His days are spent working as both a professional and freelance graphic artist, but his off-hours are usually spent pursuing his passion for history. He is presently working with Stephanie Hoagland on a comprehensive survey of New Jersey’s folk grave marker tradition, collects antique cameras and is a member of The Historical Association of Woodbridge Township and Friends of the Abraham Staats House (South Bound Brook, NJ).
Programs are free • 7:30 pm at the Brick Academy Refreshments • Family & Friends welcomed!
“The War Man‟ An intimate portrait of an American Revolution Soldier – Author Robert A. Mayers
In 1775, the first year of the
American Revolution, Congress made an appeal for troops. The resulting
army of citizen-soldiers began what for many would be more than five
years of battle and deprivation. Their consolation, however, was that
they would ultimately defeat the most powerful army of the age and win
independence for the new country of America. John Allison, a New York
farmer, answered the call to arms in 1775, joining the Continental
Army’s 3rd New York Infantry. Allison was surrounded by like-minded
volunteers, yet all were equally unprepared for campaigning. Despite the
lack of training, equipment, and clothing, Allison and the rest of his
company found themselves marching toward Quebec knee-deep in snow as
part of the unsuccessful American invasion of Canada.
ROBERT A. MAYERS is a Watchung
author who served as a combat officer in the Navy and Marine Corps. He
is a former executive of a human resources consulting firm.
Programs are free • 7:30 pm at the Brick Academy Refreshments • Family & Friends welcomed!
Dr. Sandra Moss is a general internist who practiced for many years in central New Jersey. She has published over thirty articles about the history of medicine in a variety of publications and has spoken before local, state, and national history organizations. Her research focuses on nineteenth-century medicine in New Jersey. Dr. Moss is past-president of the Medical History Society of New Jersey and is an officer in the American Osler Society, an organization for clinician historians.
Programs are free • 7:30 pm at the Brick Academy Refreshments • Family & Friends welcomed!
During this ‘first person’ performance, Kimberly Costa, a historic character interpreter, gives her guests the chance to meet and listen to a woman traveling across New Jersey by stage.
Listen to strange tales of 18th century haunting and ghostly encounters that have followed the woman throughout her travels.
A friendly, frightfully delightful event for the entire family.
Programs are free • 7:30 pm at the Brick Academy Refreshments • Family & Friends welcomed!
Date/Time: Thursday, April 19, 2012 7:30pm Location: The Brick Academy, 15 West Oak Street, Basking Ridge Presenter: William B. Styple
Program Description:
In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, The
Historical Society of Somerset Hills will be having William Styple, a
resident of Chatham, present a program on Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Styple
has written close to twenty books on the Civil War and his most recent
book is “Tell Me of Lincoln”.
The presentation will uncover fascinating stories,
documented interviews and other accounts of President Lincoln by James
Kelly (1855-1933), the renowned artist and sculptor of Lincoln. James
Kelly’s ambition was not only to create a bronze of President Lincoln,
but he was also known to have conducted interviews in order to seek
out living witnesses of this strong and vigorous leader.
Mr. Styple is an excellent speaker who leaves the audience asking for more. Whether you are history buff, or just interested in the Civil War era, this is a program not to miss!
UPDATE: Winner Presentations to be held at the Society’s Member Social at the Brick Academy on February 8, 2018
News Release – Basking Ridge – January 18, 2018
Congratulations to THSSH’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners June Kennedy, the family of Mary Conkling Ellis, and the family of Mildred Van Dyke
Presentation will be Thurs. Feb 8, 2017 7:30pm at the Brick Academy Museum
The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) is proud to welcome back the THSSH Lifetime Achievement Award, presented this year to three people recognizing their dedication and outstanding service to supporting history in the Somerset Hills area including Bedminster, Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack & Gladstone. Nominees were submitted by the THSSH Board of Trustees and the winners will be will be honored at the Annual Membership Kickoff Social in February 2018 with three winners receiving a brick inscribed with their name and placed on what is being called “The Brick Academy Walk of Honor.”
The 2018 Honorees
June Kennedy
June Kennedy, a former Society
trustee for over 25 years started serving back in 1988. She served for
many years as the Education Committee Chair with focus on educating
children across the Somerset Hills. June was also named the official
Bernards Township historian and served in that capacity for over 20
years. While June retired from THSSH about 5 years ago, she is near and
dear to all that know history in the area and her volunteerism and
dedication towards preserving and promoting history is worthy of June
receiving our first memorial brick on the new “History Walk of Honor.”
Mary Conkling Ellis
Mary Conkling Ellis – Mrs. Ellis is known as the
first president and co-founder of the Society. Known then as the Basking
Ridge Historical Society, Mary served as president for twelve years
before her retirement. She was responsible for the founding of the six
original trustees, incorporating the society, and building the
membership to over 150 people in the first year. Mary passed in 1940 and
has left a legacy in Basking Ridge having street names recognizing both
the Conkling and Ellis names.
Mildred Van Dyke
Mildred “Millie” Van Dyke is the third recipient
to be added to the historic Walk of Honor. Millie was first elected
trustee in 1997 and served on many committees as trustee for over
thirteen years. Millie loved working on the archives committee where she
would often be called upon to recognize people in our photo archive
collection. Since she grew up in the area, the photos often had her
friends and childhood neighbors in the photographs. She was our oldest
member when she passed at the age of 103. She is survived by two
children who we hope attend the presentation.
Bricks were created for each honoree that will be installed in the Society’s Walk of Honor on the western side of the Brick Academy before the start of Bernards Township’s Charter Day on Saturday, May 19, 2018.
Above: Winners of the 2018 THSSH Lifetime Achievement Awards to be set in the inaugural History Walk of Honor outside the Brick Academy in Basking Ridge.
December 1, 2017
The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) is proud to welcome back the THSSH Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to two people each year recognizing their dedication and outstanding service to supporting history in the Somerset Hills area including Bedminster, Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack & Gladstone. Nominees are submitted by the THSSH Board of Trustees and announced in December. All of the nominees along with two winners will be will be honored at the Annual Membership Meeting in February 2018 with two winners receiving a brick inscribed with their name and placed on what is being called “The Brick Academy Walk of Honor.”
Ten Nominees Announced
Nominees for the THSSH Lifetime Achievement Award were submitted by members of the Society’s Board of Trustees. Trustees were permitted to submit one nominee for two categories, one “living” and one “in memory.”
2018 Nominees
Here is the list of the nominees submitted for Society’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award:
Nominees: Present
John Campbell ‐ Former THSSH trustee and founder of the Friends of the KMS Farmstead. First elected Trustee in 2002. Served for next 12 years. Focus: Preservation
June Campbell ‐ Former THSSH Chair for 10 years, Trustee for 24 years. First elected Trustee in 1990. Focus: Museum Curator.
June Kennedy ‐ Former THSSH Trustee for 25 years starting in 1988, Education Committee Chair, Bernards Twp Historian. Focus: Education
Daniel Lincoln ‐ Current THSSH Trustee, President of THSSH for 24 of 27 years. Historic Preservation Chair, Grant producer, founder of Bernardsville HPAC and Friends of Dunster Squibb House. Focus: Preservation
2018 Nominations: In Memory
Archibald Carswell ‐ First elected Society trustee in 1933. Served on the board for 26 years. President for 12 years from 1957 through 1968.
Mary Conkling Ellis ‐ First President of the Society in 1928. Elected President for 12 years straight before dying in 1940.
Pritch Matthews – Became Bedminster Township Historian in 1988. Member of the Township’s Historical Preservation Commission. Her involvement with local history led to her writing in 1999 “Bedminster Township ‐ 250 Years”. Died in 2009.
Richard Rozewski ‐ First elected Trustee in 1986. First president of renamed THSSH. Served 2 years as THSSH President.
David Stone ‐ First elected Trustee in 1996. Served as Trustee for the next 8 years.
Mildred Dunham Van Dyke ‐ First elected Trustee in 1997. Served for next 13 years. Died at age 103.
Nominees & Winners To Be Honored at 2018 Annual Kickoff Member Meeting
Winners and their immediate families will be notified of the award after the January THSSH Trustee Meeting. A formal announcement and presentation will be made at the Annual Membership Meeting on February 8, 2018. The nominees will be honored, and the 2 category winners will be awarded a brick inscribed with their name to be placed in a new “Walk of Honor” alongside the Brick Academy’s western walkway along with a certificate of appreciation. The brick will be installed and unveiled at Bernards Township Charter Day in May 2018.
Ever wonder how your New Jersey ancestors made cherry pies or discussed women’s issues in the 1800s? You can now immerse yourself in these and other historical experiences while sitting at home with your pajamas on. The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) has posted a new online exhibit of farm and kitchen tools as well as archival records related to the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church (BRPC) and the famous Basking Ridge Oak Tree as it debuts on the New Jersey Digital Highway.org website (NJDH).
A contraption that pits and slices cherries and an 1889 BRPC flyer announcing “A Lecture to Ladies Only” on “The Perils and Possibilities of Womanhood” are just two of the items in the exhibit. And THSSH is just one stop on NJDH, an online treasure trove of historical and cultural information from archives, libraries and museums throughout the state of New Jersey. THSSH joins a Who’s Who of New Jersey institutions already on the highway, including the Rutgers University Libraries, the New Jersey State Library, Clarence Dillon Public Library and the New Jersey Historical Society.
NJDH, which is hosted by Rutgers University Libraries, is a community repository designed to preserve the state’s cultural resources and artifacts for use by citizens, educators, researchers and students through digitization, online access and digital preservation. Resources are available 24/7 and maintained in perpetuity. “Our new partnership with NJDH is a great way to help celebrate THSSH’s 90th birthday this year,” said Cynthia Crosson, THSSH archivist who spearheaded the effort. “A true marriage of the old with the new. Starting in March, we will be adding new records documenting our organization’s collections and history on a continuing basis.”
Thursday, June 21, at 7:00 PM Brick Academy, 15 W. Oak Street, Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge resident Teri Passarello will be giving a talk on “The
Mystery of Nancy Drew: Girl Sleuth” at the Brick Academy on Thursday,
June 21, at 7:00 PM.
The lecture, sponsored by The Historical Society of the
Somerset Hills (THSSH), accompanies Passarello’s exhibit at the Brick
Academy showing her collection of rare and collectible original Nancy
Drew books.
The talk is free to the public, and refreshments will be served. RSVPs are requested. Please contact THSSH Trustee Meg Wastie at kitmeg@verizon.net or 201-572-5390.
Above: Young Historians Jack Browne, Jule Merrigan & Samantha Laham examining photographs at the Brick Academy
Bernards Township, New Jersey – Six Ridge High School students have started researching local history through the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH). Meeting once or twice a week, the students gather in the lower level of the Brick Academy, poring through boxes of photographs, documents and artifacts donated to the Historical Society.
Vincent and Suzanne Tufariello of Bernards Township recently purchased the house next door to the Brick Academy and found a trove of memorabilia left behind in the house. She contacted THSSH to share her findings and donate furniture, photos and documents.
Trustee Meg Wastie decided to start a group of “Young Historians,” high school students who are earning community service credit through working with the donated materials. The students meet each week to sort through documents and photographs, learning a lot about local history while they make connections between founding families in the Somerset Hills. The students keep folders with different family names and specific locations, sorting and adding to their folders with each new find.
Above: Young Historian Anne Kleinle points out a photo to colleagues Jack Browne, Jule Merrigan & Samantha Laha
“I really enjoy working with these high school students,” commented Wastie. “Their excitement upon finding relationships and connections among the papers and photos in the donation boxes is contagious. They are enjoying themselves, learning a lot about their community, and doing a service for the Historical Society.”
They will be continuing their work at the Brick Academy on Charter Day. Stop in to meet them and see these dedicated students in action!
