MLH Mini-Series: The Basking Ridge Rushmore 5 of All Time
What better way to preserve local history than by writing about people who have made Basking Ridge one of the most historic places in America to live? I’ve created a mini-series, which I call the Mr. Local History Basking Ridge Rushmore 5, featuring the most influential people who have ever lived in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. We introduce you to our most honorable and historic resident figures: General William Alexander (Lord Stirling), US Vice President Samuel Southard, Elias Boudinot, Senator William Dayton, and William Annin.
William Alexander was a Revolutionary War general from Basking Ridge, NJ, who claimed the title “Lord Stirling” and served under Washington at key battles like Long Island and Monmouth and resided on what is now Lord Stirling Road.
Samuel Southard was a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, and Governor of New Jersey who helped expand the Navy and served as President pro tempore of the Senate. The president who died during Samuel Southard’s leadership in Congress was William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States. He died on April 4, 1841, just one month into his term, from pneumonia. He was succeeded by John Tyler, who became the 10th President and served during Southard’s time. Samuel was born on what is today Ross Farm on North Maple Avenue.
Elias Boudinot was President of the Continental Congress, signed the Treaty of Paris, lived in Basking Ridge during the Revolution, and later served as Director of the U.S. Mint. His home is where today’s Ross Farm is located.
William Dayton was a U.S. Senator and the first Republican vice-presidential nominee in 1856, beating out Abraham Lincoln, later serving as U.S. Minister to France during the Civil War.
William Annin was an early Scottish settler who founded “Annin’s Corner” in 1722, now Liberty Corner, and is the namesake of Annin Road and William Annin Middle School. The family lived just outside the village of Liberty Corner off Lyons Road.
We also examined the street names across Bernards Township, identifying people who have formed the foundation of the township, and we see them every day. Each of the 83 street names is listed in detail at the bottom of the story. The list is alphabetical:
Here are a few others that defined the history of Bernards Township over the past three centuries.
| Street Name | Origin |
| ACKEN RD | Named for the Acken family of Liberty Corner, landowners and shopkeepers |
| ALEXANDRIA WAY | Named for William Alexander, Lord Stirling (1726-1783) |
| ALLEN RD, C.R. (652) | Named for Josiah Allen of Liberty Corner, descendent of Ethan Allen, American soldier and patriot, 18th Century |
| ALLEN ST | Named for W. J. Allen, who owned much land in Basking Ridge Village in the mid-19th Century |
| AMBAR PL | Named for settlers in the area, early 20th Century |
| ANNIN RD | They were named for the John Annin family (Johnstons of Annandale, Scotland). Their 1,000 acres in 1722 were called Annin’s Corner and later renamed Liberty Corner. |
| BALDWIN CT | Named for an old family of Liberty Corner, 19th Century |
| BERNARD DR | Named for Sir Francis Bernards, provincial Governor of New Jersey 1758-1760 |
| BROWNLEE PL | Named for the Rev. William Brownlee, sixth pastor of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church. Street originally called Back Street (1783-1860) |
| CALDWELL CT | Named for the Rev. James Caldwell (1734-1781) “fighting person” of the American Revolution |
| CARSWELL CT | Named for the Carswell family, active in township community affairs since the 20th Century |
| CHAPIN LN | Named for the original estate of the Chapin-Earhart family |
| CHILDS RD | Named for William Childs, who moved the barn to the Old Mill Inn site, and Samuel Childs, benefactor to the Bernards Township Library in the 1900’s |
| CODDINGTON CT | Named for early settlers in the West Millington area of the Township |
| COLLYER LN | Named for the John Collyer family, large landowners on South Maple Avenue, 19th Century |
| CONKLING ST | Named for the Conkling family, 19th Century settlers in Bernards |
| COOPER CT | Named for early settlers in the Township |
| CROSS RD | Named for the Rev. John Cross, the first pastor of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church |
| CULBERSON RD | Named for the Culberson family, landowners for more than 150 years. The street runs through their property. |
| DAYTON ST | Named for William L. Dayton (1807-1864), U.S. Senator, Vice Presidential candidate and Ambassador to France |
| DECKER ST | The Bernards Plateau is named for early settlers in the Township. Carl G. Decker sold this tract to Wheeler Corporation in 1939. |
| DOGGETT CT | Named after the President of the High Meadow Hunt Club |
| DOUGLAS RD | Named for the Douglas family who settled this area in 1765 |
| DRYDEN RD | Named for John Dryden (1631-1700) English poet, dramatist and critic |
| DYCKMAN PL | Named for the Rev. W. H. Dyckman, who preached in both the Basking Ridge and Methodist Churches, 19th Century |
| E ALLEN ST | Named for W. J. Allen, who owned much land in Basking Ridge Village in the mid-19th Century |
| E CRAIG ST | Named for Daniel D. Craig, banker and storekeeper, 19th Century |
| E LEWIS ST | Named for the Edward Lewis family, who arrived in the 18th Century and contributed to many township activities since 1730’s |
| ELLIS DR | Named for Monroe F. Ellis, for whom Monroe Place was also named in the 1900s |
| ENGLISH PL | Named for the Rev. James English (1810-1873), first pastor of the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church |
| EVERSON PL | Named for the original family on the property before development in the late 1900’s |
| FORBES CT | Named for Dr. John Forbes, a local physician, the |
| GOLTRA DR | Named for James P. Goltra (1792-1871), farmer, judge, and builder of the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church |
| GOVERNOR DR | Named for Sir Francis Bernards (1712-1779), N.J. Provincial Governor, 1758-1760 |
| HAAS RD | Named for John V. Haas, farmer and owner of Sunnyside Farm in the West Millington area |
| HADLEY CT | Named for Henry K. Hadley (1871-1937), U.S. composer and conductor |
| HARRISON BROOK DR | Named for John Harrison, agent of the King of England, who bought 3000 acres of land for $50 from the Lenai Lenape Indians in 1717 |
| HARTLEY LN | Named for David Hartley (1705-1757), English physician and philosopher |
| HENRY ST | Named for Parmenus C. Henry, owner of P.C. Henry’s General Store and other properties in the area, 19th Century |
| IRVING PL | Named for Isaac L. Irving’s family of Liberty Corner—former mortician, wheelwright, and blacksmith, 19th Century |
| JOHNSTON CIR | Named for the Johnston family who left Annandale, Scotland, and arrived in 1722 in an area known today as Liberty Corner |
| KINNAN WAY | Named for Mary Lewis Kinnan (1764-1848), captive of the Indians, rescued and returned to Basking Ridge in 1794 |
| KNOLLCROFT RD | Named for Walter Reynolds’s estate, most of the property is now occupied by U.S. Veterans Medical Center, Lyons. |
| LAYTON RD | Named for Peter Layton of Liberty Corner, former mortician, wheelwright, and blacksmith, 19th Century |
| LEWIS ST | Named for the Edward Lewis family, who arrived in the 18th Century and contributed to many township activities since 1730’s |
| LORD STIRLING RD | Named for Lord Stirling, William Alexander (1726-1783), a major general in the Continental Army whose estate “Stirling Manor” was built here in 1762 |
| LURLINE DR | Named for Lurline Eberkardt, accidentally shot while hunting |
| LYONS PL | Lyons Railroad Station was named for David Lyons’s family in the late 18th Century. The family-owned the land where Lyons Railroad Station is located. |
| LYONS RD | Lyons Railroad Station was named for David Lyons’s family in the late 18th Century. Family-owned land where Lyons Railroad Station is located encouraged Bernards to bring the first railroad to the area in 1872. |
| MARTINSVILLE RD, CR (525) | Named for a thoroughfare in the Township, which terminates in Martinsville (Bridgewater). Named for the prominent Martin family |
| MEEKER RD | Named for the Meeker family, which had extensive land holdings since the mid-19th Century |
| MILITO WAY | Named for the Milito family who occupied land and have lived there since the late 1800s |
| MONROE PL | Named for Monroe F. Ellis, for whom Ellis Drive was named in the 1900s. |
| MORRISON ST | Named for early settlers in the Township |
| N ALWARD AVE | Named for the Alward Family who settled on land here in 1732 |
| N FINLEY AVE, C.R. (613) | Named for the Rev. Robert Finley (1772-1817), fifth pastor of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church and builder of the 1809 Brick Academy |
| N VOORHEES DR | Named for Dr. Amadee Voorhees, a country doctor in the mid-19th Century |
| OAKLEY ST | Named for an early family that settled in the area |
| OSBORNE PL | Named for J.H. Osborne’s sawmill and pond |
| PENNINGTON ST | Named for Dr. William Pennington, country physician |
| PITNEY CT | It was named for James Pitney, the first recorded settler in this area, in the early 18th Century. |
| RADEL PL | Named for a 19th Century farming family |
| RANKIN AVE | Named for the Rev. John C. Rankin, tenth pastor of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church |
| RIGGS CT | The Riggs family settled in the area in the early 1800’s |
| RUNYON DR | Named for early settlers in the West Millington area |
| S ALWARD AVE | Named for the Alward Family who settled on land here in 1732 |
| S FINLEY AVE, C.R. (613) | Named for the Rev. Robert Finley (1772-1817), fifth pastor of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church and builder of the 1809 Brick Academy |
| SCOTSMAN WAY | Named in honor of the Annin family, known as Johnston in Scotland. Settled Liberty Corner area in 1722 |
| SOUTHARD PL | Named for the Southards, Father Henry (1747-1842), U.S. Representative; Sen. Samuel L. (1787-1842), U.S. Senator, NJ Governor, Secretary of the Navy |
| SPENCER RD | Named for Austin P. Spencer, lost at sea in the North Atlantic while piloting a bomber on submarine duty in 1943 |
| SUTRO PL | It was named for the Sutro family, which owned property on South Finley Avenue. Son Frederick (1879-1964) was executive director of the NJ Park Commission. |
| THOMPSON WAY | Named for Harold Thomson, former mayor and Township committee member from 1948 -1956 |
| TURNER ST | Named for Kenneth A. Turner Sr., Bernards Township Engineer, 1932-1957 |
| TYSLEY ST | Named for early settlers in the Township. Tysley Avenue is in Bernardsville |
| VAIL TERR | Named for Daniel Vail (1735-1793), large land owner & distant cousin of Alfred Vail, who, with Samuel F. B. Morse, invented the telegraph @Speedwell, Morristown, 1844 |
| VAN DORN RD | Named for Ferdinand Van Dorn (1807-1902), who owned and operated the flour/grist mill in Franklin Corners |
| VANDERVEER DR | Named for Dr. James Vanderveer (1838-1913), country doctor |
| VOORHEES DR | Named for Dr. Amadee Voorhees, a country doctor in the mid-19th Century |
| W CRAIG ST | Named for Daniel D. Craig, banker and storekeeper, 19th Century |
| W HENRY ST | Named for Parmenus C. Henry, owner of P.C. Henry’s General Store and other properties in the area, 19th Century |
| WHITENACK RD | Named for the Whitenack family, which settled here in the mid-18th Century and were large landowners |
| WOLF LN | Named for Lyla Wolf Florio’s maiden name, property owner |
| WOODWARD LN | Named for the Woodward family, which supplied grain and material to the Revolutionary War troops at Jockey Hollow |
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