The land that is 685 Mt. Kemble Avenue in Harding Township was originally part of a 1,250-acre estate purchased by Peter Kemble in 1751. A portion of the estate was sold to Henry Hoyt, son of a prominent New York merchant, who built the original “Glen Alpin” house and named it Mt. Kemble. In 1885, it was sold to David McAlpin, a wealthy tobacco merchant, who made additions to the home and renamed it “Glen Alpin.” The “Glen Alpin” house was originally built in 1847 in the Gothic Revival architectural style. Gothic Revival architecture is an early version of Victorian architecture, with notable characteristics of gingerbread trim and steep gabled roofs.
The 262-acre property was subdivided and sold off over the years, 124 acres of which was donated to the US government and forms part of the Morristown National Park.
The original home sits on 9.57 acres at the corner of Tempe Wick Road and is owned by the Township of Harding. The Glen Alpin Conservancy will be holding a public open house on Sunday, September 12th from 2pm-4pm when you can view the architectural details that make this house a treasure worth preserving.
Further history on this home can be found at
www.hardingcivic.org.
Posted by: 
Nadine Gelinas-Coffey
Jockey Hollow Park (one of four areas which make up Morristown National Historical Park) is located west of Harding Township and east of Mendham. Visitors and local residents can visit the park and enjoy all it has to offer year-round. The main entrance is located off Tempe Wick Road which runs from Route 202 in Harding to Old Route 24 in Mendham.
A brief history is as follows: In the winters of 1777 and 1779-80, General George Washington and the Continental Army set up camp in the rolling hills south of Morristown. The location was advantageous for supply and communication routes, proximity to New York, good defensive positioning, and friendly citizens. The winter weather of 1779-1780 is viewed as one of the worst of its time, but fewer than 100 soldiers died due to the well-built huts (they had learned better building techniques since the Valley Forge experience in 1777) and inoculation against smallpox.
The first stop for visitors is the Jockey Hollow Visitors Center where they can see a video and experience a soldiers’ hut tour. Be sure to ask for a Junior Ranger Handbook so your child can fully experience the visit! Continue on to the Wick House (headquarters of General Arthur St. Clair) and learn the history of Tempe Wick!
Locals enjoy the park for hiking and running. A full hike or run is about 4.5 miles around, but you can pick shorter paths! Even dogs seem to love the quiet serenity of the park and people always say “hello” as they pass you!
To find out more about this historical park, log on to www.nps.gov/morr.
Posted by: 
Mary Jane Benedetto
