In Mendham Township streams tumble through hilly landscapes of historic homes and winding tree-lined roads. Try to imagine these hills and valleys as they existed 250 years ago. Listen to the buzz of sawmills, the bang of trip-hammers, the clang of anvils, and the hum of textile factories as they echo off the hills and resound through the valleys. These and similar industries were the foundation of Mendham Township’s colonial economy.
The first settlers were attracted to Mendham Township by the abundance of natural resources. Here they found water to power factories, trees for fuel, and rich deposits of ore. By 1748 the area housed iron forges, sawmills, and a gristmill along the North Branch of the Raritan River. This early settlement became known as Ralston, after the enterprising Ralston family.
Despite the present-day transformation from a rural farming community to a residential suburb, Mendham Township retains its early character through its carefully preserved homes, farm buildings, and villages. These are living remnants of the township’s past. Here people worked where they lived in a natural setting, away from the "dark satanic mills" of the big city, pursuing economic independence - a portrait of Americana.
Mendham Township today has an area of 17.8 square miles in the south central portion of Morris County. It is part of the Greater New York- New Jersey metropolitan area, located approximately 35 miles west of New York City and 28 miles northwest of Newark. Philadelphia is approximately 80 miles to the southwest.
Mendham Township enjoys convenient access to major highways through routes in northern New Jersey, including Routes 24, 287, 80, 202, and 206.This page uses frames, your stone-aged browser does not support frames. Search Index - The Mendhams