The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills presents a variety of programs throughout the year, providing many opportunities to learn more about the history of our community.
Check out our Upcoming Programs & Events, or look back through time to see what you missed!
Upcoming Programs
Upcoming Events
Charter Day 2024 Street Fair
May 18, 2024
Rain or Shine Saturday, May 18, 2024 History, Rides, Games, Food, Entertainment, Street Acts Join The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) as we help celebrate Charter Day, Saturday May 18, 2024, in downtown Basking Ridge. Charter Day is coordinated by the Bernards Township Department of Parks & Recreation and is an annual event,... Learn more
1770s Festival
October 6, 2024
THHSH is again participating in the 1770s Festival hosted by the Somerset County Park Commission. This year’s event will be held Sunday October 6, 2024, 11:30am to 4pm at Lord Stirling Park off Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge. This family-friendly event features reenactors and demonstrations of colonial arts and crafts. Note: This event is... Learn more
Past Programs
Early American Schoolhouse
December 6, 2023
This Fall, Somerset Hills elementary grade students are immersed in our Early American Schoolhouse program, discovering what it was like to attend a typical one-room schoolhouse in the mid-1800s. Young students role play by arriving at the Brick Academy with such ‘school supplies’ as water buckets, fire logs for the potbelly stove, study books, and... Learn more
The Gilded Frame
May 10, 2023
On Wednesday, May 10, at 7:00 pm at the Brick Academy in Basking Ridge, the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) will host a book reading and signing by Peter Gilbertson, the author of The Gilded Frame, the recently published “mystery in history” set in the Somerset Hills of 110 years ago. Copies of... Learn more
Meet a Black Revolutionary War Soldier
at the Brick Academy
April 23, 2023
On Sunday, April 23, Meet a Black Revolutionary War Soldier at the Brick Academy. You will meet Ned Hector, who was a teamster (wagon driver) and artillerist for Proctor’s 3rd Pa Artillery in the Battle of Brandywine and Germantown. His reenactor, Noah Lewis, brings to life the struggles and bravery of African American soldiers fighting... Learn more
Past Events
Afternoon Tea Signature Event
April 14, 2024
Location: “Little Thoresby” – Bernardsville, NJ Fee: $100 – SOLD OUT Guests will experience a delightful traditional Afternoon Tea in the beautiful gardens and manicured lawns of Little Thoresby. This charming historic home, built in 1929 by Ellen Low Pierrepont Moffat and named after Thoresby Hall in Nottinghamshire, England, is a true gem. With its... Learn more
Freemason Secrets
March 21, 2024
Location: Congdon-Overlook Lodge, 11 Morristown Road, Bernardsville, NJFee: $10 (To be collected at the door)Snow Date: March 28 Freemasons are one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world, a group that began during the Middle Ages in Europe as a guild of skilled builders who later spread out worldwide. The fraternal order has more... Learn more
Revolutionary Spies
February 22, 2024
Location: Brick Academy, 15 W. Oak St., Basking Ridge. Snow Date: February 29 Intelligence gathering, secret agents and misinformation – not the first things that come to mind when we think of the American Revolution. However, as we will learn, some of the most interesting and essential characters of the Revolution were the spies, including... Learn more
