Two Mountain Colony Families

Local historian and author W. Barry Thomson will make illustrated presentations in November at Bernardsville Public Library about two of the early, prominent and wealthy families from New York who established country estates in the Somerset Hills “Mountain Colony”—the Schleys and the Pynes. Both families made significant and lasting contributions to the Somerset Hills and developed several of the architecturally important estates in the area.

On Saturday, November 7 at 2:00 pm, the topic will be the Schley family. Brothers Grant and Evander Schley controlled the Somerset Land Company in the late 19th century—the first large-scale land-development enterprise in the Somerset Hills. Grant Schley almost single-handedly fashioned the village of Far Hills, and his Froh Heim estate (now called Moorland Farms) was at the center of his vast holdings.

On Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 pm, Mr. Thomson will speak about the Pyne family. Percy Rivington Pyne was a well-known New York financier and philanthropist who build Upton Pyne as a summer home for his large family.

Our speaker, W. Barry Thomson, is a management consultant and has worked on several historic preservation and architectural history projects and as an author and lecturer. He is the co-author, with the late John K. (“Jack”) Turpin, of the two-volume work, “New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills” (Mountain Colony Press, 2004 and 2005). He has written and co-written a number of articles on various aspects of the history of the region that have appeared in The Black River Journal and other publications, and he has prepared nominations of historic sites for the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to his research and writing, he frequently gives lectures on various aspects of architectural and local New Jersey history. Born and raised in Peapack-Gladstone in Somerset County, New Jersey, he now resides in New York City and western Massachusetts.

There is no charge to attend the program, 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.

Pictured: Upton Pyne