The Historic Dunster Homestead
moves towards Historic Preservation
COME SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE BERNARDSVILLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION.
BOROUGH OF BERNARDSVILLE
Borough Council Meeting
December 10, 2007 7:00pm
166 Mine Brook Road Bernardsville, NJ 07924
Public hearing on Ordinance #07-1479, AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,000,000
FROM THE BOROUGH OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND (OF WHICH $500,000 IS TO BE REIMBURSED
FROM A GREEN ACRES GRANT) FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE BELCHER PROPERTY.
Mayor Lee C. Honecker
Council Member Denis J. Dooley, II
Council Member Charlotte J. Foster
Council Member Michael Landau
Council Member John McCrossan
Council Member Joseph Rossi
Council Member Mikael Salovaara
The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills applauds the efforts of many private and public individuals and organizations that are working relentlessly to help preserve this historical Bernardsville property.
James was a revolutionary war veteran and most likely built this house sometime in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s. His son Oliver (1811-1891), except for a few years in his youth, lived his entire life in this house. Oliver and his family appear in every census between 1840 and 1880.
A copy of an 1850 map of Somerset County indicates an O. Dunster residence along Mine Brook Road. At the time, Dunster owned all the land on Round Top Mountain. Charles F. Squibb, whose father Edward Robinson Squibb founded Squibb Pharmaceuticals in New York, first appears in the 1910 census at the Mine Brook Road house. The Squibb’s continue to own the property through the last currently available census in 1930, when Charles’ eldest son John Squibb is listed as head of household.
The Belchers were next to own the property and were related by marriage to the Squibb family. Included in this document are two high resolution aerial photographs taken by R.M. Dickinson with Aero Photo Service on 21 Aug. 1933 of the property. Another photograph of the rear of the main house in the thirties is also included. Similar photographs taken in 2005 are also included. It’s amazing how little has changed on this property in the last 73 years.
Additional Information:
10 Most Endagerd Sites (Including Dunster Homestead) - Click Here
Newark Star Ledger Article -
May 2007 Dunster Homestead makes Top 10 list of Historic Preservation - Click Here.The Moore Family History - Pictures and History Click Here
Support Information
To be updated soon.