The Brick Academy

Inside THE BRICK ACADEMY The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills February 2019 2018 ANNUAL REPORT The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills By Sue Zibelli, Chairman Board of Trustees Daniel Lincoln President, Historic Preservation & Restoration Sue Zibelli Board Chairman, Museum Curator Greg Gonzalez Treasurer Robin Marion Recording Secretary, Hospitality Paula Axt Building Maintenance, Education, Programs Brooks Betz Membership, Online Communications, Programs Cynthia Crosson Archivist Patricia Gray Hospitality Florence Hallgring Newsletter Advertising Marcella Miccolis Affiliations, Calendar, Newsletter, Publications & Production Margaret Skelly Education, Programs Lawrence Terricone Landscape, Programs, Research Coordinator Meg Wastie Education, Programs The Board of Trustees comprised of 13 volunteer members, and convened 10 times during 2018. No new Trustees were added in 2018. One Trustee resigned at the end of 2018. There was one general membership meeting in 2018. General membership meetings include business updates, announcements and guest speakers. The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The primary objective of The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH) in 2018 was to create cultural opportunities and enrichment for the local community by providing programs and initiatives that inform, educate and foster interest in local history. Community Outreach In order to provide opportunities for the community to gain an understanding of our mission, and to raise con- sciousness of the historical heritage of the Somerset Hills, THSSH participated in many Somerset County and Somerset Hills history-related programs. Elder Voices Long time area residents came together at the Brick Academy for four sessions to reminisce and share their photos and memories of living in the Somerset Hills. These two-hour storytelling sessions opened the floor to questions about local places and topics, and revealed some of the untold history of the area. 2018 Annual Report continues on Page 4 INSIDE THE BRICK ACADEMY PAGE 2 IN MEMORIAM June O. Kennedy The Historical Society of Somerset Hills is saddened to note the passing of June Oliva Kennedy, on November 14, 2018 only two months after she lost her beloved hus- band, Bob, of 63 years. She was a dedicated historian, longstanding THSSH Trustee and community friend. June, age 90, was a lifetime New Jersey resident and lived with her family in Basking Ridge for the past 43 years. June became involved in local history and was named the first Bernards Township Historian in 1990. She enthusiastically spoke to community groups; lead walking tours through Basking Ridge village; named over two dozen township streets; created displays for municipal events; and organized special activities for the celebration of the township’s 250th anniversary. June retired in 2010, after twenty years as Bernards Township Historian. During her 25-year association with the Historical Society, June served as Education Committee Chair, History Camp Director, Museum Committee Member, Society Publicist, and Newsletter Contributor. June authored many articles in various publications and wrote two local history books: Around and About Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner and Lyons and A History of the Library in Basking Ridge. Through the years, June won the Millicent Fenwick Civic Award in 2006, the Spirit of Somerset Prize in 2001, and was named one of the Outstanding Women in Somerset County in 1998. Last year, June received a THSSH Lifetime Achievement Award, including a brick inscribed with her name on the “Brick Academy Walk of Honor”, in recognition of her dedication and service in preserving and promoting Somerset Hills history. Welcome New 2018 Members! Anne Albright Far Hills Scott Layton Basking Ridge Adrienne Bagnato Basking Ridge Linda Lyons Alexandria VA Elizabeth Bagnato* Basking Ridge Mark McDonald Bernardsville Gil Barno Granville OH Mr. and Mrs. Chris McManemin Basking Ridge Barry James Marrero LA Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Melick Basking Ridge Wayne Chernin Brookside Bruce Porter Morristown William Connelly Mendham Bob Roe Alpha Kathleen Conway Unionville PA Louise Scheffler Basking Ridge Mr. and Mrs. Chris Dalton Basking Ridge Molly Skillman Califon Amelia Dennecke Palmer Twp. PA Michael Slattery Bedminster Mr. and Mrs. George Dunn Basking Ridge Renee Stencovski Basking Ridge E.J. Fernandez Bedminster Mr. and Mrs. Mark Taglione Basking Ridge Carmen Fortenbacker Basking Ridge M. Scott Tedrick Bernardsville Susan George Basking Ridge Joan Triano Basking Ridge Steven Grosser Basking Ridge Suzanne Tufariello Basking Ridge Kerry Haselton Bernardsville Tracy Utzig Basking Ridge Kevin Kesby Basking Ridge Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Von Bargen Basking Ridge Samantha Laham Basking Ridge Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Yezza Basking Ridge Anthony LaPorta Roseland Christopher Yim Basking Ridge * Lifetime Member INSIDE THE BRICK ACADEMY PAGE 3 THSSH GIFT PROGRAM The Board of Trustees offers a sincere and heartfelt “Thank You” to Historical Society members and community friends who have contributed above and beyond with 2018 gifts (donations and bequests) to further our mission to Study the Past, Record the Present, and Connect the Future. A new THSSH Gift Program to acknowledge our gratitude begins with this edition of our newsletter. Gift levels have been established to highlight some of the historical figures from the Brick Academy (Basking Ridge Classical School). William Dayton - Up to $100 Theodore Frelinghuysen - Up to $400 Robert Stockton - Up to $200 Reverend Robert Finley - Up to $500 Samuel Southard - Up to $300 Reverend Samuel Kennedy - Above $500 William Dayton - Mr. and Mrs. Eric Alber, William Allen, Mr. and Mrs. George Applegate, Peter Avioli, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Axt, Mr. and Mrs. David Beeber, Kathleen Conway, Mr. and Mrs. William Cronin, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dee, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Fitzsimons, Mr. and Mrs. E. Haas Gallaway, Jr., Sylvia Gambony, Greg Gonzalez, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Gould, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Gursky, Florence Hallgring, Kerry Haselton, Joan Hughes, Marion Kennedy, Jane Koop, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Landis, Patricia Lorenz, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lufkin, Joan Palmer, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Petrillo, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Prusina, Byron Roff, Ed Schroeder, John Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sorge, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Stevens, Lawrence Terricone, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Tozia, Margaret Trinter, Mr. and Mrs. Matther Suriano, Mary Jane Walsh, Dr. and Mrs. R. Cameron Witt, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Wooldridge, and Mr. and Mrs. Ron Zibelli Robert Stockton - Ridge Oak Senior Housing Samuel Southard - Mr. Albert P. Grupper Reverend Robert Finley - Honorable Joseph Metelski For those interested in contributing during the current year, your gift would be tax-deductible, as the Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Also, contributions to a charitable organization from retirement accounts, such as IRAs — as part of a required minimum distribution and/or by way of a will — are fully exempt from the otherwise-applicable income tax on the amount distributed. Highlights of the remarkable lives of Brick Academy historical figures: William Dayton – BRCS graduate who became U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1842-1851); U.S. Ambassador to France during the American Civil War (1861-1864); selected by the nascent Republican Party as their first nominee for U. S. Vice President over Abraham Lincoln at the Philadelphia Convention (1856). Robert Stockton – BRCS graduate who was a U.S. Navy commodore, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican-American War (1812); first naval officer to act against the slave trade; U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1851-1853); and who had four U.S. Navy ships named USS Stockton in his honor. Samuel Southard – BRCS graduate who became Seventh U.S. Secretary of the Navy (1823-1829), and Senator from New Jersey (1833-1842); and who had named in his honor the Naval destroyer USS Southard, and the public park in Basking Ridge. Theodore Frelinghuysen – BRCS graduate who became U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1829-1835); Whig vice presidential nominee on the Henry Clay ticket (1844); second President of New York University (1839-1850); and seventh president of Rutgers University (1850-1862). Reverend Robert Finley – Educator who entered the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) at age eleven. In 1809 as a successor of Dr. Samuel Kennedy, he organized the financing and construction of the Brick Academy in Basking Ridge village to meet the growing needs of the Basking Ridge Classical School. Reverend Samuel Kennedy – In 1764, Reverend Samuel Kennedy of the Presbyterian Church founded the Basking Ridge Classical School at his 300-acre farmstead along the Passaic River. The school prepared young men for higher education, with many attending the College of New Jersey (currently Princeton University). INSIDE THE BRICK ACADEMY PAGE 4 Annual Report (Continued from Front Page) Community Outreach Walking Tour THSSH trustees led a Walking Tour of Historical Basking Ridge that spans 250 years of Basking Ridge village history. The earliest structures on the tour date back to when the name “Baskenridge” first appeared in the records of the Presbyterian Church in 1733. Active Adults Tour – South NJ A THSSH trustee provided a guided tour of the Brick Academy to a group of forty members of the Active Adults of Harrison Township who had travelled by bus to visit sites in the Somerset Hills. Speaker Programs – Somerset Hills Several speaker programs were held at the Brick Academy including

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