Did
You
Know
That ?

• 1880 - The 1880 Federal Census listed Bernards Township as having a population of 2,622 which included 218 farms.
• 1701 - What is now the Borough of Peapack-Gladstone originally was part of a large tract of land that Dr. John Johnstone and George Willocks purchased in 1701 from Dutch proprietors.

Bedminster Fall Fest Displays Local History and Welcomes Bedminster Membership Drive

As the leaves turn to orange and red and the crisp clear fall days give way to cool nights, there comes Fall Fest, Bedminster's celebration to Fall and community. The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills participated as a community service organization promoting the history of the local area including Pluckemin, the Vanderveer Knox House, and other Bedminster historic landmarks.

For 2011, THSSH welcomed the Vanderveer Knox House and General George Washington, as well as the Bernardsville Historic Preservation Commission to join THSSH promoting local history.

In addition to hand pressed apple cider and tractor hay rides, Brooks Betz, THSSH Trustee and Daniel Lincoln, President of the Bernardsville HPAC joined over a thousand guests at River Road Park in Bedminster for a great afternoon of sharing information and stories of historic happenings in and around the Somerset Hills.

Bedminster is one of the five hamlets supported by The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. Bedminster is one of the most active historic revolutionary war areas in the country, offering great history including The Pluckemin Artillery Academy, the Vanderveer/Knox House and museum, War Spy John Honeyman, and of course, the Pluckemin Ball of 1779! THSSH is proud to have Bedminster residents joining and supporting our efforts.

Join and Support our Cause Today

If you live in Bedminster, we'd love to have you as a member to help support our efforts to tell these great stories about our local history. Please consider joining THSSH today. Click Here for more information.

2011 Fall Fest photos:

Daniel Lincoln, THSSH President discusses local history with a Bedminster resident.

General George Washington, a historic re-enactor, greeted guests to the
Bedminster Vanderveer/Knox House during Fallfest.

2011 Fallfest booth guests included THSSH Trustee Brooks Betz and
THSSH President Daniel Lincoln.

Additional Information

To learn more about the local history of Basking Ridge, Bernards Township, many of these historic sites, and the Somerset Hills area, please visit us online at www.THSSH.org.

Submitted: September 22, 2011

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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 celebrated 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.