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• 1998 - December - Beneficial Management Corporation donates the US Equestrian Foundation its new headquarters in Gladstone, stables, and a four acre easement from the Hamilton Farm estate.
• 1749 - Bedminster Incorporates. In 1880, Bedminster's population was 1,812, just 600 fewer than the population listed in the 1980 census.

As the Bicentennial continues...new exhibits present local history at the Brick Academy

As part of the year-long Brick Academy bicentennial celebration, the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills is sponsoring new exhibits that are now on display on the main level of the Brick Academy, home of the Historical Society of Somerset Hills.

Time Marches On - New History Timeline on Display at Brick Academy

The historic timeline of Bernards Twp stretch across the entire wall of the Brick Academy. The creation of THSSH members June Kennedy and Ann Parsekian to commemorate the 200 years that the Brick Academy has stood supporting the rich history of the area. Click to download a photo image of this beautiful timeline.

Click on the image to enlarge (24mb)

Sixty six events along with photos, images, and text break down Bernards Twp history from 1795- 2009.

The timeline is on exhibit on the main floor of the Brick Academy in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

Kitchen Artifacts from the Past

On display for a limited time:

Take a step back in time and see how work was done in the kitchen.

Over 50 utensils, tools, and kitchen aids are on display.

The General Store

Take a step back in time and see what was for sale at the area's general stores.

School's Open

Getting the kids ready for another school year? So are we! While the Brick Academy celebrates it's bicentennial, we've also finally restored our c.1905 top floor schoolroom. On the main level, a new display highlights some of the things the boys and girls needed while attending what was known as Basking Ridge School No. 12.

Photo left:

See a number of books referred to as the Second Reader by The American Educational Readers, also known as "early readers". The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills has a number of early readers including several that were used in the local schools.

Below the standing "Second Reader" are pages from "The Children's Third Reader, published in 1896.

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About The Brick Academy

The Brick Academy (also known as the Basking Ridge Classical Schoolhouse) is a 1809 Federal-style architectural structure located in the center of Basking Ridge in Bernards Township. The Brick Academy has been a boys’ private preparatory school, a public school, a meeting hall for several fraternal and benevolent organizations, and the Bernards Township municipal building. It currently serves as the headquarters of The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills, as well as a schoolhouse and museum to local history. The Brick Academy also celebrates its bicentennial in 2009.

About the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH)

Founded in 1928 originally as the Historical Society of Basking Ridge, the mission and name of the society was later changed to The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization including all five communities of the Somerset Hills region: Bedminster Township, Bernards Township, Bernardsville ,Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone which are all located in Somerset County, New Jersey.

The mission of The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) is to acquire, conserve and share local artifacts and information on matters of local historic interest; cultivate interest in local history; encourage the preservation of local historic resources; facilitate historic research; and preserve, operate, and interpret the Brick Academy.

To further this mission, THSSH sponsors events and activities that promote community awareness and appreciation of the history and architecture of the Somerset Hills. THSSH headquarters is at the Brick Academy in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, where our collections of items of local historic interest are available to the public.