2026 UPDATE – The Changing Face of Somerset Hills Businesses
Time marches on, and sadly, not every historic Somerset Hills business has survived. We’ve said goodbye to longtime local favorites like Brush’s Deli and other familiar establishments that helped define our communities for generations. Meanwhile, the beloved Bernardsville News, a hometown institution since 1897, is officially on life support. In April 2026, its familiar name disappeared from the printed newspaper, replaced by The Somerset Review. While local news coverage continues, another piece of our hometown identity has faded away. It’s a reminder that the businesses we love today may become the memories we cherish tomorrow. So shop local, support these historic treasures, and help keep the Somerset Hills’ history alive!
Whether you’re a banker, national political figure, CEO, or farmer, the Somerset Hills has provided commercial opportunities for centuries. From C. Ledyard Blair and Jackie Kennedy to Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Charles Pfizer, the Somerset Hills business community has done business in the classic way.
There’s no mistake that the Somerset Hills area has a rich history of long-lasting commerce. The Somerset Hills region of Bedminster, Bernards Twp, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack & Gladstone has long been one of New Jersey’s most prestigious and historic areas, and its landmark businesses prove it. Which ones have become part of the fabric of our communities and built a rich, historic legacy? Which of these businesses have outlasted their competition? Please let us research and compile what we believe are the top 10 historic businesses in the Somerset Hills.
The criteria for making the list include the business’s longevity, its significance to the local community, and the rich history of the owners or the property. While the top 10 ranking is debatable, each business should be congratulated for its historic longevity and dedicated service, while continuing to re-engineer, reinvent, and survive. As our economy struggles again, it will be fun to see who’s still here for the next go-around. We applaud their commitment to the Somerset Hills community and thank them for their service. PLEASE DON’T FORGET THEM! They support our community, charity events, baseball programs, and schools, and most are our neighbors. Let the debate begin.
The Most Historic Businesses in the Somerset Hills List
10 (Tie) Welsh Motors – Far Hills (Est. 1909)
From Horsepower to Jeep Power — 117 Years and Still Rolling!
How many businesses can say they started with horses, survived two world wars, sold Model T Fords, parked commuters’ cars, and eventually became New Jersey’s oldest Jeep dealership? Welcome to Welsh Motors in Far Hills! Founded in 1909 by Charles Ramsay Welsh as a humble livery stable, this family-run Somerset Hills institution has been keeping locals moving for more than a century. Through four generations of Welsh family leadership, the business has outlasted countless automotive brands, changing technologies, and even the birth of Far Hills itself as an independent borough in 1921. With fourth-generation family member Kevin Welsh serving as mayor, the family legacy reaches from the showroom to Borough Hall. That’s a business that has earned its spot on our Top 10 Historic Businesses list! (Read More by clicking the story below).
10 (Tie) – Peapack Gladstone Bank Gladstone / Bedminster – Est. 1921.
Founded in 1921 by local businessmen Garner F. Hill and Ellis Tiger, Peapack-Gladstone National Bank began in a section of Hill’s Gladstone hardware store with about $3,000 in starting funds. The bank was created to serve local residents and merchants who otherwise traveled to Oldwick for banking services.
Reorganized as the Peapack-Gladstone Trust Company in 1925, it survived the Great Depression and grew into a major regional financial institution. Hill’s son, T. Leonard Hill, later served as chairman, continuing the family’s banking legacy. Renamed Peapack Private Bank & Trust in 2025, the institution is now headquartered in Bedminster, more than a century after its humble Gladstone beginnings.
9 – Meadowbrook Glitter Factory – Bernardsville – 1934
Since 1934, they’re quiet; they’re steady. They’ve been at the base of Dead Man’s Hill since it was called that. Family-owned and operated, they’ve glittered the world like no one else’s business (cause it’s no one else’s business). A hidden gem in the Somerset Hills. (World-leading manufacturer of Glitter). (Read More by clicking the story below).
No. 8 – Sky Farm Nudist Colony – Liberty Corner 1932
(Nudist Retreat) “America’s First Nudist Colony Est. 1932 – Celebrated as the only place to catch a nude volleyball game or barbecue, you have to love it when they posted their reason for not wearing swimsuits in the pool – “to prevent the suit fibers from clogging the filter”. No kidding. You have to take your hat off (and everything else) to them for sticking to the bare essentials of their business model. (Read More by clicking the story below).
No. 7 – The Bernards Inn – Bernardsville
The Bernards Inn – Bernardsville – (Hotel/Restaurant) – No older operating hotel in the Somerset Hills exists. Classic charm, classic beauty, and a classic mainstay for guests visiting the area. I wish they still had the bowling alley.
No.6 – The Grain House @ the Old Mill Inn
6. The Old Mill Inn Grain House – Basking Ridge – While the structure was first built across the street in 1768, the beginning as an Inn/Restaurant started during the Depression when 50 men were hired to move the barn across the street to its current location. None of the house’s beams or lines have changed. Thank William Childs and his family for serving libations and home-cooked meals since the early 1930s. It’s living history. Mr. Local History wrote about the Old Mill Inn’s Grain House’s grand 250th anniversary. (Read More by clicking the story below).
No. 5 – M.J.Neil Heating & Cooling – Bernardsville
M.J. Neil – Bernardsville – (Fuel) While the structure goes back before 1860, MJ Neil has been in business with the same family for four generations. From the day the former owner walked back from lunch and declared he didn’t want to be in the business anymore, the Neil family has been in charge since that bill of sale was signed. July 18, 1918. They officially celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2017.
No. 4 – The Bernardsville News (Now on Life Support)
Founded in 1897, originally as the Bernardsville Beacon, the Bernardsville News served as the social, political, and community voice of the Somerset Hills for more than 125 years. While other local publications came and went, the News documented generations of local history. In 2017, the newspaper relocated its offices from Bernardsville to Randolph and put its longtime building up for sale.
On April 2, 2026, another chapter ended when the Bernardsville News retired its name from the print edition and replaced it with The Somerset Review, a consolidated regional newspaper published by New Jersey Hills Media Group. Although Bernardsville news coverage continues, the familiar hometown newspaper name no longer appears on the printed masthead, marking the end of an era for one of Somerset Hills’ oldest institutions. (Read More by clicking the story below).
No.3 – Bernardsville Cinema
Bernardsville Cinema – Bernardsville – (Cinema) Since 1913 – Records show advertisements for live shows and theater back to the turn of the 20th century. From little kids to aging couples, it has morphed from one screen to three today, but it remains a pillar of the Somerset Hills community.
Christopher Dunn-Meynell, of Jersey City, purchased the historic theater around 2022–2023. According to a feature in Somerset Hills City Lifestyle, Dunn-Meynell helped revive the theater after it closed during the pandemic. The cinema officially reopened to the public in October 2023 with the Bernardsville International Film Festival. Still kicking along with the Cranford Cinema. The Rialto in Westfield is a whole other story……. (Read More by clicking the story below).
No. 2 – The English Farm – Liberty Corner
English Farm – Liberty Corner – (Active Farmstead) Since 1740 – 8 generations. A continuously operating working farm in the same spot where Revolutionary War troops crossed, supported by French troops on their march that ended in the classic Yorktown victory. (Read More by clicking the story below).
No. 1 – Bedminster Tavern – Bedminster
In 2026, the historic Bedminster property began another chapter as Delicious Heights became the Bedminster Tavern, continuing a nearly 250-year tradition of hospitality and community gathering in the heart of Bedminster.
Aaron Melick built this historic building in 1780 for his son, John, who was returning home from the Revolutionary War. Over the centuries, it has served as a pub, polling place, pool room, package store, political forum, speakeasy, hotel, and restaurant. In 1893, Willie Howard arrived in Gladstone with Charles Pfizer and served as huntsman for the Essex Hunt. In 1898, Willie and his wife, Bertha, purchased the Bedminster Hotel for $5,000 after he retired. In 1912, they renamed the establishment the Howard Hotel and installed indoor plumbing for the first time. Later generations knew this local landmark as Willie’s Tavern and, more recently, Delicious Heights. (Read More by clicking the story below).
Local Historians Speak Out – Believe Them
Not to be accused of personal bias, we wanted to give some of the area’s famous historians a crack at naming the top 3 historic businesses in the Somerset Hills. It’s not like ten was hard enough; three is even more challenging. All three have unsurpassed Somerset Hills history resumes.
Former local historian June Kennedy was fun to talk to. Just get ready to soak it in because she pushes it out. The stories keep on coming. So, June Kennedy weighed in on the discussion. “Given the three, I’d rank them 3. Bernard’s Inn, 2. Willie’s Tavern, and 1. Grain House. “The Grain House and Mr. William Childs meant so much to the area, and the restaurant, you know, was once a barn across the street in the late 1700s. There’s just so much history there.”
Another lovely lady, Jean Hill, a local historian in Bernardsville and longtime Somerset Hills area resident, thinks the top three go like this: 3. Willies Tavern, 2. The Grain House, and 1. Bernards Inn. Why the Bernards Inn number one? “The Bernards Inn has been such a wonderful mainstay to the area. I feel overall it’s the most historic.”
And you can’t ask Jean and not ask Marion Kennedy. Marion is another Bernardsville history expert and resident who rates her top three as: 3. Old Mill Inn, 2. Bernardsville Cinema, 1. M.J. Neils Fuel Supply. And why does she choose M.J. Neil as her top pick? “You must see M.J. Neils and talk to David Neil to understand why. He’s the fourth-generation family member to work and own the same business at the same location. Don’t ask me why I chose it – it’s just it.”
Honorable Mentions
While we were creating the list, a few businesses needed to be mentioned. Fantastic businesses that are also very rich in history. But when you’ve only got spots for ten, we thought it appropriate to say – honorably!
- MV Italian Restaurant – Bernardsville – (Eatery/Tavern) Some remember it as Freddies, others as the Old Stone Tavern or Equus Tavern. Whatever you call it, the location has continuously served food and spirits since 1849. Maybe the Parker Tavern ghost stops in for a beverage occasionally as we think it was a Parker Tavern rival created by the Boylan brothers and named Bullions Tavern (same as one that was in Liberty Corner).
- Somerset Hills Country Club – Bernardsville – Est. 1899 – a quaint private club nestled in the rolling hills of Bernardsville. The club’s logo incorporates the crest of the (English) Duke of Somerset, and the course was designed by A.W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltestrol, Winged Foot, and Bethpage Black (US Open 2009). With approximately 200 members, it’s about as private as possible.
- Washington House Restaurant – Basking Ridge – (Eatery) 1886 – Looks like the Bank of America building up the street. It had other names and owners, including The Store, Ridge Tavern, and Washington Hotel.
- Welsh Jeep – Far Hills – Welsh Jeep. The Welsh family has owned and operated it since 1909. According to a historical account of Far Hills, automobiles began appearing on local roads around 1906. Charles Welsh responded by installing a gasoline pump at the family’s livery stable. This small but significant step connected the established horse-and-carriage trade with the emerging age of motorized transportation.
- Galloway & Crane – Bernards Twp – Funeral Parlor – Practicing their craft since 1935.
- Peapack Gladstone Bank – Peapack – (Financial Services) – Since 1921, it has been the oldest established bank in the Somerset Hills area. I hope they don’t need the TARP money.
- Far Hills Country Day School – Far Hills – (Private School) – Since 1929, Far Hills has graduated notable alums, including former Governor Christine Whitman.
- Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge (Religious) Basking Ridge – We thought it was worth mentioning because it’s part of the area’s fabric and a centerpiece of the community. In the business of religion since 1717. And who can’t use a bit of religion in their life these days? Celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017.
- PJ Koeschlein’s General Store (Krauszers) – Liberty Corner – (General Store) – Est. 1901 – Home of the area’s first phone, first car, and numerous other firsts. And it’s been in continuous operation for over a century. If you live in this area (and I do), it’s a mainstay. Look close enough, and you’ll see the Koeschlien’s
Young Guns Deserving Mention
While you’d think they’ve been in the Somerset Hills area forever, they’ve made an early entrepreneurial mark on our community in a short time (relatively speaking). We were stunned that some of these businesses are so short-lived. If you have others you’d like to mention, feel free to comment and add your favorite young gun!
- Somerset Grain & Feed – Bernardsville – (Retail Farm Supply)- Established 1945 Somerset Grain & Feed Co moved from Bernardsville to Long Valley, New Jersey, in June 2024. The business is still operating so it’s on the fringe of the Somerset Hills.
- Turpin Real Estate – Far Hills (Real Estate Agency) Since 1960 (49 years old)
- AT&T – Bedminster – (Bedminster – Telecommunications) 1976 Move to Bedminster, forever changing the Somerset Hills landscape. The longtime AT&T corporate campus along Route 206 is relocating. A 2026 report identifies a move from 1 AT&T Way to a smaller facility at 1405–1425 Route 206, formerly occupied by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
- Pingry School – Basking Ridge (Private School) – Founded 1861 (1983 in Martinsville- looks like Bernards Twp to us). It just hasn’t been in Somerset Hills long enough.
Special Thanks
Special thanks go out to all local businesses that submitted background information and nominations to the T3 Consortium for consideration. We’d also like to thank the Bernardsville Chamber of Commerce, especially Nancy McLure, as well as the Basking Ridge Business Alliance (BRBA) and the Bernardsville Library Spinning History room, for submitting business suggestions for consideration.
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Original Post Date: February 18, 2009
Updated: October 14, 2026