Named for the island of Jersey in the English Channel and granted statehood in 1787, New Jersey is renowned as the “Crossroads of the American Revolution” for experiencing more battles and skirmishes than anywhere else during the fight for independence. Less well known is that Joseph Bonaparte settled near Bordentown, N.J., in 1817, banished from France along with the Bonaparte clan after his brother Napoleon’s wanton devastation of Europe.
From the first virtually complete dinosaur skeleton unearthed in North America (Haddonfield, 1858) to America’s first movie studio (Thomas Edison’s “Kinetographic Theater” in East Orange, 1892), New Jersey claims a number of historic distinctions. Those that live on—like Atlantic City’s iconic Boardwalk, opened in 1870 and at six miles long still the world’s oldest and longest such attraction—serve as vital pathways to the past.
Like the heirloom fruits and vegetables that keep New Jersey’s “Garden State” moniker fresh year after year, the following eight heritage venues are ripe for authentic, memorable gatherings.
KNIFE & FORK INN, ATLANTIC CITY
Atlantic City’s second-oldest restaurant combines high-quality food and service with an experience of authentic local history. Established in 1912 by then Mayor William Riddle and his cronies as an exclusive men’s drinking and dining club, the inn became a Prohibition-era watering hole. Regulars included Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the velvet-fisted political boss of the day and central character in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire TV series. (An episode was filmed at the inn).
Irresistibly evocative of those times, the inn offers five separate rooms for private events. The deal to bring legalized gambling to Atlantic City was signed in the intimate Pageant Room, while the 60-seat Main Dining Room features original vaulted ceilings, leaded glass windows and the infamous banquettes where liquor was once stored.
“There are many great meeting and event spaces in Atlantic City, but Knife & Fork is truly unique,” says Maureen Shay Dougherty, co-owner with her husband Frank. “Where else can you dine while seated on banquettes used to hide bootlegged whiskey during Prohibition?
The Dougherty family also owns Atlantic City’s oldest restaurant, Dock’s Oyster House (1897), and Harry’s Oyster Bar at Bally’s Park Place, opened last year.PageBreak
NASSAU INN, PRINCETON
First established as the Nassau Tavern in 1756 and then as the College Inn in 1759, this landmark in the heart of Princeton’s Palmer Square, rebuilt in the 1930s as the Nassau Inn, has lasting fame as one of America’s most significant meeting places.
In 1775, delegates en route to the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia overnighted here, as did the Philadelphia-bound signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. As Princeton changed hands during the war, officers from both sides sojourned at the inn, while the Continental Congress celebrated here at the war’s end in 1783.
Today’s delegates can look forward to a fully revitalized inn, which just completed a comprehensive two-year refresh. The project included the transformation of 203 colonial guest rooms into 188 modernized guest rooms, and updates of 14 group spaces, including high-tech upgrades to the redesigned Prince William Ballroom. The historic Yankee Doodle Tap Room, with its famous 13-foot long Norman Rockwell mural behind the bar, now features an inviting outdoor patio.
“We are thrilled with the transformation and have enjoyed showcasing the completed results,” says Lori Rabon, Nassau Inn’s general manager. “Every detail has been carefully selected to ensure we provide our guests the best experience possible.”
NAS WILDWOOD AVIATION MUSEUM, CAPE MAY AIRPORT
Commissioned on April 1, 1943, Naval Air Station (NAS) Wildwood was a prominent dive-bomber training base for thousands of U.S. Navy airmen during World War II. Located at Cape May Airport on a peninsula bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, the site was an ideal spot for over-water practice bombing runs.
While few of the base’s original 126 buildings remain, Hangar #1, registered as both a national and state historic landmark, now serves as a museum. Restored to its original appearance, the 92,000-square-foot facility provides authentic flights of imagination back to the 1940s wartime era.
“Our unique facility is one of the largest all-wood aviation hangars in the U.S.,” says Bruce Fournier, the museum’s deputy director. “From fundraisers to weddings to group tours, there is something here for everyone.”
Open year-round, the facility houses restored warbirds and other exhibits, while also hosting air shows and other events.
“Our hands-on interactions are especially popular,” Fournier says. “Kids can hop in the cockpit of a historic plane or climb the former Bader Field (Atlantic City) control tower.” PageBreak
CHIMNEY HILL ESTATE, LAMBERTVILLE
Originally a two-story farmhouse built in 1820, this intimate country inn sits on a wooded hilltop close to where George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River in the winter of 1776, en route to their surprise rout of the Hessian Army at Trenton.
Expanded in 1927, the fieldstone estate house offers eight rooms, while the renovated post-and-beam barn holds five suites with lofted bedrooms and two-person Jacuzzis. Ideal for intimate business gatherings—the property is routinely booked by area financial and pharma companies—Chimney Hill’s versatile, Wi-Fi-connected space includes the eight-person Stone Room in the main house, a 16-person boardroom in the barn, and a stone carriage house accommodating up to 50 attendees.
“Our unique private location creates the perfect environment for creative and productive meetings,” says Richard Anderson, co-innkeeper with his wife Terry. Enhancing the estate’s sanctuary-like appeal are eight-plus acres of lawns, gardens and woods, along with the couple’s small herd of alpacas. The Andersons themselves have interesting histories: Terry was the first-ever female firefighter for Exxon, while Rich once led the crisis management program for a global pharmaceutical company.
THOMAS EDISON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, WEST ORANGE
The youngest of seven children, Ohio-born Thomas Edison (1847-1931) was America’s most prolific inventor and entrepreneur. Largely self-taught, he created his first invention in 1869, an improved stock ticker, at the age of 22.
Founding his first laboratory in Newark, N.J., (1870) followed by an expanded facility in Menlo Park, N.J. (1876), Edison earned a record-setting 1,093 individual patents over his lifetime. His creations included the light bulb, phonograph, motion picture camera and alkaline storage battery. In 1880, “the Wizard of Menlo Park” founded the Edison Illuminating Company to deliver electricity on a mass scale—later to become General Electric.
The first-ever facility dedicated to the “business of inventing,” his West Orange, N.J., laboratory complex, opened in 1887, stands today as an enthralling museum experience featuring 14 historic structures, including six built in 1887.
“Edison’s spirit of innovation has attracted a number of corporate groups to the park,” says Theresa Jung, assistant superintendent. “Executive teams have scheduled meetings with private guided tours at the complex, while corporate leaders have planned team-building visits with guided tours that focus on Edison’s research and development methodology.”
Nearby, Glenmont, Edison’s historic mansion-estate, is open for tours and outdoor tented events. PageBreak
THE MANSION AT BRETTON WOODS, MORRIS PLAINS
Built in 1894 by renowned financier Oscar Coles Ferris and his wife Louise, this historic property, originally known as the Ferris House, was modeled after George Washington’s headquarters, formerly the Ford Mansion, in nearby Morristown. The mansion was subsequently renamed in honor of the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference of 1944, also known as the Bretton Woods Conference, which established gold as the world’s monetary standard.
“Bretton Woods is ideal for intimate meetings of between 30 and 60 people who wish to brainstorm far from the noise and activity of a larger, more commercial setting, as well as larger conferences of 100 or more,” says Earl Freeman, the mansion’s director.
Surrounded by lush gardens and expansive lawns, the property is a distinctive retreat for weddings and exclusive social and corporate events, enhanced by “gold standard” service and authentic colonial charm. As elegant as their evocative names suggests, flexible spaces for intimate gatherings include the Peach, Rose and Emerald rooms, with the Ballroom and its salons providing versatile options for larger gatherings.
OLDE MILL INN AND GRAIN HOUSE RESTAURANT, BASKING RIDGE
Few structures can boast the lineage of the Grain House Restaurant. Constructed in 1768, this former barn, built to accompany a water-powered gristmill, reportedly housed grain that fed the Continental Army, camped nearby, during the bitter winter of 1779.
Finding the barn still standing in 1929, William Childs, a pioneering restaurateur of the day, relocated the worn structure and converted it into a hotel, faithfully restoring and preserving its original architecture. Known as the Olde Mill Inn, it eventually became the Grain House Restaurant, accompanying a new hotel carrying its name built next door.
A perennial favorite for social gatherings and weddings, the 102-room inn, with more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space in 18 private rooms, and the event-capable restaurant are also a magnetic pair for corporate gatherings in this Fortune 500-rich part of central New Jersey.
“Combining historic ambience with modern amenities, The Olde Mill Inn offers flexible indoor and outdoor space for all types of events, with exceptional cuisine just steps away at the Grain House Restaurant and the Coppertop Pub,” says Sheila Palka, the property’s marketing director.
REEVES-REED ARBORETUM, SUMMIT
Formerly a Lenni-Lenape Native American thoroughfare and then Revolutionary War-era farm, this verdant oasis became the country estate of John Hornor Wisner in 1889. To complement their Colonial Revival mansion, Wisner and his wife commissioned Calvert Vaux—partner of Frederick Law Olmsted in the creation of Central Park and other iconic landscapes—to develop the surrounding gardens. Planting daffodils, azaleas, roses and other flora, first the Wisners and then successive owners created flower, herb and lily gardens that make these grounds such a pleasant retreat today. Each April, Daffodil Day is a signature event at the property, featuring a dazzling display of 40,000 daffodils in bloom.
Covering some 13 acres, the Wisner House and Arboretum, within easy reach of New York City and New Jersey locales, are available for a wide range of gatherings, from corporate events and client dinners to parties and weddings. With amenities including wireless access in the building and gardens, audiovisual equipment, breakout rooms and seasonal outdoor spaces, the property’s enchanting settings include the Azalea Garden and upper lawn, offering charming vistas of the arboretum. PageBreak
Regular Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman has his own brief history in New Jersey, once living in the Garden State for five years.
