millburn historical

Thistle [email protected] 973.564.9519

Vol. XLVI Spring 2019

A Woodland Treasure

In the 2001 program booklet from the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary we read:

“In 1958 Cora Hartshorn donated to the township a 16 ½ acre tract of woodlands near the Short Hills
train station. Over the years she wondrously transformed a barren property into a semi-wild place filled
with native specimen trees and shrubs, with three miles of trails that meander around kettle moraines,
hilly slopes, and natural amphitheaters. Today, nestled amidst a busy suburban community, hundreds of
children and adults savor walks in a quiet forest, discover an astonishing variety of birds, and view one
of the largest collection of native wildflowers in the state of New Jersey, all thanks to the remarkable vi-
sion of Cora Hartshorn.”

The Millburn-Short Hills Histori-
cal Society is very pleased to invite
society members to a June 12,
2019 program at the Cora Harts-
horn Arboretum and Bird Sanctu-
ary, where the arboretum will be
bursting with flowers and trees and
shrubs will once again flaunt green,
glorious leaves after a winter of bare

brown branches. Tedor Whitman, the

arboretum director since 2014, will

introduce us to the fascinating his-

tory and evolution of the arboretum.

If you haven’t been to the arboretum

in many years, you will be very im-
pressed by the changes to the interior of Stone House and the beehive (real and figurative) of activity
ongoing inside and outside.

The program will be in the arboretum’s Stone House at 324 Forest Drive South, from 6:00-8:00 pm.
Guests are asked to park on the same side of Forest Drive South as the arboretum. The easiest ap-
proach to the parking is to turn onto Forest Drive South from Chatham Road, then make an immediate
right onto Lupine Way. Follow the Lupine Way loop around until you intersect again with Forest Drive
South, onto which you will have to turn left. You will then be on the same side of the road as the arbo-
retum and on the correct side of the street. The entrance to Stone House faces Forest Drive South.

Historical Society
Officers and Trustees

PRESIDENT: Jeanne Weill
VICE PRESIDENT: Andrew Permison
TREASURER: Michelle Miller
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: Sharon Petrucelli
RECORDING SECRETARY: Carrie Ross Faenza
TRUSTEES: Paul Boegershausen, Thomas Baio, Joan Borneman,
Elisabeth Meyer, Sandy Haimoff, Mary McNett, John Murray,
Lynne Ranieri.
PAST PRESIDENT, EX OFFICIO: Deborah Frank
ADVISOR: Vic Benes

COMING THIS FALL!

We are excited to announce that we will be exhibiting items from our museum
collection in the art gallery of the Millburn Library this November 2019.

The society’s museum is located in the westbound Short Hills train station. Museum hours
are Tuesdays from 1:00-3:00, Wednesdays from 3:30 – 5:30, Thursdays from 5:30-7:30, &
the first Sunday of the month, from 2:00-4:00.

The society can be reached at 973-564-9519 or via email at [email protected].
Please visit us on the web at MSHHistSoc.org

About Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society

The Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization. The purpose of
the society is to preserve, disseminate, and encourage interest in local history.  Millburn
Township is proud of its heritage and of the historically significant events that occurred
here. The society invites anyone who shares an interest in this heritage and who wishes
to help preserve it for future generations to become a member of the historical society.

Recent Acquisitions

The society is very grateful for donations of local artifacts and memorabilia from generous residents
and/or society members. We are happy to be able to preserve, share and use for reference these relics
of Millburn-Short Hills history. Your donations enrich the lives of all residents.
Some of our recent donations include:
~From St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, a bible purchased January 1853 with the cover inscription
reading “St. Stephen’s Church, Millville, N. J. “
~From Sally Coppola, a photo album ca. 1947-48 “Millburn Closeup” from her brother’s cub scout
group, with photos including local municipal departments, local businesses, schools and Taylor park
~From Julie Towell, a number of topographical maps of New Jersey, including a reprint of a 1778 map
of the Province of New Jersey, and a map of battles and skirmishes of the American Revolution in New
Jersey
~From Marilyn King, memorabilia from the estate of Charles T. King, who was Superintendent of
Schools for Millburn Township
~From Maureen Ogden, memorabilia from her personal collection of work while serving in the New
Jersey legislature
~From the Old Guard of Millburn Township New Jersey Inc., which was founded in 1958 and dis-
solved in 2019, a collection of archival material
~From Anonymous, a September 1912 Suburban Life magazine with social and real estate news about
Millburn Township and surrounding communities
~From the Hartshorn family, from the estate of Ernestine Hartshorn, a collection of items which in-
clude, among many other things, photo albums with early Short Hills photos and a cavalry sword with
a notation to indicate it was used during the Battle of Springfield.

Please stop in to see these wonderful donations – or ask to see them if they are not displayed at the time.
If you are interested in making a donation to the society please contact us at 973-564-9519 or via email
at [email protected].

Skating Through Bed Bath and Beyond
by Rahul Prakash

Was it some impairment brought on by his “disabled left foot” that pressed Millburn’s Peter
Joseph Farley to open two of the area’s most popular recreational facilities?

A recent inquiry to the historical society asked: “Do you have any information or pictures of
(the Morris and Essex) skating rink? When it closed I believe Huffman Koos furniture took over
the building and when they went out of business it became and still is Bed Bath and Beyond.”
The inquiry led to research about what Millburn residents did before the internet and com-
puters glued them to chairs.

Peter Joseph Farley, Jr. was born to Peter Joseph Farley, Sr. and Mary Ellen Dunn in 1889, in
Millburn, and baptized a month later at St. Rose of Lima Church in town. We don’t know ex-
actly where his parents were living when he was born, but in the 1900 US census, they were
recorded in ‘Millburn Village’ and in 1910 they were on Church Street in Millburn. Peter’s
father’s occupation was ‘truck driver – carting’ and 21 year old Peter, Jr. was a driver for a
butcher shop. For any genealogist trying to untangle the Millburn Farleys, Peter’s siblings
were Thomas, Lawrence, Ellen, Matthew, and Annie. His obit indicates there were also sis-
ters named Helen (maybe that is ‘Ellen’?) and Marian.

By 1917, when Peter, Jr. was 28 years old, his WWI draft registration noted he was:

n Single
n Working as a laundry driver
n Still living on Church Street
n Disabled enough to claim exemption from the draft, because of a ‘disabled left foot’

Because of the scarcity of 1900-1930 local newspapers in the society’s collection, we will
likely never know what led to Peter’s disability, but of note is the fact that his WWII draft
registration does not mention the disability–or perhaps by age 53 it was a moot point.

By 1931, however, Peter had stepped into entrepreneurship. The September 26 edition of
the Chatham Press announced the opening on Saturday of the new Millburn Recreation
bowling alleys “at Morris Turnpike and Farley place,” where a Walgreens recently opened
and where the Short Hills Caterers stood before. The 1912 map here shows there was no
Farley Place then. By 1928, however, just two years before Peter built his Millburn Recre-
ation bowling alley, we see Farley Place at that corner. We are speculating, then, that Farley
Place was built and got its name when Peter J. Farley bought the site to construct his new
building.

1911291m2 ampapofofththeeccoorrnneerroof fMMillibllubrnuranndaMndorMrisoArvreinsuAevsenues
1912 map of the corner of Millburn and Morris Avenues

1928 map of the corner of Millburn and Morris Avenues
The 1931 article pro1c9l2a8immeadpboofwtlhinegctoornbeer“oafhMeaillltbhuyrgnaamned”Manodrr“isoAneveonfutehse best for all around
development.” I1t a9s2ks8, “mHaowp omfatnhyeocf oursnheavreoffoMrgoiltltbeunrhnowantodpMlaoy?rrAisswAevgernouweoslder we play
less and the habit gradually becomes foreign to us.” To reacquaint residents with play, Farley’s
ThMeil1lb9u3r1naRreticcrleaptriooncl(auimnaefdfilbiaotwedlinwgitthoMbeill“baurhne’as lrtehcyregatmioen” daenpda“rotmne notf) tthoeutbeedst hfoer“achlleacrkound
deroveolmops,msaenitt.a”rIyt raessktsr,o“oHmows fmoralnaydioefs uasndhamvenf,ofrrgeoettlaerngheopwartkoinpglaspy?acAes”wanedg,roofwcoouldrseer,w“tehpelay
lelsasteasntdinthbeowhalibnigt gfarcaidliutiaelsly” ibneoconemoefstfhoerefignnesttobuosw.”linTog hreaallcsqinuathinet croeusindterny.ts with play, Farley’s
Millburn Recreation (unaffiliated with Millburn’s recreation department) touted the “check
rooms, sanitary rest rooms for ladies and men, free large parking space” and, of course, “the

The 1931 article proclaimed bowling to be “a healthy game” and “one of the best for all around
development.” It asks, “How many of us have forgotten how to play? As we grow older we play
less and the habit gradually becomes foreign to us.” To reacquaint residents with play, Farley’s
Millburn Recreation (unaffiliated with Millburn’s recreation department) touted the “check
rooms, sanitary rest rooms for ladies and men, free large parking space” and, of course, “the
latest in bowling facilities” in one of the finest bowling halls in the country. The photo below,
from the collection of residents Barbara and John Murray, is of the Millburn Recreation
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Whether public interest in bowling and
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Pcelotseerd’siltastdeosotrvse, nlattuerrerempalaycemdabtychHuffman
t&heBsouylcec.eIsnsthoef heiasrlbyoswevleinngtieasllHeyu.fBfmyan &
tBhoisylpeorienbtr,atnhdeeMd tilolbHuurfnfmBaonwKloinogs and the
Abcuailddeinmgywhaasdsooldbvtoio“uBselyd g&roBawthn” around
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rdoalylesraskaaRtionllgerriDnrko.mBeutretmheaianrst.icle
takes it a step further, calling his

bowling alley a “Mecca for lovers of that sport”.
Whether public interest in bowling and skating waned or Farley decided it was time to
eInnd19t5h1e, bthuesiMneillsbsu, rbnyBtohweleinngdAocaf dtheemfyowrtaises and the start of the fifties Peter began selling
hreisplraeccerdeabtyioFonrcbens tGearrsd. eMnuCseenutmer.vTohleunFoterbeers researched the company in our city directory
cGoalrledcetnioCnenatnedr ifsoluasntdsethenatinino1ur9d4i9retchtoerMiesorinris and Essex Roller Drome closed its doors,
Halv1oasa9cutcce6Bfaufr0emnp.rdtiIeea,nBpdna1naltaK9tdhc6hoebe2o&ydostlh1dbBae9yenb6byodH4uowuttinlhhldfidfneeimn,gSbbgahauudlnolitielrs&dttyah,iHpnBeopiglpole“seygwaCrlrreaaeaat.sdtciIene,snrglfoeiuktulrhedlsnelayttrioelcavh“erB”lryeyfrdsoe&mveBintasttihde”asyaHsruoafusfnmadaR1no9l&l8e7Br.oDTyroloedmareyebirtreasmntadaneinddsst. o

Irnec1e9n5tl1y., tFhaerleMyiPlllbacuernis Bnoowwlhinomg Ae ctoadWemalgyreweanss.replaced by Forbes Garden Center. The
Forbes Garden Center is last seen in our directories in 1960. In 1962 the building
disappeared, likely vacant, and by 1964 the Short Hills Caterers occupied the old
bowling alley, operating until very recently. Farley Place is now home to Walgreens.
According to a report by the White Hutchinson

ALecicsourdeianngdtLoearrneinpgorGtrbouypt,hteheWhheiytdeaHyuotfcbhoiwnslionng Leisure and Learning Group, the heyday
owfabsoinwtlhineg1w96a0s’si,nhtahvein1g9b6e0e’ns,shpuavrriendgobnebeny tshpeurred on by the invention of the automatic
pininvesnettitoenr.oTfhtheereaputoormt aadtidc sp:in“Tsehteterer.hTahse breepeonrat steady reduction in the number of bowling
cbnaeodunwdmtsleb:irne“srgTshociefnerbcneeothewtarhlsisensbg1oe9cete7nhn0eatsel,sardtsnersadiivdnceyconeruetblhddyeubbc1eto9itou7hns0etsinhd, edtfhrodievreecmnlionreeopfrloefaitgaubelebovwenlitnugreasn.”d the sale of many

Rbey bthoethrtohleledrescklianteinogf lpeaagstuiembeo,wWlinhgiteanHdutthcehsianlseon notes: “Roller-skating has experienced
roefsmuragneynbcoewwliintgh ctehnetaerdsvseonthoef liann-dlincoeuslkdabtesuasenddfionr-mlinoerehporcokfeitya.bRleolvlerntaunredsi.c”e skating are
only a few of the entertainment/recreation activities that has stood the test of time.” A
Re the roller skating pastime, White Hutchinson notes: “Roller-skating has experienced

resurgence with the advent of in-line skates and in-line hockey. Roller and ice skating are only a

few of the entertainment/recreation activities that has stood the test of time.” A 2007 New York

Beyond, but the “graceful arch” from its
days as a Roller Drome remains.

courts, the high school tracks, etc.,
although they may not be where you
would take a date, as you could have
done when Farley’s Roller Drome and
bowling alley kept Millburn fit.

very
ns.

n

wling

he

rt

e

ven

sale for 2hmo0ow0r7eevNpererow,frietYapoborlrketeTvdeimn: “teuNsraeatsri.ot”incalelloy,nththeensupmobret,r
used

of rinks affiliated with the association has
n notesf:a“lRleonlletor-9sk0a0tfinrogmha1s,2e0x0pesirxieynecaerds ago.” For

d in-linerohloleckresyk.aRtionllgerenatnhduiscieastksaotirn,gjuasrteaosnPleytaer
t“hNaat thioansFFloasallootrloykrleo,hinytdah’gmstehfronPeirnuatkamreksvsbtoRiesocorifitlaooltelfir,mrsrriReenwc.ik”enrserkAaeaaf,2tfift0iool10inra97atf2aelNmdaRecwiiwtldiiivegtYhiseotdyr.akle
x years aAgvoe.n”uFeorinroFllleorrhsakamtinPgareknsteheumsiassttos boer,tjhuest

lookingmfoorstapsopciualla, renceraerabtiyornianlka.ctivity the

Do you remember, or did you ever go to
either of Farley’s recreation centers? What
recreational/exercise activities do you --
or does your family -- enjoy in the Millburn
area today? What recreational/exercise
activities do your teens do with friends
or on a date? Some of our contemporary
Millburn choices include the new indoor
swimming pool, multiple fitness centers,
or Flywheel on Millburn Avenue, tennis

Local Real Estate History
Through the Internet

Did you know that the society has a
collection of real estate records for Millburn
Township dating to the 1930s?
These records are in paper form and
need special care. However thanks to the
generous donations from our friends,
we were able to digitize about 1/4 of our
local-real-estate records and they are
now online at our website, for browsing
or searching. Only some streets are done
(streets beginning with A through C and H
through L).
The society wants to digitize and make
available to the public the balance of these
records, which, in total, will comprise
approximately 10,000 images. Our goal is
to complete this project by midyear. Please
contact us if you would like to make a
donation to this worthwhile project.

You can find these records on our website:
http://mshhistsoc.org/millburn-short-hills-real-estate-records
Please leave a comment and let us know if you found your house in the records!

Love to Shop?

Buy From Amazon and They Will Donate to the
Historical Society!
The historical society is pleased to announce that it is now registered with the Amazon Smile
program.  
When you make your Amazon purchase through the Smile program, one half of one percent (0.5%),
of what you pay goes to the society. It is important to understand that you will not pay more for the
product you buy. Amazon will be making the donation.
So please consider using Amazon Smile when you make your next Amazon purchase, and select the
Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society as well!
See the link below to our website for instructions and for information about designating your favorite
charity (and note that you can change your charity at any time) or see the “Buy Amazon...” link in the
Society News section on our website.
www.mshhistsoc.org/content/buy-amazon-and-they-will-donate-historical-society

The most frequently requested items from the historical society collec-
tion are reprints of the colorful local maps. unframed copies of 1906
and 1928 maps, printed on archival paper with UV-resistant inks, can
now be purchased or ordered through the museum. Visit the mu-
seum for more information about the maps.

The Society Welcomes Your Participation and Membership

The historical society is dedicated to the preservation of our community’s heritage. If you would
like to join the historical society or have not yet renewed your membership, please use this form to
do so and send a check made payable to the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society at
P.O. Box 243, Short Hills, N.J. 07078, with the form below. Or, go to mshhistsoc.org for paypal option.

If you would like to volunteer to help with any of the many activities in which the society is engaged,
or if you would like to share your memories with the society, please contact us at 973-564-9519
or [email protected].

Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society Membership Form

Date ____________________________________________________________________
Name ___________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________
Phone _________________________ Email _________________________________

Annual Dues _____ $100 (Business)
_____ $250 (Sponsor)
_____ $15 (Senior/Student) _____ $500 (Benefactor)
_____ $25 (Individual) _____ $____________ (Other)
_____ $35 (Family)
_____ $50 (Patron)

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION $________________________
_____ I would like to volunteer to help.

All contributions are fully tax-deductible. All contributions are greatly appreciated.
Donations of $500 and up will be recognized on a permanent plaque at the museum.
Does the company you work for have a matching gift program? It DOUBLES your donation!

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A Message from our President

Dear Friends,
Welcome to the latest edition of the Thistle. Our dedicated volunteers have been working
diligently in putting this issue together. I hope you will discover some interesting facts
that will add to your knowledge and appreciation of the history of our town.
Happy Spring and happy reading!
Sincerely,
Jeanne