The Boylans American Journey to Build Liberty Corner, Pluckemin and Bernardsville

Are the Boylans and the Bullions the same family in Liberty Corner? Before Liberty Corner was Liberty Corner, it was Annins Corner AND we also found it named Boylans Corner (Bullions Corner).
And what about that Bernardsville house targeted for a tear-down? They say it was John Boylan’s house… but are they sure?
While we continue to dig in, we receive more questions, but the story is becoming clearer… so the story is evolving as we continue to validate our research.

Research Preview:
The Boylans of Bernardsville, Bedminster, and Basking Ridge have quite the history. The research is coming in fast and furious but there’s a whole lot of validation that’s still needed. However, we believe we’re on the right track, so we thought we’d share our thoughts. We’re still looking for a research assistant to help cooberate our theory that there are two John Boylan’s that have two disstinct roles in Bernardsville, Pluckemin, and Liberty Corner history.

The Boylans (Bullions) – One of the Somerset Hills Founding Families

So we’ve been going round and round on this one as we’ve been trying to determine which Boylan built the house in Bernardsville that’s being targeted for demolition. The more we dig, the more we find out about what seems to be one of the least known yet most prosperous families that defended the cause of independence, while also profiting from lucrative businesses in all the towns around the Somerset Hills in northern Somerset County.

The Boylans were among the founding settlers of what was then known as Pluckemin and Vealtown, located at the base of Bernardsville Mountain. First off, many have stated that the Boylan name is pronounced “Bullion.” This is true.

After Aaron Boylan arrived in the Pluckemin area, the family chose to settle and gradually expand into neighboring communities, including Bridgewater, Bedminster, Bernardsville, and Basking Ridge. Their journey began with the acquisition of a significant amount of land, over 300 acres throughout the Somerset Hills. From there, they established a lasting presence by building homes and launching businesses, particularly in Pluckemin, Liberty Corner, and Vealtown, where they operated general stores, taverns, mills, and other establishments.

The Boylan family also operated a store in Basking Ridge around the time the Boylan house was built in Pluckemin (Bedminster) in 1751. Initially, the ground floor of the new Pluckemin house served as a store, but once a separate store building was completed, the house was used solely as a residence. Aaron Boylan’s son, John Boylan, was born in 1746, just five years before his father’s death. According to Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 6 (1917), p. 101, John passed away on March 4, 1793. The same records note that John Boylan owned four stores located in Pluckemin, Liberty Corner (at Bullion’s Tavern), Vealtown (now Bernardsville), and Vanderveer’s Mills (Bedminster).

The Family Tree Tells Us Things

When we do our research, one thing we like to do is to affirm the family tree and leave behind an Ancestry family tree for others to leverage their history endeavors. By doing this, our research becomes essential to those who want to know more about the Boylan family. Given what we have noted in our tree, Aaron led the way, and the two Johns had a significant impact on the local business community.

Boylan’s (Bullion’s) Taverns in Liberty Corner and Bernardsville

Originally called Annin’s Corner after the Annin family, the village gained widespread recognition during the Revolution as Bullion’s Tavern before residents finally settled on the name we know today: Liberty Corner. The convergence of Revolutionary War records, period maps, tavern daybooks, geocache documentation, and present-day historic signs tells us beyond doubt that Bullion’s (Boylan’s) Tavern was the original nucleus of Liberty Corner. Run by John “Captain Bullion” Boylan, Aaron’s son, the family name’s enduring legacy is preserved in maps, and memorials in Bernards Township. Boylan’s own daybooks (e.g., Pluckemin ledgers) confirm his operation of a tavern in Liberty Corner. The Anne O’Brien Room at the Dillon Library holds the Somerset Hills Historical Collection, which includes John Boylan’s 18th‑century daybooks.

In 1781, Bullion’s Tavern wasn’t just a watering hole—it was at the heart of a Revolutionary War army march, a local hub that evolved into varied community services, and today remains a historical cornerstone remembered in place names and historic designations. It took us a while to connect the dots, but after conducting genealogy searches, we often found references that intertwined the surnames Boylan and Bullion after they arrived in America. Under John “Captain Bullion” (Boylan), this pivotal community establishment in 18th-century Liberty Corner is underscored by its role in Rochambeau’s 1781 march and the evolution of the village itself.

2nd Buillon’s Tavern Noted in Bernardville This Time

It is documented that Aaron Boylan purchased a substantial tract of land—114 acres—approximately 3 miles north of Liberty Corner, in Basking Ridge, recorded on March 24, 1761, when he purchased it from James Parker, a prominent colonial printer, landholder, and East Jersey Proprietor. There has been a discrepancy regarding the exact acreage, with estimates ranging from 114 acres to as much as 150 acres.

On a sidenote, James Parker and John Parker of colonial New Jersey were related. John was James’s younger cousin or nephew; they were part of the prominent Parker family of Perth Amboy, which produced several influential figures in land ownership, politics, and military service in colonial New Jersey. Vealtown’s Parker Tavern was owned by Captain John Parker of the 1st Somerset County Battalion until his death in March 1781; It was a regular stopover for Continental Army troops, notably linked to the 1779–1780 Morristown encampment at Jockey Hollow.

Before the Old Stone Hotel was constructed in Bernardsville, another tavern existed. On the same site, the tavern was known as Bullion’s or Boylan’s Tavern during the American Revolution. Owned by John Boylan, also known as “Captain Bullion,” it was noted that John Beck, the first owner of the Old Stone Hotel, died in 1850, just one year after his hotel opened. However, records indicate that the Boylans’ tavern was established first.

 

Bernardsville Boylan Home Targeted For Demolition

If our research is correct, our research indicates that John Boylan Esq. left his Bernardsville house to his sister, Catherine Boyle, as per his will as he was never married and had no children when he passed in 1843. Captain John Boylan (Bullion) would have been his Uncle, and Aaron Boylan would have been his Grandfather. Think it’s time for a deed search down at the Somerset County Clerk’s office as our research is conflicting and we’re not 100% sure if it was John built it, or his father Dr. James built it and willed it to John. We’ll keep digging.

Can Bernardsville’s Boylan House be Saved?

Should the Boylan House in Bernardsville be saved from the wrecking ball? The Boylan family is so tied to Bernardsville’s history that they’re even mentioned in the Aaron Mellick classic book ” The Story of an Old Farm.”

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For Reference:
Boylan Family History – 1914 Somerset Quarterly Magazine

In 1914, the Somerset County Quarterly published a story about the Boylans of Somerset County. Yes, the Boylans are one of the original founding families of Somerset County, who settled in Vealtown (now Bernardsville) and Pluckemin (now Bedminster). You’ll see how the family married famous families in the area, including other founding family names: Annin, Vanderveer, Eoff, Dunlop, Bishop Janes, Alward, Blair, and more.