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Our Museum @ Westbound Station


 

Old Millstone as Table

SUMMER
2007 

 

 

 


 



 
 


 



About the Historical Society

      Local residents who were interested in the unique history, architecture, and genealogy of our town joined to found the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society in 1975. The purpose of the society is to encourage interest in local history and disseminate information about it.
    Ongoing projects of the society include program meetings for the public and for school and scout groups, recording oral histories, and establishing an archive to preserve and catalogue documents, photographs, and memorabilia relating to Millburn's history.
    The society's collection is housed in the museum at the Short Hills train station, which is open to the public on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5:30, Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30, and the first Sunday of the month, from 2:00-4:00. The museum's phone/fax number is 973-564-9519 (please call before attempting to fax anything).


 

 


 
 

Officers

President

Vaclav E. Benes

Vice President

Lise Chapman

Vice President

Andrew Permison

Curator

Lynne Ranieri

Treasurer

Larry Bartanen

Secretary pro tem

Leigh Gifford

Trustees

Karen Eastman Bigos, David Dwyer, Leigh Gifford,
Richard Keller, John Murray, Linda Nortillo
Barbara Wensberg, Janet Zapata

Advisors

Thomas Baio, Owen Lampe, David Siegfried

 

 

 

Mission

     The mission of the non-profit Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society is to encourage interest in local history, and to preserve and disseminate relevant information concerning Millburn Township. It carries out this mission by the acquisition, preservation, interpretation, and exhibition of artifacts from Millburn's and Short Hills' past, particularly as expressed through its people, architecture, commerce, education, and topography.

Join the society

 

 

 

 

  Museum Facility

 

The historical society museum is in the building on the westbound side of the tracks at the Short Hills train station. Please note that short-term parking is permitted alongside of the building, on the Racquets Club side of the station. Entrance to the museum is through the door on the New York-facing narrow end of the building and not through the trackside door, please .

Questions can be directed to the society by phone/fax: 973-564-9519 or by e-mail at:  MSHHS2002@cs.com 

 


  Publications

The historical society's newest and most popular book
is Images of America: Millburn-Short Hills, 
by local historian W. Owen Lampe.
The 128-page book features early images 
of Millburn/Short Hills that were scanned 
from the society's extensive image collection.
The captioned images are arranged as though the reader 
is driving around the town, 
so that the reader can enjoy the history and character 
of each area of the community, 

including Millburn center, Wyoming, South Mountain Estates, Brookside Drive, South Mountain Reservation, 
Old Short Hills Road vicinity, Glenwood, Short Hills Park,
Morris Turnpike, White Oak Ridge, and Deerfield.
This softcover book can now only be had locally, 
as Arcadia no longer publishes it. 
It can be purchased for $20 (includes tax)
at the Millburn library or at the museum at the Short Hills train station.

For a full description of the set of five walking tours, 
please see the "Walking Tours" section on this page. 
The $5 set of five walking tours can be purchased at 
the historical society museum at the Short Hills train station
or at the Millburn library.

Cora Hartshorn was the daughter of Stewart Hartshorn, 
the developer of Short Hills. 
Her "Little History of Short Hills" was written in 1946 
and chronicles the history and growth of 
her father's 'ideal community.'

This twenty-four page, softcover book is available for $2, 
at the society's museum at the Short Hills train station 
or at the Millburn library.

This first publication of the historical society 
covers the early, Colonial history (from 1700-1800) 
and architecture of Millburn. 
Millburn's role in the Revolutionary War is presented 
within the 40 pages of this softcover book, 
accompanied by photos of 
fascinating architectural details of

some of Millburn's earliest houses.
The book costs $4 and is sold at 
the museum at the Short Hills train station or
at the Millburn library.

Sticks, Shingles, and Stones is a favorite book
for homeowners and anyone interested 
in the architecture of 1878-1937. 
The 40-page softcover book looks at the history and
architecture of Stewart Hartshorn's ideal community 
at Short Hills, New Jersey. 

 

The book costs $6 and is sold at 
the museum at the Short Hills train station or
at the Millburn library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links

Official Millburn Township Web Site - About Millburn, municipal departments, services, calendar, and forms

 Millburn Free Public Library - Library catalogs, databases, the Millburn history eBook, etc.

 The Knollwood Association - Knollwood Civic Association Web site

Greenwood Gardens - Millburn Township's newest jewel 

Smithsonian's SIRIS Archives, Manuscripts, Photographs - Search their archives for early documents and photos of local homes, gardens, people

 Northeast Document Conservation Center - Caring for your collections

Preserving Your Heritage - The Canadian Conservation Institute's guide to preserving your heritage

 Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties - Secretary of the Interior's standards for the treatment of historic properties

 NJ Archives Research Services - Guide to reproduction and research services and fees at the NJ State Archives

 Latter Day Saints Web Site for Genealogy - Search for vital records for your ancestors 

 

 

 

  Available Programs


     The historical society makes regular presentations about town history, at no charge, to a variety of adult groups, to school groups, and to scout groups. Most programs are presented at the museum (for small groups of no more than about 30 people), but programs can be presented off-site. 
    Programs on local history have been presented to Tiger Cubs through senior citizen groups and may utilize PowerPoint, overhead transparencies, slides, and artifacts from the collection. Walking tours of sections of Millburn and Short Hills, and of about 1-2 hours' duration, are also available for adult and school groups.
    To schedule a program for your group, please call the museum at 973-564-9519 and leave a brief message with your contact information. You may also e-mail the society at  MSHHS2002@cs.com

  Featured Houses


    

Photo Op at the Hessian House in Millburn

      Standing in front of the 1730 "Hessian House" at 155 Millburn Avenue in Millburn is a group of concerned citizens trying to raise awareness about historic preservation, and representing the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Short Hills Garden Club, the Millburn Township Committee, and the Millburn-Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad. For more information, or to get involved in preserving our community's rich history, please call the Historical Society at 973-564-9519.

From L to R:

Larry Bartanen,
Stefan Herrman
Vic Benes,
Linda Nortillo,
Dan Baer,
Tom Baio,
Monica Baio,
Lise Chapman,
Lynne Ranieri
Karen Bigos,
Linda Seelbach,
Maureen Ogden,
Sandy Haimoff,
Vesta McLean,
David Siegfried,
Joseph Steinberg,
Andy Permison


 

Photo from Karen Bigos

 

 

 

Local History Via Internet

 

Marian Meisner's exhaustive study of the history of Millburn and Short Hills
is now online at the Millburn Public Library's Web site. To read the book, go to:

http://www.millburn.lib.nj.us/

then click on  'About Millburn and the Library' and 
at the next window that opens click on »View the eBook! 
This online service is a major resource for students or residents
with questions about the history of the township.

In addition, the library Web site hosts the digitized and searchable images of a number of rare and seldom-seen newspapers from the historical society’s collection.

The images can be found in the ‘Millburn Online’ section of the library’s home page.

 

 

 

 

Walking Tours


      The historical society publishes a set of five self-guided walking tours of Millburn and Short Hills. The set includes:

  • Millburn Center - Thirty-six buildings, 2.7 miles, and estimated walking time of 1.5 hours. Walk includes Taylor Park, Rector Street, Blaine Street, Spring Street, Taylor Street, and some of Millburn Avenue. 
  • Wyoming - Forty-seven buildings, 1.6 miles, and estimated walking time of 1.5 hours. Walk includes Linden Street, Chestnut Street, some of Wyoming Avenue, some of Sagamore Road, Glen Avenue, Cypress Street, and Cedar Street.
  • Short Hills Park Tour #1 - Twenty-seven buildings, 1.5 miles, and estimated walking time of one hour. Walk includes Crescent Place, some of Hobart Avenue, The Crescent, some of Highland Avenue, Wells Lane, Knollwood Road, Park Place, and some of Short Hills Avenue.
  • Short Hills Park Tour #2 - Thirty-seven buildings, 1.4 miles, and estimated walking time of 1.5 hours. Walk includes some of Highland Avenue, Forest Drive, East Lane, Western Drive, Taylor Road, Northern Drive, Knollwood Road, and Chestnut Place.
  • Old Short Hills Road - Nineteen buildings, 2 miles, and estimated walking time of 1.25 hours. Walk includes Old Short Hills Road, some of Parsonage Hill Road, Jefferson Avenue, and some of Nottingham Road.

     The set of five walking tour pamphlets, in a pocket cover, sells for $5.00 and is available at the historical society museum or at the Millburn library. The walking tours were developed by Roldah Cameron (Editor), Howard Brahm, Elizabeth Howe, Ann Klemme, Owen Lampe, Frances Land, Edel Livermore, and Bernadette Wagner. The attractive pen and ink sketches were done by Madeleine D. Cooke and Jackie Cameron.

 

 

 

Genealogical Research


       The Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society can help you trace your ancestors who lived  in Millburn or Short Hills. Genealogical resources at the museum include: 

  • many maps, including atlas maps, which often show the names of the property owners and the footprint of structures on the lot
  • some early-census CDs for Millburn and Short Hills 
  • local directories (lists all adult residents at an address and often their occupation) for 1892, 1898, 1908, 1910, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1928-29, 1936, 1942, 1951 (telephone book), 1957 (telephone book), 1964, 1968, and 1970 
  • early and bound volumes of the local paper, the Item (not a complete run; includes quite a few late-1800s papers and bound volumes primarily from the 1930s through the mid-1950s) 
  • a nearly-complete run of Millburn High School yearbooks 
  • files on some local families 
  • 1930s-1950s magazines of local social news (not a complete run) 
  • oral history interviews 
  • numerous other collections of ephemera

    In addition, the society has a great many early photos of Millburn and Short Hills, primarily of houses, businesses, streets, and local scenes.

 

 

  Historic Districts


     There are two historic districts in town -- the Short Hills Park and the Wyoming districts -- which are described in the ordinance that established the historic districts. Within those two districts are designated houses (meaning they are significant examples of their type) and non-designated houses. Subject to certain exemptions, every structure in the Wyoming or Short Hills Park historic districts, whether or not the house is a designated historic site, must have a regulatory hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission, if the applicant is considering exterior changes that will involve any demolition to any structure in the site. 
     The Historic Preservation Commission (a municipal agency comprising appointed officials) is a completely separate body from the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society (a non-profit volunteer organization) and questions about the historic districts can best be answered by the chairman/chairwoman of the preservation commission, or by calling the building department at 973-564-7055.

 

 

Museum Hours and Contact Information

    The museum at the Short Hills train station is open for browsing on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5:30, Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30, and the first Sunday of the month from 2:00-4:00. Please allow about 15 minutes leeway in the opening hours. Other hours can often be arranged for visits, by leaving a message on the museum's answering machine at 973-564-9519.
       The museum phone/fax number is 973-564-9519. In order to reduce the faxed spam, however, the fax function is turned off. If you want to send a fax to the society, it must be prearranged so the fax can be turned on..


 

Events and Activities

On the Street
Where You Live
maps of
Millburn and Short Hills
from the society's extensive map collection

from April 1, 2005 through
May 31, 2005

Visitors can see local maps from as far back as the 1700's. The society has over 300 maps in its collection and the most frequently requested maps are displayed. The popular 1906 and 1928 maps show the property owner
and footprint of any structures on the property at the time. Very early maps of Wyoming show the footprint
of the first few (tower) houses built when Wyoming was developed. Also on display are plot maps of
Short Hills Park, from the Stewart Hartshorn Realty Company.

Special Program: Millburn-Short Hills
Historical Society
HOUSE TOUR 
Sunday, June 3, 2007 1:00-4:00 p.m.
at Wyoming Historic District
in Millburn 

On Sunday, June 3, 2007, from 1 to 4 p.m., as part of the Millburn Sesquicentennial Celebration, the Society will run a House Tour at several houses in the Wyoming District. Advance tickets can be obtained at the Society's museum at the westbound Short Hills station. Light refreshments and tickets will be available at the Wyoming Club. Society at 973 564 9519 for more information.

December 3, 2006: Impersonating a Hessian soldier, Society President Vic Benes leaves his 19th Century house on Taylor Street to march in Millburn's annual Snowflake parade 

Photo by Inge Reuter 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*GENERAL INFORMATION: To obtain more information, or to check if a program will be cancelled, 
                                                     call the museum at 973-564-9519.

 

 

 


 
 

Page maintained by Vaclav E. (Vic) Benes
Page last updated on