Views: 14,550 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… Read More »Historic 1912 Bernards Township Town Hall – The Astor Estate in Basking Ridge
Views: 7,836 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 will be celebrating 100 years serving the local community. From their… Read More »Bernards Township Police Department Celebrates 100 Years of Service
Views: 9,245 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: 4,990 Somerset Historic Village Collection Welcomes #4 – the 1871 Washington House. Inaugural Run is Available Now (Online ONLY) Amazing that it’s been two years since we launched the Historic Somerset Hills Village collection in partnership with the Cat’s… Read More »The Washington House
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Views: 10,690 On June 10, 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… Read More »The History of Worship in Basking Ridge
Views: 3,561 Mr Local History is proud to announce the release of the third in the collectible series, the 619-year-old Basking Ridge Historic White Oak Cat’s Meow collectible, which is now available online. The New Jersey Historic Village keepsake collection… Read More »Basking Ridge Historic White Oak Tree Honored as 3rd Keepsake in Series
Views: 21,439 As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our internet community. We will continue to grow this piece as information becomes available. If you have a… Read More »Retrospective: Meryl Streep Was From Basking Ridge BEFORE Bernardsville
Views: 14,512 History is a strange thing. The myth often outweighs the truth in many cases, sometimes distorting the truth to make a better story. 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
If you’ve been touched by the story of the Basking Ridge Historic Oak Tree’s 600-year history, you have to see this new book. “The Historic Basking Ridge Oak Tree Project” is a compilation of the area’s children from Kindergarten through High School who have written or drawn pictures of one of the most historic trees in America.
The Basking Ridge Historic Oak Tree Project is one of the most heartwarming books ever made to celebrate the life and history of the 619 year oak tree that was lost in 2017. It’ll pull on your heart strings.
Meg Wastie, Historic Oak Tree Project coordinator
The Basking Ridge Historic Oak Tree Project sought kindergarten through high school students to participate in The Historical Society of Somerset Hills “Tree Views” writing contest and the William Annin Tree Shirt Contest & Fundraiser. The essay premise was that students would write as if they were the historic oak and describe events they felt notable. Every school in Bernards Township participated, including Cedar Hill School, Liberty Corner School, Mount Prospect School, Oak Street School, William Annin Middle School, Ridge High School, St. James Catholic School, and one from the Assumption School. The tree shirt contest raised over $5440 in selling tee shirts while the Historical Society presented a $500 scholarship to the high school essay winner.
Below are a few examples from the 145-page collection of stories and images of the Great White Oak of Basking Ridge (Click Images to enlarge):
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The inaugural run of the book became available on Thursday, June 8, 2017, starting at 7 p.m. at the Tree Views Essay Reception at the historic Westminster Hall at the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, next to where the historic oak lived. Over 100 guests attended the release, where authors and artists read their essays. A book signing followed, which was one of the most touching events we’ve ever seen.
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Views: 7,428 Historic documents often meet their tragic endings swiftly and tragically. In 1850, Bernards Township was known to have had a massive fire at the home of the township administrator, burning all of the township’s documents, including its founding… Read More »Recreating the Historic Charter of Bernardston
Views: 41,041 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: 25,009 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
