After the Civil War, a class of industrialists and financiers amassed great fortunes while building the infrastructure of an expanding nation. Much of this money and power was concentrated in New York City, which quickly became crowded and unsuitable for the building of large estates. Many wealthy businessmen began to look eagerly toward the pastoral beauty of New Jersey as a site for their luxurious homes. Modeling itself on the English aristocracy, this uniquely American plutocracy sought to establish country seats, requiring acreage on a grand scale but in close proximity to New York City....

Settled in the first half of the 1700s, the fertile fields of Bedminster Township attracted Dutch, German, and Scottish farmers. During the American Revolution, the town served as a safe haven for the American army. For over a century, following the war, Bedminster returned to its previous way of life as a sleepy little farming community. In 1890, the area became home to Charles Pfizers exclusive Essex Hunt Club. The lush green hills and dales of Bedminster were perfect for hunting foxes, and the level meadows were well suited for polo.
Millionaires from New York sought to establish great...

Between the Watchung Mountains to the north and the Sourland Mountains to the west lies the fertile valley of the Raritan River. Stout Dutch, Huguenot, German, Scottish, and English settlers began to cultivate family farms here as early as the 1680s.
For almost a hundred years, the tramp of soldiers' feet and sounds of cannons had been unknown, but that was about to change. With its location astride two major routes between New York and Philadelphia, it is little wonder that Somerset County became the
"Crossroads of the Revolution." A friendly populace and the protection of the...