Bernardsville, New Jersey
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Bernardsville (Template:IPAc-en<ref name=NJ2017>Melisurgo, Len. "Here's the right way to pronounce 25 N.J. town names everyone botches", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Same goes with the neighboring borough of Bernardsville. (It should be pronounced BERN-ards-vil.)"</ref>) is the northernmost borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated within the heart of the Raritan Valley and Somerset Hills regions,<ref>Raritan Basin Hydrology, New Jersey Water Supply Authority. Accessed June 29, 2023.</ref><ref>About Us, Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. Accessed June 23, 2023. "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, and Peapack-Gladstone, which are all located in Somerset County, New Jersey."</ref> the borough is an historic and wealthy bedroom community of New York City in the New York metropolitan area.<ref>Capuzzo, Jill P. "Living in Bernardsville, N.J.: A Gilded Age Enclave Looking to the Future", The New York Times, December 20, 2023. Accessed September 6, 2024.</ref> As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,893,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 186 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 7,707,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn had reflected an increase of 362 (+4.9%) from the 7,345 counted at the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref> Bernardsville is often mispronounced as "Ber-NARDS-ville" as opposed to the correct pronunciation, "BER-nards-ville".<ref name=NJ2017/><ref>"Review: New Jersey Country Homes The Somerset Hills." T3 Consortium, LLC, last modified September 2006, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2008. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Ever hear of Bernardsville? Want to sound like you're a local? then don't pronounce it Ber-NARDS-ville. It's pronounced Ber-NERDS-ville."</ref>
Bernardsville was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 6, 1924, from portions of Bernards Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 29, 1924.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 222. Accessed January 25, 2012.</ref> The borough was named for Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet, who served as governor of the Province of New Jersey before the Revolutionary War.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 27, 2015.</ref> In 2009, part of the borough was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Olcott Avenue Historic District.<ref name="nris"/>
In 2000, Bernardsville had the 10th-highest per capita income in New Jersey.<ref>"Money Income (1989 and 1999) and Poverty (1999) New Jersey, Counties and Municipalities", New Jersey Department of Labor Division of Labor Market and Demographic Research, New Jersey State Data Center. April 2003. Accessed August 26, 2013.</ref> Based on data from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey, the borough had a per-capita income of $70,141, ranked 27th in the state.<ref>Median Household, Family, Per-Capita Income: State, County, Municipality and Census Designated Place (CDP) With Municipalities Ranked by Per Capita Income; 2010 5-year ACS estimates (Excel Format) Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed April 23, 2020.</ref> In 2019, the borough was ranked by Bloomberg News as 64th of 100 on its 2019 list of Bloomberg Richest Places, one of 18 in the state included on the list.<ref>Tarrazi, Alexis. "Bernardsville Named Among Top 100 Richest In US: Bloomberg Bernardsville was among only 18 New Jersey towns to secure a spot on the list annual richest places index in 2019.", Bernardsville-Bedminster, NJ Patch, February 14, 2019. Accessed April 23, 2020. "Bernardsville was named to the among 100 richest in the United States and 18 New Jersey town on the 2019 Bloomberg Richest Places rankings. Bernardsville was one of two of the big movers on the list. The borough jumped 31 spots to No. 64."</ref>
History
[edit]Bernardsville was originally a section of Bernards Township known as Vealtown.<ref>Template:Cite gnis Variant name: Vealtown</ref><ref>DePalma, Anthony. "If You're Thinking Of Living In Bernardsville", The New York Times, December 23, 1984. Accessed January 25, 2012. "Bernardsville, all history and charm, is a community kissed by good fortune. Already an established hamlet inexplicably known as Vealtown by the time Washington and his army tramped through on their way to their Jockey Hollow encampment near Morristown, it has managed by dint of its resolve and a good bit of luck to survive booms and busts over the last 200 years and still retain its unique character."</ref> In 1840, Vealtown became Bernardsville, named after Sir Francis Bernard, Colonial governor of New Jersey from 1758 to 1760.<ref>Staff. "A look at Bernards through the centuries", Courier News, August 27, 2003. Accessed January 25, 2012. "1760 King Template:Sic creates Bernardston Township by charter in honor of Sir Francis Bernard, provincial governor of New Jersey, 1758-60. At that time, the township also includes Far Hills, Warren and Bernardsville, then known as Vealtown."</ref> Located in the northernmost part of Somerset County, just Template:Convert south of Morristown, the borough includes some of the last vestiges of the Great Eastern Forest.<ref>History Template:Webarchive, Bernardsville Borough. Accessed January 25, 2012.</ref>
During the Revolutionary War, General Charles Lee rested his troops in Vealtown around the night of December 12 to 13, 1776. General Lee and some of his guard spent the night about Template:Convert southeast at White's Inn on the southeast side of Basking Ridge, near the manor house of Continental Army general William Alexander, Lord Stirling. On the morning of December 13, General Lee was captured by the British and removed to New York.<ref>Lossing, Benson John. The pictorial field-book of the revolution; or, illustrations, by pen and pencil, of the history, biography, scenery, relics, and traditions of the war for independence, Volume 2, p. 222. Harper & Bros., 1852. Accessed January 25, 2012.</ref> The Vealtown Tavern, now known as the John Parker Tavern, was a regular stop during the 1779–1780 winter encampment at Morristown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After the Civil War, many wealthy and prominent New Yorkers moved into the area, first as summer visitors, then later as permanent residents of the Bernardsville Mountain. For most, the men worked in New York City while the women and children spent summers in Bernardsville. The Gladstone Branch of the existing railroad line was built through Bernardsville in 1872 and played an important role in the borough's development. The Gladstone line, whose five o'clock train was appropriately nicknamed "the millionaire's special," as it was direct route to Penn Station, allowed the men who built grand estates in Bernardsville to commute to the city on a daily basis rather than only visit their families on weekends.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Bernardsville did not become an independent municipality until 1924, when it split from Bernards Township.<ref name=Story/>
On November 4, 2020, The Bernardsville Library announced that it would join the MAIN Library System, which has member libraries in all of Morris County, all of Hunterdon County and parts of Somerset and Warren counties. The Bernardsville Library is the second library from Somerset County to join the MAIN System, after the Bernards Township Library in neighboring Bernards Township. The library joined the MAIN System on January 11, 2021<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 15, 2021, Kings Food Markets announced that it would close their Bernardsville location on Morristown Road, officially closing on January 23, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Historic district
[edit]The New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites recommended the creation of the Olcott Avenue historic district on February 10, 2009. While the Olcott Avenue School is but one historic structure within Bernardsville's first historic district area, the area's appeal and historic significance is part of the story of the rise of the middle class in Bernardsville and how this particular location impacted the entire region, from the downtown, Little Italy, and the Mountain Colony areas.<ref>Zavalick, Charles; and Baratta, Amy. "Monsignor John Torney dies at 102; services Thursday and Friday", The Bernardsville News, May 14, 2013. Accessed August 26, 2013. "'It was a very unusual parish, with Little Italy on one side and on the other side the Mountain colony,' Msgr. Torney said in a 2012 interview with this newspaper."</ref>
Template:Infobox NRHP The Olcott Avenue Historic District is a Template:Convert historic district located along portions of Olcott, Childsworth, and Highview Avenues, and Church Street that recognizes a neighborhood developed in the early 20th century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 2009, for its significance in architecture, community planning and development, and education.<ref name="nrhpdoc">Template:Cite web With accompanying 12 photos.</ref>
According to the National Park Service:
The Olcott Avenue neighborhood in the borough of Bernardsville, located in northeast Somerset County, was developed at the turn of the 20th century as a carefully laid out middle class residential neighborhood. The streets in the district are characterized by lots of moderate size with regular setbacks with moderate to substantial dwellings constructed in a variety of late 19th and early 20th century architectural styles, several of which are particularly noteworthy examples. The original dwellings constructed during the first three decades or so of the 20th century all still stand and the streetscape has changed relatively little since curbs and sidewalks were added and the road was paved around 1916. Residents of the district have continued the long tradition of participation in civic activities.<ref name=highlight>Template:Cite web</ref>
Olcott Avenue is named after Frederic P. Olcott, a New York banker, politician, and philanthropist, who lived here. The street was originally named after Stewart Wolfe. In 1905, Olcott financed the construction of a high school, the first in the township, and donated it to the Bernards Township Board of Education. The stone building features Tudor Revival style and was designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who also lived here. Hardenbergh also designed the Bernardsville United Methodist Church and the parish house at St. Bernard's Church. The district includes several houses designed with Colonial Revival style.<ref name="nrhpdoc"/>
-
Bernardsville United Methodist Church
-
Colonial Revival style house
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 12.91 square miles (33.44 km2), including 12.84 square miles (33.24 km2) of land and 0.08 square miles (0.19 km2) of water (0.58%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Blaziers Corner, Mine Brook and Somersetin.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 22, 2015.</ref>
The borough borders Bernards Township to the east, Far Hills to the southwest, and Peapack-Gladstone to the west in Somerset County, Harding Township to the northeast and both Mendham Borough and Mendham Township to the northwest in Morris County.<ref>Areas touching Bernardsville, MapIt. Accessed March 19, 2020.</ref><ref>Municipalities, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed March 19, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>
Climate
[edit]Bernardsville has a climate that borders between humid continental and humid subtropical with cool sometimes cold winters and warm to hot, humid summers on average. High elevations of the town have a warm summer humid continental climate with more snow during the winter and more orographic precipitation. Summer is the wettest season with frequent afternoon thunderstorms while Winter is the driest season.
Demographics
[edit]Some of Bernardsville's Latino population are made up of residents of "Little Paraguay" located on the Basking Ridge side of the train tracks.<ref>Zavalick, Charlie. " A parade of dissension in Bernardsville; Debate rages over Paraguayans' celebration of bicentennial during borough's Memorial Day", The Bernardsville News, June 10, 2011. Accessed September 26, 2016. "Was it inappropriate for members of the borough's sizable Paraguayan community to celebrate that nation's bicentennial during the Memorial Day parade here?"</ref>
2010 census
[edit]The 2010 United States census counted 7,707 people, 2,685 households, and 2,086 families in the borough. The population density was 597.2 per square mile (230.6/km2). There were 2,871 housing units at an average density of 222.5 per square mile (85.9/km2). The racial makeup was 91.38% (7,043) White, 0.88% (68) Black or African American, 0.14% (11) Native American, 3.27% (252) Asian, 0.06% (5) Pacific Islander, 2.18% (168) from other races, and 2.08% (160) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.72% (903) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>
Of the 2,685 households, 40.6% had children under the age of 18; 67.2% were married couples living together; 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.3% were non-families. Of all households, 19.1% were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.27.<ref name=Census2010/>
28.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.3 males.<ref name=Census2010/>
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $128,333 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,233) and the median family income was $141,510 (+/− $17,179). Males had a median income of $87,500 (+/− $36,816) versus $73,250 (+/− $10,725) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $70,141 (+/− $9,890). About 1.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Bernardsville borough, Somerset County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 25, 2012.</ref>
2000 census
[edit]As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 7,345 people, 2,723 households, and 2,050 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,807 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 93.94% White, 0.25% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 1.55% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.98% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Bernardsville borough, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 26, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Bernardsville borough, Somerset County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 26, 2012.</ref>
There were 2,723 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.12.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>
In the borough the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>
The median income for a household in the borough was $104,162, and the median income for a family was $126,601. Males had a median income of $91,842 versus $50,732 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $69,854. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>
Government
[edit]Local government
[edit]Bernardsville is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 77.</ref> The borough form of government used by Bernardsville is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Accessed November 30, 2014.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>
Template:As of, the mayor of Bernardsville is Republican Mary Jane Canose, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Jena McCredie (R, 2025), Jay Ambelang (R, 2024), Chad McQueen (R, 2025), Albert Ribeiro (R, 2024), Jeffrey Roos (D, 2026) and Christine Zamarra (D, 2026).<ref name=Officials>Elected Officials, Bernardsville Borough. Accessed May 19, 2024.</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, Bernardsville Borough. Accessed May 19, 2024.</ref><ref name=SomersetDirectory>2023 Directory of County & Municipal Offices, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed April 10, 2024.</ref><ref name=Somerset2023>2023 General Election November 7, 2023 Certified Official Results RESULTS, Somerset County, New Jersey, November 29, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Somerset2022>General Election November 8, 2022 Final Certified Results, Somerset County, New Jersey, updated November 23, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Somerset2021>2021 General Election Winning Candidates, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>
In June 2021, Democrat Thomas O'Dea Jr. resigned from office from a seat expiring in December 2023.<ref>Kipp, Guy. "Tom O'Dea Takes Part in His Final Bernardsville Council Meeting", TAPinto Bernardsville and Bedminster, June 29, 2021. Accessed April 25, 2022. "Bernardsville Councilman Thomas O'Dea Jr. attended his final Borough Council meeting as a member of the town's governing body on Monday night. O'Dea announced earlier in June that he would be resigning his seat on the Borough Council effective June 30."</ref> In July 2021, the borough council selected Matthew Marino from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the vacant seat on an interim basis.<ref>Meeting Minutes for July 12, 2021, Borough of Bernardsville. Accessed April 25, 2022. "Council Appointment to Vacancy Mr. Donahue moved to appoint Matthew Marino to fill a vacancy on the Borough Council from July 12th to when the General Election results are certified. Mr. McQueen seconded. Mr. Donahue, Mr. Hammond, Ms. McCredie, Mr. McQueen, and Ms. Zamarra voted yes."</ref> In November 2021, Republican Diane Greenfield was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Somerset2021/>
In December 2018, the borough council selected Diane Greenfield from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the balance of the unexpired term of office ending in December 2019 that had been held by Michael C. Sullivan until he resigned from office earlier that month.<ref>Zavalick, Charlie. "Diane Greenfield appointed to Bernardsville Council", The Bernardsville News, December 29, 2018. Accessed September 10, 2019. "In a selection process that involved three borough Republican leaders, Diane Greenfield was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Borough Council on Thursday morning, Dec. 27. A resident of Old Wood Road, Greenfield was unanimously chosen by the council to fill the final year of a three-year term vacated by former Republican Councilman Mike Sullivan, who resigned for business reasons."</ref>
In February 2018, Republican John Donahue was selected by the borough council from three candidates nominated by the local party committee and appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2018 that had been held by Michael dePoortere until he resigned from office earlier that month; Donohue will serve on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election.<ref>Polakiewicz, David. "Donahue to fill Bernardsville Council vacancy Sparring, criticism mark selection process", The Bernardsville News, February 28, 2018. Accessed June 29, 2018. "South Street resident John Donahue was chosen from among three nominees proposed by the Republican Municipal Committee (RMC) to fill 10 months remaining on the vacant council term of Michael dePoortere, a Republican who resigned in early February for job-related reasons."</ref>
In March 2018, Mayor Kevin Sooy, elected as a Republican, announced that he was switching parties and would run for re-election as a Democrat, saying that he was in sync with the platform of the local Democratic Party on issues facing the town.<ref>Deak, Mike. "Bernardsville Mayor Kevin Sooy switches parties, will run as Democrat", Courier News, March 23, 2018. Accessed June 29, 2018. "For the first time in decades, Bernardsville, where Democrats were once considered an endangered species, has a Democratic mayor. Mayor Kevin Sooy has declared he is switching parties and will run for re-election as a Democrat.... Sooy said he is 'fully aligned' with the issues Bernardsville Democrats have championed in their last few campaigns, including infrastructure development, recreational facilities, downtown revitalization, open space and walkability, aquifer protection, safe housing in all neighborhoods, and fiscal responsibility."</ref> He would be defeated in the primary by Thomas O'Dea Jr. who was defeated in the general election by Republican Mary Jane Canose.<ref>Tarrazi, Alexis. "Real-Time Results: Bernardsville, Bedminster Election 2018", Bernardsville-Bedminster, NJ Patch, November 7, 2018. Accessed April 11, 2023. There are two candidates vying for the four-year mayor seat including: Democratic Councilman Thomas O'Dea, Jr. and Republican Mary Jane Canose.... Bernardsville Borough Mayor Votes; Thomas O'Dea, Jr. - D 1,729; Mary Jane Canose - R; 1,882"</ref>
In 2018, the borough had an average property tax bill of $15,362, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref>Marcus, Samantha. "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Bernardsville Borough was $15,362 in 2018, the highest in Somerset County."</ref>
Federal, state and county representation
[edit]Bernardsville is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2023>Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed September 1, 2023.</ref>
Template:NJ Congress 07 Template:NJ Senate
Template:NJ Somerset County Commissioners
Politics
[edit]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,341 registered voters in Bernardsville, of which 955 (17.9% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,472 (46.3% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 1,913 (35.8% vs. 48.2%) were registered as unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.<ref name=VoterRegistration>Voter Registration Summary - Somerset, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 10, 2013.</ref> Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 69.3% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 97.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 10, 2013.</ref>
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 61.5% of the vote (2,318 cast), ahead of incumbent President Barack Obama, a Democrat, with 37.3% (1,408 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (44 votes), among the 3,788 ballots cast by the borough's 5,673 registered voters (18 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.8%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,295 votes (55.8% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Obama with 1,753 votes (42.6% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 41 votes (1.0% vs. 1.1%), among the 4,113 ballots cast by the borough's 5,208 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.0% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County).<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Somerset County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed February 10, 2013.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,495 votes (61.0% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,543 votes (37.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 37 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,093 ballots cast by the borough's 4,909 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.4% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Somerset County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed February 10, 2013.</ref>
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 77.9% of the vote (2,118 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 20.7% (564 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (37 votes), among the 2,762 ballots cast by the borough's 5,728 registered voters (43 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.2%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Christie received 1,867 votes (60.2% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 747 votes (24.1% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 463 votes (14.9% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 13 votes (0.4% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,099 ballots cast by the borough's 5,304 registered voters, yielding a 58.4% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).<ref>2009 Governor: Somerset County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed February 10, 2013.</ref>
Education
[edit]Public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the schools of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a regional school district serving students from Bernardsville, Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone, along with students from Bedminster who are sent to the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship.<ref>Somerset County School Districts-Sending/Receiving/Regional, Somerset County Superintendent of Schools. Accessed December 1, 2024.</ref><ref>Somerset Hills Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Somerset Hills School District. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in The Somerset Hills School District. Composition The Somerset Hills School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone."</ref> As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,761 students and 151.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Somerset Hills Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Somerset Hills School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>) are Marion T. Bedwell Elementary School<ref>Marion T. Bedwell Elementary School, Somerset Hills Regional School District. Accessed December 1, 2024.</ref> with 453 students in grades PreK–4, Bernardsville Middle School<ref>Bernardsville Middle School, Somerset Hills Regional School District. Accessed December 1, 2024.</ref> with 458 students in grades 5–8 and Bernards High School<ref>Bernards High School, Somerset Hills Regional School District. Accessed December 1, 2024.</ref> with 812 students in grades 9–12.<ref>Public Schools Directory 2024–2025, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed December 1, 2024.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Somerset Hills Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Somerset Hills School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The district's board of education is comprised of nine elected members (plus one appointed member representing Bedminster) who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration.<ref>Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Somerset Hills School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed December 1, 2024. "The School District is a Type II District located in Somerset County, New Jersey. The School District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Somerset Hills School District is governed by a ten-member board, including nine individuals elected to three-year terms from the Boroughs of Bernardsville, Peapack & Gladstone and Far Hills, along with one appointed member from the Bedminster Board of Education. The Board is the primary governing authority of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 16.</ref> The nine elected seats on the board are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with six seats allocated to Bernardsville.<ref>Board of Education: About, Somerset Hills School District. Accessed December 1, 2024. "The SHSD is a regional Board of Education composed of ten unpaid elected members who work closely with the Superintendent. Board members are elected for staggered 3-year terms. There are six representatives from Bernardsville, two from Peapack/Gladstone, one from Far Hills, and one representative from Bedminster. The number of Board members from each area is determined by the percentage of the total school community their town/borough represents."</ref>
The School of Saint Elizabeth, established in 1916, is a parochial school serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.<ref>Find a school Template:Webarchive, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed August 18, 2015.</ref><ref>History, School of Saint Elizabeth. Accessed August 18, 2015. "The School of Saint Elizabeth opened on November 18, 1916, thanks to the vision of Monsignor William I. McKean, the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at the time, and the generosity of James Cox Brady, and his wife, Victoria Mary Pery Brady."</ref>
Transportation
[edit]_at_Whitenack_Road_in_Bernardsville,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
Roads and highways
[edit]Template:As of, the borough had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Somerset County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Somerset County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>
The most prominent roads directly serving Bernardsville are U.S. Route 202<ref>U.S. Route 202 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2017. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref> and County Route 525.<ref>County Route 525 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated November 2012. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref> Interstate 287 passes by just outside the borough.
Public transportation
[edit]
NJ Transit train service is offered at the Bernardsville station on the Gladstone Branch and Morristown Line of the Morris & Essex Lines, with service to Hoboken Terminal, Newark Broad Street station Secaucus Junction and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.<ref>Bernardsville station, NJ Transit. Accessed August 18, 2015.</ref><ref>Somerset County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 16, 2010. Accessed August 18, 2015.</ref>
Lakeland Bus Lines provides Route 78 rush-hour service from Bedminster to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.<ref>Route 78 – Eastbound to New York, Lakeland Bus Lines. Accessed July 18, 2017.</ref>
Notable people
[edit]Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bernardsville include:
- Walt Ader (1913–1982), race car driver who placed 22nd at the 1950 Indianapolis 500<ref>via Associated Press. "Walt Ader Takes Auto Race Honors; Jersey Driver Wins Feature at Williams Grove Before 41,743--Two Are Hurt", The New York Times, April 15, 1946. Accessed July 11, 2018. "The feature race was won by Walt Ader of Bernardsville, N. J., competing in the first big car race in this section."</ref>
- Brooke Astor (1902–2007), lived here during her marriage to John Dryden Kuser (1897–1964)<ref>Miller, Judith. "Old Money, New Needs", The New York Times, November 17, 1991. Accessed January 25, 2012. "Eventually Kuser fell in love with another woman and left his wife. She moved from Bernardsville, N.J., to New York and took up a career writing features and book reviews, and eventually became an editor at House & Garden."</ref>
- Roger Bart (born 1962), actor<ref>Gardner, Amanda. "Theater; Tony Awards' New Jersey Ties", The New York Times, July 23, 2008. Accessed August 26, 2013. "Mr. Chamberlin met Roger Bart (hailing from Bernardsville and nominated in the category of best performance by a featured actor in a musical for The Producers) early in his freshman year at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University."</ref>
- Sir Francis Bernard (1712–1779), British colonial administrator who served as governor of the provinces of New Jersey and Massachusetts Bay
- C. Ledyard Blair (1867–1949), prominent resident and investment banker<ref name=":0" />
- Roger Bodman (born 1952), politician and political strategist who served in the cabinet of New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean<ref>Aron, Michael. "Interview with Roger Bodman", Rutgers University, January 27, 2009. Accessed March 27, 2016.</ref>
- Philip Capice (1931–2009), Emmy Award-winning television producer<ref>Staff. "Philip Charles Capice; 78, Bernardsville native, noted television producer", The Bernardsville News, January 4, 2010. Accessed June 22, 2013. "Philip Charles Capice, 78, a native of Bernardsville and a notable television producer, died peacefully on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009, at his home in Los Angeles, Calif."</ref>
- Tommy Dorsey (1905–1956), jazz musician who lived at "Tall Oaks" in Bernardsville from 1935 to 1941<ref>Baratta, Amy. "Big band leader among owners of historic home in Bernardsville; Dorsey hosted Frank Sinatra, other celebrities", The Bernardsville News, April 20, 2012. Accessed June 6, 2016. "Known as 'the sentimental gentleman of swing,' the musician purchased the 21-acre estate for $32,000 in 1935 and lived there with his first wife, Mildred 'Toots' Kraft, and their two children, Patricia and Tommy, for nearly a decade."</ref><ref>Menendez, Albert J.; and Menendez, Shirley. New Jersey Trivia, p. 51. Rutledge Hill Press, 1993. Template:ISBN.</ref>
- Forrest F. Dryden (1864–1932), President of Prudential Insurance Company<ref>Staff. "Forrest F. Dryden, Financier, Is Dead; Former Head of the Prudential Insurance Company, Which Was Founded by His Father. Active In Jersey Utilities Also Served on Board of Newark Public Library - Was Long Active in National Guard.", The New York Times, July 20, 1932. Accessed July 11, 2018. "Bernardsville, N. J., July 19 - Forrest Fairchild Dryden, president of the Prudential Insurance Company of America, of Newark, N. J., from 1912 to 1922, and a figure in the investigation of insurance and banking conditions in New York by the Lockwood committee in 1921, died today of heart disease at his home here in his sixty-eighth year."</ref>
- John Fairfield Dryden (1839–1911), founder of Prudential Insurance Company and U.S. Senator<ref>Staff. "John F. Dryden Dies Worth $50,000,000; Ex-Senator from New Jersey Succumbs to Pneumonia, Following an Operation.", The New York Times, November 25, 1911. Accessed July 11, 2018. "At the time of his death Mr. Dryden had about completed the building of his property at High Point, N. J., which is the largest private estate in New Jersey and said to be one of the largest of its kind in the United States. This is apart from his large estate at Bernardsville, N. J."</ref>
- Ernest Duncan (1916–1990), mathematician<ref>"Dr. Ernest Duncan, 74, Mathematics Professor", The New York Times, November 28, 1990. Accessed January 25, 2012. "Dr. Ernest R. Duncan, professor emeritus of mathematics at Rutgers University and the author of several mathematics textbooks, died on Sunday at Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey. He was 74 years old and lived in Bernardsville, N.J. He died of leukemia, his family said."</ref>
- Marc Ecko (born 1972), fashion designer and entrepreneur<ref>Rockland, Kate. "By The Way; A Monument to Sagging", The New York Times, June 12, 2006. Accessed July 11, 2018. "Mr. Ecko, a Rutgers dropout who was born and raised in Lakewood, recently bought a scandal-tainted villa in Bernardsville that completes the New Jersey spin to his Cinderella story."</ref>
- Millicent Fenwick (1910–1992), U.S. Congresswoman, United States representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization<ref>Lambert, Bruce. "Millicent Fenwick, 82, Dies; Gave Character to Congress", The New York Times, September 17, 1992. Accessed January 25, 2012. "Millicent H. Fenwick, a retired Republican Congresswoman renowned for her political independence and championing of liberal causes, died yesterday at her home in Bernardsville, N.J. She was 82 years old. She died of heart failure, her family said."</ref><ref>Millicent Hammond Fenwick, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed March 21, 2011. "was a resident of Bernardsville, N.J., until her death there on September 16, 1992."</ref>
- Zach Feuer (born 1978), art dealer, founder of New Art Dealers Alliance and owner of Zach Feuer Gallery<ref>Douglas, Sarah. "The Bumpy Adolescence of Zach Feuer: A Story of the Art Market", December 20, 2010 "By now, the broad outlines of his meteoric rise are well-known: the modest Bernardsville, New Jersey"</ref>
- Guy Gabrielson (1891–1976), politician who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1949 to 1952, and was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1925 to 1929<ref>Staff. "Guy Gabrielson, G.O.P. Figure, Dies; National Chairman in 1952 and a Jersey Leader, 84", The New York Times, May 2, 1976. Accessed July 11, 2018. "For the last 10 months, Mr. Gahrielson had lived at 965 East Avenue in Mantoloking, N.J. Earlier he had resided for about 35 years in Berriardsville, N.J."</ref>
- Alina Habba (born 1984), lawyer best known for representing former president of the United States, Donald Trump.<ref>Larson, Erik. "Trump's Lawyer Leads Counterattack From Her 5-Attorney Firm; Alina Habba is spearheading the former president’s aggressive legal tactics", Bloomberg News, May 13, 2022. Accessed January 22, 2023. "In the Bernardsville, New Jersey home she shares with her husband, a commercial real estate investor, she has two Make America Great Again hats signed by Trump and ensconced in glass boxes, as well as Trump-related books and a photo of the former president smiling with their children by a pool"</ref>
- Henry Janeway Hardenbergh (1847–1918), architect<ref>Gray, Christopher. "Streetscapes/Henry Janeway Hardenbergh; An Architect Who Left an Indelible Imprint", The New York Times, May 7, 2000. Accessed January 25, 2012. "He alternated living in New York and New Jersey, at first at 121 West 73rd Street, in Jersey City and Bernardsville, and in a big town house of his own design at 12 East 56th Street."</ref>
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929–1994), former first lady, who lived in Bernardsville with her husband Aristotle Onassis (1906–1975)<ref>Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Peapack and Gladstone; Fox-Hunting and High-Priced Homes", The New York Times, August 7, 1994. Accessed January 25, 2012. "She does have a story about Aristotle Onassis, who rented a home in neighboring Bernardsville with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis."</ref>
- Elmer Matthews (1927–2015), lawyer and politician who served three terms in the New Jersey General Assembly<ref>Staff. "Elmer M. Matthews, veteran, lawyer and former N.J. legislator, dies", Palm Beach Daily News, February 7, 2015. Accessed November 23, 2015. "Elmer M. Matthews of Palm Beach and Sea Girt, N.J., died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, after a brief illness. He was 87. Born in Orange, N.J., Mr. Matthews lived in South Orange, Verona, Bernardsville and Sea Girt, N.J., before moving to Palm Beach."</ref>
- Andrew McCarthy (born 1962), actor<ref>Newman, Melinda. "From Brat Pack to Backpack; Andrew McCarthy still acts and directs, but the Summit native has won new acclaim writing about his global travels.", New Jersey Monthly, August 15, 2011. Accessed November 1, 2016. "Born in Summit, McCarthy grew up in Westfield, the third of four boys.... The family moved to Bernardsville when he was 14: 'Apparently, it's where Meryl Streep was from. I never saw her.'"</ref>
- Katie Meyler (born 1982), 2014's Time Person of the Year for Ebola Fighters<ref>Staff. "Katie Meyler featured at benefit March 16 in Bernardsville", The Bernardsville News, March 9, 2015. Accessed March 24, 2017. "A Bernardsville native, Meyler is a Bernards High School graduate and founder of the More Than Me Foundation, a non-profit organization that educates girls in Liberia. She was named a 2014 Time magazine 'Person of the Year' for her work in this impoverished West African nation, which has been hit hard by the deadly Ebola virus."</ref>
- Bill Moyers (born 1934), journalist and commentator<ref>Staff. "DWI For Moyers", St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 3, 2002. Accessed March 21, 2011. "Moyers, 68, of Bernardsville, N.J., who served as special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson and publisher of Newsday before turning to public TV in the '70s, was stopped by state police last Saturday in Arlington, Vt."</ref>
- Bob Nash (1892–1977), pioneering football player in the earliest days of the National Football League<ref>Staff. "Robert Nash Dies at 84", The New York Times, February 2, 1977. Accessed July 11, 2018. "Born in Ireland, Mr. Nash spent his early years in Bernardsville, N. J."</ref>
- Frederic P. Olcott (1841–1909), financier, politician, and philanthropist<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- George B. Post (1837–1913), Beaux-Arts style architect,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and early developer of Bernardsville<ref>Schleicher, William A.; Winter, Susan J. (1997). Images of America: In The Somerset Hills, The Landed Gentry. Dover, New Hampshire: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 8, 10, 11. Template:ISBN.</ref>
- Donald Roebling (1908–1959), inventor of the amphtrack<ref name=Roebling/>
- John A. Roebling II (1867–1952), engineer and philanthropist<ref name=Roebling>Roan, Richard W. "Roebling's Amphibian: The Origin Of The Assault Amphibian". Accessed March 21, 2011. "By the end of World War I, John A. Roebling II had concentrated his efforts on banking and the management of the Roebling family fortune, leaving the leadership of the John A. Roebling's Sons plants to other family members. John and his wife, Margaret, built a sprawling estate called the Boulderwood Mansion in Bernardsville, New Jersey, only thirty miles west of John's office complex in New York City.... Donald Roebling was born in New York City on 15 November 1908. Young Roebling, strong-willed, temperamental, and overweight, spent his childhood in the luxury of his parents' Bernardsville, New Jersey, mansion."</ref><ref>Lohrer, Fred E. "John A. Roebling, II (1867-1952), Builder of the Red Hill Estate (1929-1941), Lake Placid, Florida" Template:Webarchive, Archbold Biological Station, October 2, 2006, last updated July 17, 2017. Accessed October 24, 2018.</ref>
- Carol Stiff, women's basketball executive, who is vice president of programming and acquisitions at ESPN and president of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's board of directors<ref>Baratta, Amy. "Bernards High grad now a leader at ESPN", The Bernardsville News, July 13, 2012. Accessed October 15, 2020. "Former Bernardsville resident Carol Stiff, shown here in her high school yearbook photo, has made her mark in women’s basketball, first as a player at Bernards High School and Southern Connecticut State University, then as a coach at Western Connecticut State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic University and Brown University, and now as a programming executive at ESPN."</ref>
- Suzanne Scott (born 1965/66), CEO of Fox News<ref>"FOX News CEO now calls Bernardsville home", The Bernardsville News, December 9, 2021. Accessed November 17, 2022. "The latest media leader to call Bernardsville home is FOX News CEO Suzanne Scott, who moved here in 2020."</ref>
- Meryl Streep (born 1949), actress<ref>Schneider, Wolf. AFI Award: Meryl Streep, The Hollywood Reporter, June 10, 2004. "A New Jersey girl made good, Streep grew up middle-class and mousy-haired in Summit and Bernardsville, suburbs in which those around her would remember Streep as a bossy child."</ref>
- Mike Tyson (born 1966) and Robin Givens (born 1964)<ref>Gross, Ken. "As Wife Robin Givens Splits for the Coast, Mike Tyson Rearranges the Furniture", People, October 17, 1998. Accessed March 21, 2011. "The food lies untouched. The only sounds across the breakfast table in the Bernardsville, N.J., mansion are the loud silences of words being swallowed. Finally, Robin Givens, 24, star of the ABC-TV sitcom Head of the Class, pushes herself away from the table and announces, 'I have to pack.' 'Me, too,' says her husband, Mike Tyson, 22, the world heavyweight boxing champion. Suddenly the Sunday morning atmosphere is tense and full of menace."</ref><ref>via Associated Press. Mike Tyson Chronology, USA Today, June 12, 2005. Accessed March 21, 2011. "Oct. 2, 1988 — Police go to Tyson's Bernardsville, N.J., home after he hurls furniture out the window and forces Givens and her mother to flee the house."</ref>
- Jean Villepique, actress known for her roles in BoJack Horseman, A.P. Bio and Up All Night<ref>Low, Stuart. "Rochester: the spoof", Democrat and Chronicle, January 2, 2011. Accessed October 26, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "'There's a lot of change in the city,' says writer Jean Villepique, 37, of Bernardsville, N.J."</ref>
References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage
Template:Somerset County, New Jersey Template:NRHP in Somerset County, New Jersey
Template:Geographic Location (8-way) Template:Passaic River Template:Raritan River