Inside THE BRICK ACADEMY The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills February 2020 Historical Society Appoints Trustees The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills welcomed five trustees this past December. Two new trustees were appointed and three for- mer trustees were reinstated to the board. “This is an exciting time for the Historical Society,” said Chair Sue Zibelli. “2019 was a growth year with the completion of major projects and the reorganization of several committees. I’m proud of the progress we continue to make and pleased to have these experienced individuals contribute their expertise to our organization”. Kate Lincoln Inside Kate has had a lifelong interest in history, particularly related to med- this Edition... icine, architecture and the decorative arts. Her first job was Special Assistant to the Special Consultant (Diana Vreeland) at the Metropoli- tan Museum of Art Costume Institute. More - Under the Great Oak recently, Kate volunteered at the Local History Film Screening Room of the Bernardsville Public Library help- ing to produce an exhibit of photographs from - Welcome THSSH the Crater Collection as well as illustrated talks Members! presented to area scout groups and the general public. Kate is a lifetime and third-generation - New Site: resident of the Somerset Hills. www.tshhs.org Ron Zibelli - Gift Program Ron is Senior Portfolio Manager at Invesco, an international invest- - Presidents Trivia ment management company, with a B.A. degree in Finance from Lehigh Universi- - 2019 Annual Report ty. Ron is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts, with 37 years experience in the industry. Ron and his wife Sue, Chairman of THSSH, currently reside in Bernardsville. They raised their two children in Basking Ridge, both of whom are graduates of Ridge High School. (Continued on Page Two) INSIDE THE BRICK ACADEMY PAGE 2 Historical Society Appoints Trustees (Continued from Front Page) Jon Booth - With degrees from Clemson University in South Carolina, Jon established an architectural practice in 1985 specializing in residential design. He served as a trustee of the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills in the mid 1990s, and assisted with the phased restoration of the Brick Academy. For a ten year period, Jon was also the architectural consultant to the Washington Township (Morris) Historical Society, advising on construc- tion and development applications in the German Valley, Middle Valley, Schooley’s Mountain, and thematic historic districts. He is a lifelong resident of the Somerset Hills area, and on the maternal side his family extends locally to the 18th century. Jon and his wife Sally, a public school teacher, raised their three children in Basking Ridge. Sylvia Gambony - Sylvia earned a Masters of Science in Botany from University of Iowa and began her career at the University of Wisconsin. After marriage, she relocated to New Jersey and was employed at Ortho Pharmaceutical until her first child was born. She con- tinued her career at AT&T for 13 years. Sylvia has been a resident of Basking Ridge since 1959 and was active with the PTA and high school association. Personal hobbies include square dancing and counted cross stitch. In 1997, she was appointed a Trustee of THSSH and served as interim Recording Secretary. During the renovation of the Brick Academy third floor, she worked on a group project to copy original files on acid-free paper and restructure the Society’s archives. Sylvia has also served as Records Administrator, is a longstanding member of the Museum Committee, and volunteers with Holiday House Tours and Community Events. Daniel Lincoln - Dan is the founder of an architecture firm experienced in traditional resi- dential, light commercial and institutional designs. His projects are intended to preserve the architectural integrity of the existing buildings and surrounding neighborhood. Dan has notably served the Historical Society for three decades, acting as President from 1992- 2019. He has built an impressive list of accomplishments with THSSH Committees; NJ Historic Preservation Office; Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission; and Somerset Hills municipalities. Throughout his tenure, Dan has made significant contribu- tions to the Society’s Long-Range Plans, Community Events, Historic Preservation, and Brick Academy Restoration/Maintenance. Dan is also Chair of the Programs Committee for the Bernardsville Public Library, President of Friends of Historic Bernardsville, and Chair of the Bernardsville Historic Preservation Advisory Committee. Dan and his wife Kate reside in an early Colonial Revival style home in the Olcott Avenue Historic District. The incoming trustees join five current THSSH board members - Sue Zibelli (Chairman), Pat Gray (President), Florence Hallgring, Marcella Miccolis, and Paula Axt. The Board of Trustees extends its sincere appreciation to resigning trustees Larry Terricone, Robin Marion and Meg Wastie for their personal commit- ment, exemplary service and significant contributions to the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. INSIDE THE BRICK ACADEMY PAGE 3 Under the Great Oak Welcome Film Screening - April 2 New Members! The Montclair Art Museum is hosting a public screening of the documentary Under the Great Oak on John Adams Bridgewater Thursday, April 2 from 7pm to 8pm. The feature-length Megan Bonanno Bernardsville film, directed by Michael Reynolds, celebrates the life of Craig and Elda Feldman Basking Ridge the Great Oak tree, which stood on the grounds of the Bruce Goldstein Little Falls Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church for over six hun- Dave Johnson Basking Ridge dred years. Scott Kessel Basking Ridge The film illustrates the impact the tree, taken down Jennifer Kohan Gillette on 4/24/2017, had on the community through inter- Megan Lipset Basking Ridge views and the Great Oak Art Celebration of artists and Carla Llewellyn Sun Lakes, AZ residents to honor the tree and its place in history. Maggie Macchiarola Far Hills Salvatore Racioppi Elmwood Park Moderated by Dana Reynolds, the Executive Pro- Maureen Wolfenden Bernardsville ducer, the film screening will be followed by an informative panel discussion of prominent community members and the documentary team. Trustee Daniel Lincoln, will represent the His- Browse Our torical Society. NEW SITE ‘Free First Thursday’ at the Montclair Art Museum pro- Upcoming events, vides programs from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. There is no charge special announcements, to view the documentary. and feature stories! Michael and Dana Reynolds www.tshhs.org Our apology for a photo mislabeled in the October 2019 newsletter THSSH GIFT PROGRAM The Board of Trustees offers a sincere and heartfelt Thank You to THSSH members and community friends who have contributed above and beyond with donations and bequests this past year. The Historical Society’s Gift Program includes donation levels to highlight some of the historical figures from the Brick Academy (Basking Ridge Classical School). To learn about their remarkable lives please visit www.tshhs.org. 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. & Mrs. Eric Alber, William Allen, Peter Avioli, Mr. & Mrs. John Campbell, Mr. & Mrs. William Cronin, Mr. & Mrs. Tom Fitzsimons, Diane Gallaway, Mr. & Mrs. Ed Gould, Janice Gursky, Florence Hallgring, Joan Hughes, Mr. & Mrs. John Koch, Jane Koop, Edwin Landis, Patricia Lorenz, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Lufkin, Mr. & Mrs. Lou Matlack, E. Joan Palmer, Ed Schroeder IV, John Smith, Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Suriano, Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Trinter, and Mr. & Mrs. Wayman Williams Robert Stockton - George Applegate, Elizabeth Bagnato, William Engel, Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Gelfand, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Kellogg, Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Miccolis, Mr. & Mrs. Jay Petrillo, and W. Barry Thomson Samuel Southard - Larry Schwenk and Mr. & Mrs. Jim Wooldridge Reverend Robert Finley - Joseph Metelski and Mr. & Mrs. Ron Zibelli INSIDE THE BRICK ACADEMY PAGE 4 PRESIDENTS’ DAY Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, born on February 22, it is still referred to as Washington’s Birthday by the federal government. The holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved to the third Monday in February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (1968). It is now viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. Presidents. In honor of the recent holiday, did you know..? - John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the White House in 1800, before it was completed. - James Buchanan regularly bought slaves with his own money and discretely freed them. - Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary held séances at the White House after their young son’s death. - Andrew Johnson had no formal education. His wife taught him reading, writing and mathematics. - Ulysses S. Grant established Yellowstone as the nation’s first national park on March 1, 1872. - James Garfield claimed squirrel soup was his favorite delicacy, even after he was shot in 1881. - Grover Cleveland held the job of a hangman. He was previously the sheriff of Erie County, New York. - John Tyler had aspired to be a concert violinist and often entertained guests at the White House. - William Taft’s wife Helen arranged for the 3,020 Japanese cherry trees planted in Washington, D.C. - Two asteroids were named for Herbert Hoover: Hooveria in 1920 and Herberta in 1935 - Warren Harding