Glen Ridge Historical Society

05/07/2026

Before crossing gates were installed at the Chestnut Hill/Benson Street Station, an attendant stepped from his hexagonal shelter and swung a lantern to warn passersby of a train’s arrival. Between trains, the unnamed fellow prettified the perimeter of his little place with flowering plants. The photo looks north towards Clinton Road. The train station is just beyond the shelter.

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, May 9 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. The Terry S. Webster Archives are located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.

04/20/2026

It’s that time of year again—**membership renewal season for the Glen Ridge Historical Society!**

We are the stewards of Glen Ridge’s history, and your support makes everything we do possible.

With your membership, you help us:

* Maintain and preserve our historic house files
* Offer engaging seasonal walking tours
* Host outstanding public programs throughout the year
* Bring the community together at our annual holiday party and beloved gingerbread house decorating event
* Publish the award-winning *Gaslamp Newsletter*, sharing stories that keep our local history alive

Every membership directly supports the work of preserving and sharing the history of Glen Ridge for future generations.

If you’re already a member, we are so grateful for your continued support. If you’re not yet a member, we’d love to welcome you—there’s never been a better time to join!

JOIN Please Join Us! with your Annual MembershipJoin online using PayPal (processing fee applies). You can also join by check. Details below. $20.91 Annual Membership Senior $51.52 Annual Membership Household $102.53 Annual Membership Patron $153.55 Annual Membership Sponsor $510.65 Annual Membershi...

04/14/2026

JOIN US! for our Annual Meeting and Guest Speaker Presentation!

Join us at our Annual Meeting, Spring Social and history lecture! On Thursday, April 23, 7:00 pm at the Women's Club of Glen Ridge, 219 Ridgewood Ave. Mark your calendars; it is open to all members. We look forward to seeing you there.

Lecture: The American Revolution at 250: Digging into a Complicated Past, by Jen Janofsky, Ph.D.

As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the air is filled with the sound of fifes, drums, and the excitement of reenactments. But beneath the polished veneer of parades and historical markers lies a much more complex reality.

What was it actually like to live through the Revolution? This presentation moves past the myths to explore the "forgotten" stories of the conflict: Quaker pacifists trapped in the crossfire of war, African American patriots fighting for a liberty they weren't promised, and Hessian soldiers buried in unmarked mass graves. Using the lens of the Red Bank Battlefield, we will examine who our national memory celebrates—and who it has left behind.

Dr. Jen Janofsky is a Giordano Fellow in Public History at Rowan University, Director of the Red Bank Battlefield Park and a Glen Ridge Historical Society Trustee.

New members are welcome to join at the door. Now is a great time to join and support the efforts of the society!

JOIN Please Join Us! with your Annual MembershipJoin online using PayPal (processing fee applies). You can also join by check. Details below. $20.91 Annual Membership Senior $51.52 Annual Membership Household $102.53 Annual Membership Patron $153.55 Annual Membership Sponsor $510.65 Annual Membershi...

04/10/2026

In 1932, a competitive bid for scavenger services in Glen Ridge was won by Miele Bros. Their five-year contract for the collection and disposal of ashes, garbage, and rubbish was challenged in court by the prior contractor, C. Egan and Sons of East Orange. The Miele bid prevailed, and first year charges were $31, 582. Soon after, the town's incinerator was permanently shut down, and ash heaps no longer allowed on Carteret Field.

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, April 11 from 9:00-noon. The Terry S. Webster Archives is located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.

03/12/2026

Mountainside Hospital opened for services in 1891 on the corner of Bay Street and Highland Avenue. In 1900, its surgeon was well-attended by a bevy of nurses. Their operating room was modestly furnished with wheeled tables, porcelain basins and lit by gaslight fixtures. A sign on the wall entreats “No Loud Talking.”

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, March 14 from 9:00-noon. The Terry S. Webster Archives is located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.

02/12/2026

The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the East Coast with a vengeance. In Glen Ridge, railroads were shut down for a week, and snowdrifts reached second story windows. With food delivery at a standstill, people depended on the charity of neighbors to survive. This photo from Clark Street looks across Ridgewood Avenue towards 'Sunnycrest', one of three houses torn down in 1967 to build Glen Ridge High School.

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, February 14 from 9:00-noon. The Terry S. Webster Archives is located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.

01/08/2026

In 1878, Samuel Benson established his third mill in Glen Ridge at the corner of Belleville and Sherman Avenues. Today it is the site of Clay Field. The company manufactured sheet and rolled brass and silver-plated copper for carriage lamp reflectors. When the factory closed in 1932, Flit gun insecticide sprayers were its final products. A portrait of Samuel’s daughters, Harriet and Margaretta, hangs in the main reading room of the Glen Ridge Public Library.

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, January 10th from 9:00-noon. The Terry S. Webster Archives is located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.

12/11/2025

It’s winter in 1888, and a photographer is smitten with the Glen. The centerpiece is a handsome stone arch that supports Prospect Street (Ridgewood Avenue) and its bridge over Toney’s Brook. The icy waters there run freely and power several mills. A home in the distance along the Newark & Pompton Turnpike (Bloomfield Avenue) will one day give way to a library.

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, December 13th from 9:00-12:00. The Terry S. Webster Archives are located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.

12/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Gingerbread House event! We had 26 families come out and create beautiful houses in a joyful sugar haze. We love that this program has become a cherished tradition for so many of you.

A huge shout-out to our amazing trustees for making it all happen, and a special thank you to to Megan Connelly, who scouts the candy aisles all year long to find the sweetest bargains. 🍬🍭

We’re already looking forward to next year! 🎄🏠

11/12/2025

11/06/2025

The inaugural Glen Ridge High School football team played four games in the fall of 1913, splitting wins and losses at 2-2. The season ending victory over Bloomfield was especially sweet. Darkness loomed near the end of the scoreless game, when Glen Ridge dropped back of the goal line and kicked. As the ball hit the ground, Bloomfield touched it and fumbled. Glen Ridge picked it up and ran for a touchdown ending the game 6-0. Owing to “parental objection and the none too eager support of the faculty”, the team then disbanded until 1922 with the arrival of legendary coach Bill Cartmill.

If you'd like to learn more about Glen Ridge history, we're hosting open hours this Saturday, November 8th from 9:00-noon. The Terry S. Webster Archives are located on the third floor of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Enter on Clark Street.