Somerset Hills
The Somerset Hills is a region in the northern portion of Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, almost entirely north of Interstate 78. It comprises Bernards Township (Basking Ridge, Lyons, and Liberty Corner), Bernardsville, Bedminster Township, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone. Based on the United States Census, 2000 data, population was as follows: Peapack-Gladstone 2,433 (6%), Bernardsville 7,345 (17%), Bernards Township 24,575 (56%), Bedminster Township 8,302 (19%) and Far Hills 857 (2%), for a total of 43,512.
Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner, Lyons and West Millington are ZIP codes and unincorporated areas located within Bernards Township.
Bedminster Township includes the area known as Greater Cross Roads, Lamington, Pluckemin, Pottersville, and the section of Bedminster.
Background
During the decades following the Civil War, the United States experienced tremendous economic growth and the concomitant accumulation of enormous wealth by a select, but growing and increasingly interrelated, group of industrialists and financiers who were determined to join the ranks of the established upper class. To assimilate themselves into society, these new plutocrats lavishly spent their newfound wealth to acquire all of the physical manifestations of the aristocratic life, including large country houses in one or more of the country’s exclusive residential “colonies,” such the Somerset Hills of New Jersey. These great country estates were intended to be examples of conspicuous consumption and the pursuit of leisure and a blatant statement of the owner’s social standing.(Jack Turpin)
Historical Landmarks
For Details on Location try The Historical Society of The Somerset Hills website
Bedminster Township
- McDonalds/Klines Mill, Klines Mill Road
- Jacobus Vanderveer House
- Lamington Historic District
- Pluckemin Village Historic District
- Pottersville Village Historic District
- Pluckemin Continental Artillery Cantonment Site, America's First Military Academy
Bernards Township
- Basking Ridge Train Station, Depot Pl
- Brick Academy, 15 West Oak Street]
- Alward Farmhouse, 40 Mount Airy Rd
- Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, 6 West Oak St
- Coffee House, 214 North Maple Avenue
- Kennedy Martin Stelle Farmstead, 450 King George Rd
- Lord Stirling Manor Site, 96 Lord Stirling Road
- Lyons Train Station, Cross Road
- Franklin Corners Historic District
- Samuel Johnson House
- Van Dorn's Mill
- Franklin Corner School
- Liberty Corner Historic District (E)
Bernardsville
- Bernardsville Train Station, US Route 202 (10)
- John Parker Tavern, 2 Morristown Road (11)
- Reynolds Scherman House, 71 Hardscrabble Rd (12)
- Morristown National Historical Park, NJ Brigade (F)
- Olcott Avenue Historic District, above Olcott Center
Far Hills Borough
- Far Hills Train Station, US Route 202 (21)
- Alexander and James Linn Homestead, Minebrook Rd (22)
Peapack-Gladstone Borough
- Gladstone Train Station, Main Street (38)
Federal, state and county representation
The Somerset Hills Region is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township).[1] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021)[2] and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).[3][4]
For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 16th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Christopher Bateman (R, Branchburg) and in the General Assembly by Jack Ciattarelli (R, Hillsborough Township) and Andrew Zwicker (D, South Brunswick). [5] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township).[6] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[7]
Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members.[8] As of 2016, Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Patricia L. Walsh (R, Green Brook Township, term ends December 31, 2016)[9], Freeholder Deputy Director Peter S. Palmer (R, Bernardsville, 2017),[10] Patrick Scaglione (R, Bridgewater Township, 2018),[11] Mark Caliguire (R, Skillman in Montgomery Township, 2018),[12] and Brian D. Levine (R, Franklin Township, 2017),[13] Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Brett A. Radi (R, Somerville, 2017),[14] Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano (R, Raritan, 2016)[15][16] and Surrogate Frank Bruno (R, Branchburg, 2018).[17]
References
- ↑ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 5, 2012.
- ↑ About Cory Booker, United States Senate. Accessed January 26, 2015. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
- ↑ Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "He currently lives in Paramus and has two children, Alicia and Robert."
- ↑ Senators of the 114th Congress from New Jersey. United States Senate. Accessed January 26, 2015. "Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ) Class II; Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ) Class I"
- ↑ Legislative Roster 2016-2017 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 17, 2016.
- ↑ "About the Governor". State of New Jersey. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ↑ "About the Lieutenant Governor". State of New Jersey. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ↑ Somerset County Government: At Your Service, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed August 5, 2014.
- ↑ Patricia Walsh, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 18, 2016.
- ↑ Peter S. Palmer, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 18, 2016.
- ↑ Patrick Scaglione, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 18, 2016. A term-end year of 2015 is listed as of date accessed.
- ↑ Mark Caliguire, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 18, 2016. A term-end year of 2015 is listed as of date accessed.
- ↑ Brian Levine, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 18, 2016.
- ↑ Biography: Somerset County Clerk Brett A. Radi, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed August 5, 2014.
- ↑ Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano, Somerset County Sheriff's Office. Accessed August 5, 2014.
- ↑ Sheriff, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed August 5, 2014.
- ↑ Somerset County Surrogate, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 18, 2016. A term-end year of 2015 is listed as of date accessed.
Media/News
• News source and blog for all that's happening in the Somerset Hills
External links
- Bernardsville official web site
- Bernards Township official web site
- Borough of Peapack Gladstone
- The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills
- Bernards Township School District's 2014–15 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Bernards Township School District
- New Jersey Country Homes - The Somerset Hills Vol.1 and Vol.2.
- Top 10 Historic Businesses in the Somerset Hills