Somerset Inn Postcard

A postcard from 1905 shows the Somerset Inn, located in Bernardsville, NJ.

The inn stood on Mendham Road, near Washington Corner Road and became a resort destination for the rich and famous in society after the railroad was extended (1872) to Bernardsville.  Many guests liked the area so much that they later built homes of their own in the surrounding hills.

This postcard is especially interesting because it was postmarked at the Inn, which had its own post office along with many other amenities like tennis courts, swimming pool, and a golf course.  The Inn could accommodate up to 500 guests.

The card is addressed to Miss Dora Satterlee, Big Indian, Ulster Co., NY.  Big Indian was and is a small hamlet in the Town of Shandaken in the Catskill region.  Dora Satterlee (1881-1966) was easily located there on the 1905 NY State Census.  She went on to marry (c.1905) William Lundergun.

The Somerset Inn burned to the ground in a disastrous fire in 1908.