Although we are celebrating our 100th year as the Borough of Florham Park,  this community's history goes back in time to 1708. That year, young John
Campfield of Newark ventured west on horseback and settled here, on what is
now Hanover Road, with only Lenni Lenape Indians as his neighbors. At about
the same time, John Hopping arrived from Elizabethtown with his family, a
daughter and eight sons, all of whom settled here.
                 The growing settlement was always a legal part of a larger township; first
Whippany; then Hanover Township (1718) which ran from the Passaic to the
Delaware River; then Chatham Township (1806) until Florham Park was
founded on March 20, 1899.
                From 1708 to 1899, the settlement here was known by many different names.   Hoppingtown was the first, due, I'm sure, to the numerical superiority of John
Hopping's eight sons and their progeny. In 1802, the townspeople, seeking a
fresh image, chose the name Columbia. When the population reached 350 in
1877, the people changed the name to Afton (from the song "Flo Gently Sweet
Afton") so they could have their own post office. It opened April 7, 1879 in
George Lanning's store at 195 Ridgedale Avenue. Lanning was the first          Postmaster.
                 After the Revolutionary War, which visited great hardships on the people here, the little settlement grew into a prosperous farming community. Broom corn
became a staple crop and almost every farm house was turned into a broom
factory during the winter months.
                 High quality brooms became our trademark and the doorsteps of Newark, New York City and Trenton, as well as the surrounding rural areas, were swept
clean with Hoppingtown brooms. As a matter of fact, Hoppingtown was better
known as Broomtown around the end of the 18th Century.
                 In the first half of the 1800's, flat wire brooms were made here with such
enthusiasm that for a long time they brought more money into the lower part of
the County than any other branch of business. Obviously, the farmers of
Columbia were great entrepreneurs.
                 From 1770 to 1870, the second most prosperous industry here was the making of whisky, rum, and hard cider. At first, the stills were operated by the
preachers to augment their meager salaries. Liquor was considered to be one
of the good creatures of God and was used by the people generally.
                 By 1840, according to James H. Woodruff, a prominent resident of Columbia and a deacon of the Hanover Presbyterian Church, "drunkenness in and out of the Church was the greatest sin of the times." The whole community, with rare
exceptions, were unwittingly being trained for drunkards. Though they
lamented drunkenness and despised the drunkard, they were filling up the ranks
themselves. In 1870, this problem was solved when Chatham Township,
including Columbia, voted to go "dry," in spite of much lobbying by the large
liquor companies.
                 A few years after the "dry" vote, John Whitehead in his book, The Passaic
Valley, N.J., described Afton as "a quiet peaceful neighborhood, where are
lived contented lives and where the saloon is not permitted to open its doors
and invite the unwary to scenes of vice and dissipation. The people are moral,
industrious, church going, God fearing, and law abiding."
                 By 1890, although farming was still prevalent here, other industries were
flourishing. Edgar Hopping, the White Brothers, Arthur Ruzika, Charles Totty,
William Vert, Frank Abrahamson and others had hundreds of thousands of
square feet of greenhouses filled with roses which they shipped around the
world.
                 A prosperous paper box factory on Greenwood Avenue run by Florham Park's first Mayor, Jesse S. Keys, produced 50,000 boxes a day. A carriage-making
business started in 1880 and operated by William Tunis, became one of the leading industries after the turn of the Century. The Hancock Cider Mill and
Nathan Felch's dealership in McCormick & Deering farm equipment, all
prospered in this bustling community.
                 During the last two decades of the 19th Century, the southeastern part of
Morris County became an attractive vacation resort for New York's high
society millionaires. Although Morristown was the hub of their extravagant
estates, Afton attracted the Hamilton McKeon Twomblys who were reported
to be worth $70,000,000. The Twombleys were the center of the lavish social
life of the 200 millionaires who made Morris County their home during the
spring and fall seasons.
                 Hamilton McKeon Twombly and his wife, Florence Vanderbilt (frequently
 referred to as the "uncrowned dowager queen of American Society"), built
 their 100 room mansion on 840 acres in Afton. Although the entrance to the
 estate "Florham" was in Madison, all of the buildings, the 750 acre farm, the
 gardens, and the greenhouses were in Afton. Today, the mansion and
 surrounding buildings belong to Fairleigh Dickinson University and the farm
 area to Exxon Research.
                 In 1883, before the Twomblys settled here, Dr. Leslie D. Ward, a Newark
 millionaire who was born in Columbia in 1845, purchased over 1,000 acres of
 rolling hills in Afton and built a summer home here. It burned in 1895, and he
 replaced it with a lovely three story stone mansion which in later years became
 Braidburn County Club, forerunner of Brooklake Country Club.
                 Dr. Ward, who helped establish the Prudential Insurance Co., lived quietly on his "Brooklake Park" estate where he had a 12 acre lake for boating and
fishing, a farm, and hundreds of acres of virgin forests where wild game was
plentiful. Dr. and Mrs. Ward did not participate in the high flying social
activities of the New York "400". Both the Wards and Twomblys opened parts
of their estates to the public.
                 These two very different millionaires were supporters of many town projects
but they felt their Chatham Township property taxes were too burdensome.
The Twomblys actually paid $7,802, including the County Tax of $3,839, and
the Wards who were only taxed on the private part of their estate, paid $656,
with $317 going into County coffers. Looking for a better deal, they petitioned
the State of New Jersey to create their "own" town. The Governor signed the
bill making the Borough "legal" on March 20, 1899, and the Mayor and Council
met that same night. "Where had these local office holders come from, you
might ask?" Before the Borough was even created, the eager residents of
Afton, after much politicking, nominated and elected a bi-partisan mayor and
council that were destined to serve as the only illegal government the Borough
would ever have.
                 The name the residents chose was a blend of Florence and Hamilton
Twombly-"Florham"-and "Park" came from Dr. Ward's "Brooklake Park". The
Twomblys, to celebrate the acceptance of this name, opened "Florham" to the
people of the Borough for a feast, fireworks and music on July 4, 1899. Over
600 people attended, eating food fit for royalty and watching $2,000 worth of
fireworks light up the sky.
                 The new Borough had a population of 800 with 170 legal voters. The assessed valuation was $813,000, including the two estates, and the tax rate was $1.69 per $100 assessed value. So the two millionaires apparently succeeded in their mission to seek a better tax rate; the new Borough became known as "the
wealthiest town with the lowest tax rate in America." This paradise didn't last
very long however. In 1906, the County decided Florham Park's assessments
were out of line and increased them by 100%. The shocked Council appealed
the case to the County Tax Board and won a reduction of 50% for the
Twombly and Ward estates and a 10% increase for the rest of the residents.
Assessment inequities continued to plague the Borough through half of the 20th
century.
                 Finally, after 190 years this busy community had become an independent
Borough not withstanding that "there was no large center of population or
shopping area, no municipal building, no railroad, no water system, no
electricity, no telephone exchange, and no high school." What it did have was
an active Volunteer Fire Department and truck house; Little Red School
House; Calvary Chapel; Post Office; and St. Elizabeth's College, which opened
its doors in 1899; St. Elizabeth's Academy, which predated Florham Park by
many years; two stores; and all the industries mentioned earlier. It also had a
unique population of industrious and creative people who made Florham Park a
very special town.
                 In 1907, Lloyd W. Smith, a millionaire investment banker who was born here in 1870, purchased Boxwood Hall (still standing on Smithfield Lane) and 220
acres on both sides of Ridgedale Avenue. He ran a prosperous farm with
abundant peach and apple orchards as well as strawberries, raspberries and
vegetables, which he marketed. Some of his apple trees can still be found
throughout the Afton Village and Briarwood sections of town. Smith was one
of the Borough's most remarkable citizens and he played an important role in
both the County and National arenas.
                 As early as 1740, Hoppingtown had its own schoolhouse. Over the years and through all the name changes, the frugal residents battled against every
improvement or addition to the school system. Fortunately, in the end, the
desire for a good education always won out.
               In 1922, a building boom stunned the "old timers" after 450 acres of the Ward Estate were sold for development. Although much of the land was swampy, it
was touted as the "Colorado of the East" with 435 "little estates for less than
rent."
                 The roaring 20s and prohibition hit the Borough with a bang and illegal stills,
frequently located in greenhouses, flourished. A sophisticated night club,
"Canary Cottage", originally started by Dr. Ward's nephew, drew famous
guests from far and wide. Later, it became part of a string of roadhouses
operated by a loosely-formed crime syndicate.
As the building boom continued, Florham Park still maintained its rural status
with numerous dairy and poultry farms. A wild animal farm called "Scotsward"
on Hanover Road (currently Prudential Insurance Co.) supplied wild animals to
 zoos and circuses. It also provided considerable excitement to the community
 when a huge kangaroo escaped and startled motorists on Hanover Road after
 dark.
                 As it grew, Florham Park gradually became a 'bedroom community' with a
majority of breadwinners commuting daily to Newark and New York via the
railroad.
                By 1956, the Planning Board's careful zoning for industrial areas began to
attract blue chip corporations starting with Automatic Switch, Strahman Valve,
and Esso (Exxon) Research and Engineering. Other well known industries such
as Ohaus Scale, Prudential Insurance Co., Metropolitan Life, and Sandoz Data
Center made up a substantial industrial base.
                 Over the years the, Borough Government, Fire Department, and First Aid
Squad were dependent on willing and able volunteers to keep things running.
Those volunteers are largely responsible for making this community such a
special place.
                 Today Florham Park has a population of 8521, exclusive of the two college
populations, and a total of 6064 registered voters. Today, the tax assessment
for the Borough is $1,358,871,000, and the tax rate is $1.64 per $100 of
assessed value - five cents less than in 1899!
                 Florham Park, in its first 100 years, has blossomed into a well rounded
suburban community having a lovely municipal building; an excellent library;
two well-equipped fire houses; a water utility system; three public schools and
Holy Family School; a municipal pool; extensive recreational facilities; and six
houses of worship. It is host to Fairleigh Dickinson University and St.
Elizabeth's College and Academy; four shopping centers; two assisted-living
facilities; a post office; seven banks; and hundreds of industries, both large and
small. Most importantly, it still has active volunteers who keep the wheels
turning and keep Florham Park a very special place in which to live.
             If you would like more information about our history, see Saga of a                  Crossroads, Florham Park, available at the Florham Park Public Library or Beck's Gift Gallery.
 

Drawings courtesy of Pat Longley

DEMOGRAPHICS

The Borough of Florham Park is located in the South Eastern part of Morris County and is bordered on the South by Madison and Chatham Boroughs; on the North by Hanover and East Hanover Townships; on the West by Morris Township; and on the East by the Passaic River.

First settled by the English sometime between 1680 and 1700, the community was long recognized as a prime farming area. In 1817 its bisection by the Newark and Morris Turnpike (State Highway #510) brought an influx of residents and businesses, including the making of whiskey and bricks, as well as the broom industry which gave Florham Park it's nickname of Broomtown. Once the site of two major estates, one now a private golf club and the other a suburban campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University, the 7.6 square mile Borough provides a large municipal recreation area, a private golf course and a public golf course; one municipal swim club; numerous businesses; professional office buildings; light industry and residential development. Subdivisions with split level, ranch and colonial type homes, and four condominium complexes house over 8,521 people in approximately 2,400 homes (mostly owner occupied). In recent years there has been a growth of prestige offices, research and light manufacturing in the Borough, all in carefully zoned areas.

The expanding business center contains restaurants, branch banks, a supermarket, pharmacies and numerous retail stores.

There are three modern elementary schools; Briarwood, Brooklake, Holy Family, and one middle school; Ridgedale School. High School students attend Hanover Park Regional High School or a number of private secondary schools in adjacent towns. In addition, Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College of St. Elizabeth, a private girls school, are situated on beautiful campuses in the Borough.

Five places of worship are situated in Florham Park; three Protestant, one Catholic and one Jewish. The area abounds in cultural opportunities with the Morris Museum in Morris Township, an excellent library in town and the County Library in nearby Hanover Township.

Bus service to New York City goes through the Borough and Conrail has a station in Madison, approximately two miles away, serving New York City. The new Rt. 24 makes it easy to access Newark Airport.

Many civic and social organizations help create the friendly atmosphere which is characteristic of Florham Park.

The colonial style Borough Hall is located at 111 Ridgedale Avenue on the 70 acre Borough Complex. Housed in the Borough Hall are the Administration, Tax, Public Works, Board of Health, Municipal Court, Police and Building offices. The complex is also the center of cultural and recreational activities for the Borough. The grounds contain the Municipal Pool, playing fields, tennis courts, paddle courts, ice skating rink, Community Center, Recreation offices, the Gazebo as well as the Florham Park Library.
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