In a sleepy little section in the northern end of Bernards Township lies the Olde Mill Inn. Once just a small restaurant and former grain house barn, it has become a quiet getaway for Hollywood elite and social royalty. As… Read More »They Stayed In Basking Ridge
Bernards Township has had a long history of being a sleepy rural town. Then the US built the Lyons VA and everything changed as the population grew. Then AT&T came to town in the 70’s and everything AGAIN started to… Read More »History of Housing Developments in Bernards Township
The Mr. Local History project’s mission is to promote and preserve local history with a social twist. Based in the Somerset Hills, an area in northern Somerset County, New Jersey, the project is an all-volunteer registered 501c3 non-profit that creates… Read More »About Us – Mr. Local History
Nestled in the Catskill Mountains in the southern portion of New York State lies the historic Mohonk Mountain Resort, known to locals as the Mohonk Mountain House. The resort is anything but a house and you can spend a glorious… Read More »Day Trip – Historic Mohonk Mountain “House”, New Paltz, New York
So we’re over at the Bedminster Farmers Market and while meeting a few of the locals, one of the patrons mentioned “why don’t you research what’s going on over at the slave burial grounds in Bedminster. Here we are. We… Read More »A Unique Bedminster Cemetery-“God’s Acre”
The Grain House: 1768-2018 Congratulations to the Grain House Restaurant for celebrating its 250th anniversary as a structure in the Franklin Corners section of Bernards Township, New Jersey. Mr. Local History congratulates the historic Grain House as it celebrates its… Read More »Historic Grain House in Bernards Township Marks 250th Anniversary
Sister Towns in New Jersey and England Share a Common Bond – and a Name How fun was it when we were contacted by our friends across the pond who were inquiring about what they were calling a “sister town”… Read More »The Tale of Two Bedminsters
Before I begin this post, I have to say that this topic was one of my favorites with June Kennedy, our Basking Ridge Town Historian who recently passed in November 2018. We often challenged each other to dig into the… Read More »The History of Street Names in Bernards Township
On June 10, 2017 the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church (BRPC) celebrated its 300th anniversary with a town wide parade from Ridge High School down Finley Avenue to the iconic church off the Basking Ridge village green. Given this great accomplishment we… Read More »The History of Worship in Basking Ridge
Alexander Hamilton’s New Jersey Roots – Morristown Known as the “the cockpit of the american revolution,” New Jersey has a rich history from the american revolution. During what was the 2nd winter encampment in Morristown, and the 4th in New… Read More »Alexander Hamilton’s Morristown Love Story
Below are the original research notes as I had spent years researching contradicting information on the Widow White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Often I like to post research in hopes that other researchers can see what’s been gathered… Read More »What Happened to Mary White and Widow White’s Tavern
Did you know that US Route 206 actually used to be Route 31 and what is US Route 202 was actually Route 32?
So now you tell your friend “Take Route 31 North Thru Bedminster
and Turn Right onto Route 32 straight into Bernardsville.” Huh. “Route 31 goes to Clinton right? Left? WRONG! Confused?
Travel back to 1935 and you definitely would have been.
Maybe you could travel down Mine Brook Road to Bernardsville and the directions read take Route 32 south to Bville and stop at the dairy. Or maybe you’re coming down from Chester and you wanted to visit the Brady’s Hamilton Farm in Peapack/Bedminster and you actually have to go down Route 31. Well that was actually the case right up until 1935 when the transition began to change these two crossroads across the Somerset Hills to Routes 202 and 206.
How Confusing?
Have you ever had such a major roadway change names in your lifetime? Your whole psychic changes. Think about how much confusion there is when the Department of Transportation changes highway exits and how long it takes you to forget the old ones and replace it with the new numbers. Geeze, I think there’s still exit signs on the southern end of Route 202 South that still say Old Exit 2B.
Help map New Jersey (and surrounding areas) Historic Schoolhouses! It’s growing everyday – and it’s FREE. A great new mapping effort. We’re looking for people to post information regarding any old one room type schoolhouses that you know of in… Read More »Mapping New Jersey’s Historic Schoolhouses
Go Figure – It’s true. Founded back in 1932 and situated on 38 acres in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and glad to know that they have a discounted membership for township residents. It’s called a “naturist community for families and… Read More »America’s First Nudist Colony is in Basking Ridge New Jersey