Retrospective: The History Behind Bernards Township Charter Day & That Charter

Why We Celebrate Bernards Township Charter Day

The first Charter Day street fair celebration in Bernards Township was held on Saturday, May 20, 1995. The event started at 10am and lasted till 4pm.

Charter Day commemorates the May 24, 1760 (a Saturday) anniversary of the granting of a township Charter by King George II of England, establishing Bernardston Township. This act was as a courtesy and in appreciation for the services of Sir Francis Bernard, Royal Governor of New Jersey. From January 27, 1758 to July 4, 1760 Sir Francis Bernard, son of a British Reverend was appointed for two years as Royal Governor of New Jersey. At the time, both Bernardsville, Far Hills, and part of Warren were all “Bernardston.”

While the “official” charter burned in a fire, copies and this recreation shares what the charter would have looked like, including the wax seal in the lower right corner. Source: Mr. Local History Project.

RHS students recite the official Charter of Bernardston.

First Charter Day Street Fair – May 17,1995

The first Bernards Township Charter Day was scheduled to replace what had been a Labor Day weekend staple in the Bernards Township area for decades, the Kiwanis Fair. The Kiwanis Fair had been the largest community gathering and included pet shows, book sales, beauty contests, rides, bake sales and more. The fair ended when the committee was trying to move locations from Basking Ridge to Far Hills. The move didn’t happen and the event ended.

On Saturday, May 17, 1995 a new community event was coordinated to replace the Kiwanis Fair.

The first Charter Day celebration in Bernards Township marked the end of an era. The Kiwanis Fair never occured again.

In 1997 and 1999, the Basking Ridge Post Office celebrated Charter Day with a commemorative stamp. People would visit the post office with various postcards to have the commemorative postmark added to their keepsake. The postmark was also accompanied by 5 historic buildings in the Basking Ridge village created in watercolor by Linda Arnold of Liberty Corner.

1999 USPS commemorative postmark

In 2022 the night concert held from 7-10pm was cancelled.

Today, the annual Charter Day Street Fair starts at 12:00pm thru 6pm.

#btcharterday on Social Media

Visitors to Charter Day use the hash tag #btcharterday.

Starting about 2010 – social media took hold and people started posting photos with the hash tag #btcharterday. Be part of that collective history by tagging your photos with #btcharterday.