bernards Township historian.
Views: 16,269 Before we get started: The Methodist Church in the United States is 94% white, 92% third-generation American, 60% married, 69% believe in God, 42% attend church weekly, and 62% believe in hell. Several attempts were made in the… Read More »Bishop Edmund S. Janes – Father of the Bernardsville Mountain
Views: 3,654 The Mr. Local History Project honors the former Bernards Township’s historian June Kennedy showcasing our “June in December” tree honoring her dedication to community and local history. The Festival of Trees is an indoor exhibit of decorated Christmas… Read More »“June in December” Tree Honors June Kennedy at Festival of Trees in Basking Ridge
Every year, the Basking Ridge Fire Department erects a locally donated 30-foot evergreen tree on the town green. The fire personnel also decorate the tree which becomes a central piece for the town’s holiday celebrations.
Views: 8,272 As we’ve been focusing on preserving and promoting local history, out of left field comes one of my most humbling honors when the Bernards Township Committee on October 29, 2019 passed a resolution appointing him as the official… Read More »Bernards Township Appoints Mr. Local History as Official Historian
Views: 16,345 The Grain House: 1768-2018 Congratulations to the Grain House Restaurant for celebrating its 250th anniversary as a structure in the Franklin Corners section of Bernards Township, New Jersey. Mr. Local History congratulates the historic Grain House as it… Read More »Historic Grain House in Bernards Township Marks 250th Anniversary
Views: 6,929 UPDATE:Sadly, Google stopped supporting its 3D virtual tour technology and we lost our virtual tour.We’ll look for a new solution and share when we have something fun to share. In the meantime, please leverage our virtual map below.… Read More »Virtual Tour of Historic Basking Ridge Village
Views: 10,601 2019 – Honoring New Jersey’s Bernards Township Police Department’s 100th Anniversary. 50 Photos in Less Than 6 Minutes On April 10, 2019, the Bernards Township Police Department celebrated 100 years serving the local community. From their beginning as… Read More »Bernards Township Police Department Celebrates 100 Years of Service
Views: 16,023 Before I begin this post, I must say that this topic was one of my favorites, along with June Kennedy, our Basking Ridge Town historian who passed away in November 2018. We often challenged each other to dig… Read More »The History of Bernards Township Street Names
Views: 17,849 Back in 2017, the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church (BRPC) celebrated its 300th anniversary with a town-wide parade from Ridge High School down Finley Avenue to the iconic Church of the Basking Ridge Village Green. Given this great accomplishment,… Read More »The History of Worship in Basking Ridge
Views: 37,805 UPDATE:Did you see that another Basking Ridge resident hit the silver screen, sharing the screen with Basking Ridge’s Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada 2? Meet Basking Ridge’s HelenJ. Shen. Helen J. Shen is a rising actress and… Read More »It’s TRUE: Meryl Streep Was From Basking Ridge BEFORE Moving to Bernardsville
Views: 19,197 History is a strange thing. The myth often outweighs the truth in many cases, sometimes distorting it to create a more compelling narrative. Sometimes, it’s like the game where you whisper something to someone, then they whisper to… Read More »Finding the Truth About the KKK in Basking Ridge & the Somerset Hills
Views: 49,997 Noted High Society Playboy and Titanic Survivor Brings Notoriety to Bernards Township. It’s a fun story, but you have to hang in there. First, we must provide a little background about John’s father, who didn’t survive the Titanic… Read More »Titanic Survivor Astor and Basking Ridge
Views: 29,381 Below are the original research notes as I had spent years researching contradicting information on the Widow White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Often I like to post research in hopes that other researchers can see what’s… Read More »What Happened to Mary White and Widow White’s Tavern – Research Notepad
