FAR HILLS, NEW JERSEY

'Far Hills' is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 859.
Far Hills was incorporated as a borough based on an Act of the New Jersey Legislature passed on April 7, 1921, from portions of Bernards Township, Subject to the results of a referendum held on May 12, 1921."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 223.

Contents

Geography

History

Demographics

Government

Federal, state and county representation

Education

Transportation

Points of interest

References

External links

Geography

Far Hills is located at (40.686872, -74.633400).
According to the United States Census Bureau, Far Hills has a total area of 12.7 km² (4.9 mi²). 12.6 km² (4.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.22%) is water.

History

Far Hills encompasses just five square miles in Somerset County, New Jersey, encircled by the equally upscale communities of Bedminster Township, Peapack-Gladstone, Bernards Township, and Bernardsville. It shares a public library, a community pool, athletic programs, civic organizations, and a school system with Bernardsville. It also shares a fire department and a first aid squad with neighboring Bedminster Township
Far Hills maintains the characteristic of its community through ten-acre minimum zoning laws, whereby large private properties and homes surround a small village, which was the creation of a wealthy New York businessman in the late 1800s. The beginning of rail service to nearby Bernardsville in 1870, opened the area to city people seeking a respite from the heat and hurry of urban life.
Anticipating the demand for country properties was, Evander H. Schley, a land developer and real estate broker from New York State. He bought several thousand acres of farmland, some of it sight unseen, in Bedminster and Bernards townships in the 1880s. One day in 1887, Schley's brother, Grant, and his wife, Elizabeth, arrived by horse-drawn carriage to see Evander's farms. Elizabeth is said to have remarked on the beautiful vista of the "far hills," thus giving the name to the place before a village was built.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 859 people, 368 households, and 253 families. The population density was 68.2/km² (176.8/mi²). There were 386 housing units at an average density of 30.7/km² (79.4/mi²). The racial makeup was 96.04% White, 0.81% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.10% Asian, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.
There were 368 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.76.
The population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household was $112,817, and the median income for a family was $149,095. Males had a median income of $90,000 versus $46,607 for females. The per capita income was $81,535. About 0.8% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Federal, state and county representation

Far Hills is in the 'Seventh Congressional District' and is part of the 'New Jersey 16th Legislative District'.^[1]

Education

Students in grades K - 12 attend the schools of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a regional school district serving students from Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone. For grades 9 through 12, students from Bedminster are sent to the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The three schools in the district, all located in Bernardsville, are Bedwell Elementary School (K - 4), Bernardsville Middle School (5 - 8) and Bernards High School (9 - 12).
Far Hills Country Day School is a private, nonsectarian coeducational day school located in Far Hills, serving students in nursery through eighth grade on a fifty-five acre campus. The school has a total enrollment of 429 students

Transportation

The Far Hills train station is a New Jersey Transit station on the Gladstone Branch of the Morristown Line; the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The station is located at U.S. Route 202, near the intersection of Far Hills Road, one half mile east of U.S. Route 206. The station offers service via the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station or to Hoboken Terminal.

Points of interest

★ The Leonard J. Buck Garden (thirty-three acres) is a public botanical garden operated by the Somerset County Park Commission, and located at 11 Layton Road. It is open daily; a small fee is requested.

★ Natirar is an estate spanning 491 acres (2 km²) in Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone and Bedminster, New Jersey. It was recently transferred from the estate of His Majesty, Hassan II, late King of Morocco, to a private, non-profit Natirar Association.

★ The United States Golf Association is headquartered in Far Hills. The U.S. Golf Association Museum and Library is located on the premises.

★ From 2000 through 2005 the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase returned to the '''Far Hills Races''' after a hiatus of six years. Known for the highest prize money of a steeplechase in America, the purse for the Breeders' Cup winner may be as large as $250,000 and it may draw as many as 45,000 spectators. Several races are scheduled by Far Hills Race Meeting Association in late October of each year. Considered one of the premier social events of the year in the tri-state area, it is attended by as many as 20,000 people annually.

References

1. League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 57, accessed August 30, 2006

External links

★ Somerset County information page for Far Hills

★ Somerset Hills School District

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★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Somerset Hills School District

★ The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills