Your History Tour Guide to Basking Ridge, and Yes, We Know It’s Bernards Township (officially).
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Although the municipality’s official name is Bernards Township, most people have embraced Basking Ridge as the name for the community as a whole.
First off, welcome to our history share for Basking Ridge, where nearly every road, neighborhood, old building, and familiar landmark has a story waiting to be discovered. George Washington walked here, Revolutionary War soldiers camped nearby, grand estates rose from rolling farmland, and generations of local families helped shape the community we know today. Consider this your personal tour guide to the people, places, legends, and surprising little details that make Basking Ridge history so much fun to explore.
You may not have known this either, but Basking Ridge residents founded the Mr. Local History nonprofit project because they share a passion for preserving and promoting our local heritage. We bring history to life through stories, photographs, maps, tours, events, and a little humor because history should never be boring. That is what we mean by “Jersey history with a social twist.”
Have you taken the quiz? Are you a True Local? A fun look at things locals would know…..
If you see something that interests you, be sure to click it now, because if you come back, you’ll get a new serving of local history.
Our Mr. Local History website has hundreds of researched history pieces and thousands of photos, so we’ve put together a random sampling below of some of our great local history stories.
Enjoy.
What Can You Learn With These 15 Posts with This Visit…
Come Back Again, And You’ll Get 15 more!
Bring Back the Thanksgiving Ridge vs. Bernards Turkey Bowl
Views: 4,451💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsThe Ridge–Bernards Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl Rivalry. We could hold our tongue no more. It needs to come back, so we had to tell the history and why we’d love to get…
Railroad and Train History Series – Mr Local History Project
Views: 1,939💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsRailroads did more than move people and freight. They shaped towns, determined where businesses grew, and influenced where people chose to live. Across New Jersey and throughout the Northeast, the arrival of…
Was Basking Ridge’s Town Hall Abandonded?
Views: 2,535💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsOur first comment needs to be “NO, THIS IS NOT AN AI-GENERATED IMAGE.” At first glance, I honestly thought someone had listed Bernards Township’s Town Hall for sale. For a moment, it…
Stirling Manor – The 13 Colonies’ Most Prestigious Home was in Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Views: 3,985💬 Leave a Comment | View 1 CommentIs 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…
America 250: The Flag Design & Jersey’s Involvement
Views: 4,890💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsMr. Local History finds itself back partnering with an iconic New Jersey business that has been among the most historic in American history. As we expanded our Gift Shop collection with America 250…
“Janice Meredith” – 1924 Silent Film Showcases American Revolution
Views: 2,464💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsBack in 1924, silent films were all the rage. Bernardsville was just becoming a borough and separating from Bernards Township, but there was still only one movie theater, The Liberty Theater. How…
Kiwanis Fair Basking Ridge Marked the End of Summer with a Bang
Views: 11,290💬 Leave a Comment | View 19 CommentsMemories 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…
What’s to Happen with Lord Stirling Stable and its Park?
Views: 7,580💬 Leave a Comment | View 6 CommentsLord Stirling Park, including the Lord Stirling Stable (LSS), in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township is part of the Somerset County Parks Commission in Somerset County. State of the Stable…
Basking Ridge Evergreen Cemetery is a Living History Lesson
Views: 6,007💬 Leave a Comment | View 1 CommentYou can learn a great deal of history by visiting a cemetery. NOTE: A quick reminder: Warren was part of Bernards Township until the 19th century, while Far Hills and Bernardsville were…
The Washington House- A Basking Ridge Icon
Views: 9,311💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsNew Jersey Historical Wooden Keepsake Collection Welcomes the 1871 Washington House The iconic Washington House in Basking Ridge Village has a rich history dating back to 1871. At almost 150 years of…
Meandering Basking Ridge’s Newest Largest Lake – The Millington Quarry
Views: 3,024💬 Leave a Comment | View 2 CommentsThe Millington Quarry property in the Millington section of Bernards Township is one of the largest former industrial sites in Somerset County and has been the focus of redevelopment discussions for more…
Basking Ridge Sticker – Show Your Community Pride
Views: 4,889💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsA simple yet powerful way to show you care about Basking Ridge history while supporting the red, gold colors of Bernards Township. Made of a fade resistant vinyl, the sticker is perfect…
Historic Train Accidents on the Peapack Gladstone Line
Views: 1,103💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsAs our researchers investigated the history of the Millionaires Express story, we found several articles about a terrible rail accident involving the Millionaires Express on June 5, 1908. We’re sharing a few…
Meet (Sir) Francis Bernard, Esq. – New Jersey’s Royal Governor
Views: 15,298💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsOur curiosity started with a round-table discussion: Who is Francis Bernard, and should there be a statue to recognize his service to New Jersey? Read the story and tell us what you…
Operation Honor Roll To Indentify Local Area Armed Services Active Duty & Veterans
Views: 4,684💬 Leave a Comment | View 0 CommentsHonor American Veterans Kiosk The National Military Monument, presented by USAA in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, is a temporary, interactive tribute honoring more than 41 million Americans who have served in…
