The Gilded Age: The Blairsden Estate

March 23, 2019August 15, 2020 Mr. Local History

Mr. Local History Archives - Blairsden Estate

Post Views: 5,021 Historical Perspective: The Blairsden Estate of Clinton Ledyard Blair Peapack/Gladstone, New Jersey Submitted: Brooks Betz & W. Barry Thomson Blairsden Background Out of all of the requests that we receive at Mr. Local History, none measure up to the sheer volume we receive every month requesting additional information on Blairsden, one of the crown jewel estates of the Somerset Hills. While there have been numerous pieces posted on the internet regarding Blairsden that stretch the truth and invoke imaginations, we will try to put Blairsden into its…

The Besties – The Best of the Best in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bedminster

September 17, 2017June 28, 2021 Mr. Local History

Mr Local History Archives - The Best of the Best food entertainment and tidbits in Bedminster, Bernardsville and Basking Ridge. #mrlocalhistory

Post Views: 6,737 Bedminster, Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Far Hills, Peapack/Gladstone also known as The Somerset Hills. It’s time for a real discussion on where to get the best things based on what the LOCALS say! Don’t agree? Post what you think is is best. And if we couldn’t find local, we gave best option. Best Food Best Bread: Biagios’ (Stirling) Best Meat/Butcher: Green Village Packing Company (Green Village) Best Bagels: Bagels 4 – U (Fat Bagels) (Bernardsville), Bagel Bin (Thinner ) – (Bernardsville) Best Pizza: Lennys (Bernardsville), Venetos (Basking Ridge),…

Finding the Truth About the KKK in Basking Ridge & the Somerset Hills

July 22, 2017June 27, 2020 Mr. Local History

Post Views: 7,512 NOTE: As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our community. We will continue to grow this piece as information becomes available. History is a strange thing. The myth often outweighs the truth in many cases sometimes distorting the truth just to make a better story. Sometimes it’s like the game where you whisper something to someone, then they whisper to the next and by the tenth person hears the whisper, the story is totally…

Taking Jacobs Ladder to the Devils Tomb (Grave)

December 26, 2015September 30, 2020 Mr. Local History

Mr. Local History Archives - Jacobs Ladder

Post Views: 11,004 Devils Tomb & Jacobs Ladder –Look what happened when Weird NJ Issue #12 came out. A place that sits quietly in obscurity for hundreds of years comes to anabrupt end when overzealous devil seekers search to find the devil himself. Thanks to Weird NJ issue 12, I’ve always found it interesting how gore and ghosts have always lured people into learning history. The problem when you link history to ghosts, the history sometimes gets stretched, or even down right exploited.For fun, since the article is now out…

Historic Blairsden Estate Opens to Public

May 5, 2014August 15, 2020 Mr. Local History

The Peapack Gladstone Blairsden estate- Mr. Local History #mrlocalhistory

Post Views: 30,318 The Blairsden Estate in Peapack Gladstone, New Jersey, is certainly one of the greatest examble of beaux arts mansions in the United States. For a short thirty day window this private estate is open to the public as part of Mansion in May, that started back in 1974 with the Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC) and has raised over $8 million for worthwhile causes at Morristown Medical Center. Blairsden, built in the late 1890’s was Over sixty designers have spent months preparing for the Mansion in May exhibit.…

Peapack has a Jacobs Ladder too!

June 4, 2007August 25, 2020 Mr. Local History

Post Views: 6,473 To expand on an earlier post: The PLOT THICKENS… Jacob’s Ladder #2 – So I kept digging about Jacobs Ladder. Not that I wanted to, but the internet has it’s way of bringing information right to my doorstep. It seems that a few of you who’ve spent your childhood in the region realize that the Jacob’s ladder mentioned in Weird NJ is not the REAL jacobs ladder, but a rendition of what they wanted you to believe. How about that! I was stunned at first as well,…