Did
You
Know
That ?

• 1969 - The descendents of Grant Schley sold Schley Mountain for $2.2 million for development of what is now known as The Hills Development of Bedminster and Bernards Township. By the time construction began in earnest on the Bernards side in the mid-1990s, Johns-Manville had sold its 50 percent share to William E. Simon and Sons. This group, in turn, auctioned off huge parcels to major home builders like K. Hovnanian, Pulte Homes and Toll Brothers.
• 1961 - Ridge High School in Bernards Twp opened in September 1961 with a student population of 492 students in grades 9 through 12. The rising seniors were brought back from Bernardsville High School to become the first graduating class of the new high school. The remaining grades 9, 10, and 11 came from Oak Street Junior High. On October 6, 1959, the voters of Bernards Township approved the referendum calling for a bond issue of $1,532,000.

Announcement

Iconic Black River Journal Magazine Now Available at the Brick Academy Museum

For those who know the Black River Journal magazine will be happy to know that they will now be available to get a copy at the historic Brick Academy Museum. For those who don't know, the Brick Academy is located in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township at 15 W. Oak Street. The magazine covers stories and news of local interest and is free but the challenge has always been to find it before they're all gone.

"The Black River Journal magazine falls right in line with mission of the historical society and we're so glad to offer the publication," says Brooks Betz, Programming Chair at THSSH. "Chris and Lee Wolfe have been promoting local history since the publication started offering great looks into the area's local history and it's really the only magazine of it's kind. I love when I can find a copy."

The museum is now offering more programs and hopes to have copies available for visitors whenever the museum is open. The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills also plans to work with the Black River Journal to create an archive of past issues for the Society's research archives as well.

If you'd like a copy, drop by when the Brick Academy Museum is open, or look outside to the self-serve brochure box located in front of the Brick Academy.

Additional Information

For additional information visit the Black River Journal's website - Click Here

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.

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.