The History of Faircourt

Local historian W. Barry Thomson, co-author of the two-volume work, “New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills,” will present a free illustrated talk about the fascinating history of Faircourt—the site of this year’s Homes of Distinction fundraising event—at Bernardsville Public Library on Saturday, April 30 at 3:00 pm.

Faircourt, an exquisite Bernardsville estate once owned by the first in-laws of philanthropist Brooke Astor, is a Tuscan-style, 30,000 square-foot villa that sits on 15 acres landscaped by the son of Frederick Law Olmsted. It was first built in 1897 and has recently undergone a gorgeous transformation under its current owners. It was featured in the November 2015 issue of Architectural Digest.

In the lecture, Mr. Thomson will discuss historical highlights of the home. For example, the future Mrs. Astor, then a 17-year-old named Roberta Brooke Russell, married John Dryden in 1919 at a glittering Washington wedding at St. John’s Episcopal Church, nicknamed the “church of the presidents” due to its location across Lafayette Square from the White House. For a time, Faircourt became the young couple’s marital home, until Dryden’s parents offered the couple another large house on the estate. In the middle of the night a few years into the marriage, the entire family, as well as the servants, eighteen people in all, were chloroformed by robbers who made off with a great deal of jewelry, including Brooke’s engagement ring!

The Bernardsville Library Foundation will host its annual fundraising event, Homes of Distinction 2016, at Faircourt on Sunday, May 15 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Tickets are available at Bernardsville Library, 1 Anderson Hill Road, Bernardsville, and a response card can be downloaded from http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/events/.

There is no charge to attend the lecture, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org and follow the link from Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.