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ALEXANDER AND JAMES LINN HOMESTEAD, SOMERSET COUNTYPhoto: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
History · Far Hills

Far Hills’ post office opened in 1891, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listings are the Far Hills Station and the Alexander and James Linn Homestead. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1930.

1891first post office
2on the National Register
20%homes built before 1940
9old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Far Hills’ archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Far Hills began

When was Far Hills founded?

1891

The Far Hills post office opened in 1891, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1921.

First census: 560 in 19302020 census: 924135 years
Founding year: the first Far Hills post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1921.The full story ↓

What stands out about Far Hills’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 18916 editions of the USGS map, 1891 to 1995. Watch Far Hills change.
★ What stands out · On the map

Far Hills on the map, 1891 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Far Hills. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Far Hills on the 1891 USGS mapFar Hills on the 1905 USGS mapFar Hills on the 1943 USGS mapFar Hills on the 1954 USGS mapFar Hills on the 1970 USGS mapFar Hills on the 1995 USGS map1891Somerville sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Far Hills.

The story

How Far Hills came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Far Hills.

Read it all →

Far Hills encompasses nearly 5 square miles (13 km2) in Somerset County, encircled by the Somerset Hills communities of Bedminster, Bernardsville, Bernards Township, and Peapack-Gladstone. The borough shares a community pool, athletic programs, civic organizations, and a school system with Bernardsville. It shares a public library, a fire department and a first aid squad with neighboring Bedminster.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Far Hills, 1890 to 1910

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1890In the archiveOn the Lackawanna near Far Hills, N.J
  3. 1891Post officeThe Far Hills post office opens
  4. 1891On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 20th century
  6. 1900In the archiveKaufman's Well
  7. 1910In the archiveDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad : Far Hills Depot
By decade

Far Hills, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s5 items
On the Lackawanna near Far Hills, N.J1890On the Lackawanna near Far Hills, N.JDetroit Photographic Company (0512)1897–1924Detroit Photographic Company (0512)Old house at Far Hills, N.J1898Old house at Far Hills, N.JOld house at Far Hills, N.J1898Old house at Far Hills, N.JOld house at Far Hills, N.J1898Old house at Far Hills, N.J
1900s–1910s4 items
Kaufman's Well1900Kaufman's WellMine Brook Road1900Mine Brook RoadOld country road1900Old country roadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad : Far Hills Depot1910Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad : Far Hills…
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today11 recent
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Far Hills, NJ, Jan. 20262026St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Far Hills, NJ, Jan. 20…Far Hills, NJ Municipal Building, Jan. 20262026Far Hills, NJ Municipal Building, Jan. 2026Former Far Hills depot - September 20202020Former Far Hills depot - September 20202018-05-29 18 40 34 Topped Pin Oak along U.S. Route 202 (Main Street) in20182018-05-29 18 40 34 Topped Pin Oak along U.S. Route 2…FarHillsRace2012FarHillsRaceFarHillsRace.20122012FarHillsRace.2012Leonard-j-buck-garden2009Leonard-j-buck-gardenHunt Food2008Hunt FoodCensus Bureau map of2008Census Bureau map ofMapALEXANDER AND JAMES LINN HOMESTEAD, SOMERSET COUNTY2007ALEXANDER AND JAMES LINN HOMESTEAD, SOMERSET COUNTYFar hills nj 0352005Far hills nj 035
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

On the Lackawanna near Far Hills, N.J
Retake this viewOn the Lackawanna near Far Hills, N.J, 1890

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Far Hills’ page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Far Hills

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1984
Far Hills Station
Far Hills StationAlexander and James Linn Homestead
Buildings
Far Hills StationBuilding
Alexander and James Linn HomesteadBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Far Hills, census by census

02004006008001,00019401960198020002020Peak: 924

Between 560 and 924 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Far Hills’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Far Hills

Nobody well known was born in Far Hills itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Peter DinklageAmerican actor · b. 1969
Laura PreponAmerican actress and director · b. 1980
Lee Van CleefAmerican actor · b. 1925
Linda HuntAmerican actress · b. 1945
John DiMaggioAmerican actor · b. 1968
Anna HarrisonFirst Lady of the United States from 1841 to 18… · b. 1775
Help out

Finish Far Hills’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewOn the Lackawanna near Far Hills, N.J: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Peapack and Gladstone2 historic placesBBernards Township11 historic placesA−Bedminster Township3 historic placesBBernardsville5 historic placesA−The HillsIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Far Hills’ history

What year was Far Hills founded?

The Far Hills post office opened in 1891, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1921.

What is on the National Register in Far Hills?

Two places: the Far Hills Station (listed 1984) and the Alexander and James Linn Homestead (1988).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (14), the Library of Congress (6), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.