Randolph History

The footings of a town traced back to 18th century. It by no means looks the same as it once did.

Randolph's history is long and has had its foundations traced back to the the earliest known inhabitants, the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. It was later then taken over by Europeans settlers known as the Quakers. One of those settlers was Hartshorne Fitz-Randolph, who purchased 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of what would become the township in the Mine Hill area in 1753. He, if it was not apparent, would later become the namesake of the township. The first iron mine in New Jersey was established in Randolph in 1713, which for many hundreds of years the mines fostered the development of the township as it provided the raw materials needed for making weapons that were used by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Randolph was actually a supply point for George Washington’s army during a winter encampment in Jockey Hollow.

Randolph's Start to Today:

On January 1, 1806 Randolph was incorporated as a township from portions of Mendham Township. On April 1, 1869, portions of the township were taken to create Dover Town within the township, which became an independent municipality as of March 5, 1896. There were also many other portions taken such as on June 26 1895 which created modern day Wharton, March 2, 1923 to create Mine Hill Township and on June 20, 1951 to create Victory Gardens.

In the early 20th century Randolph was a vacation haven, known for its woods, ponds, lakes and air and during and through the 1950s, farms, large hotels and bungalow colonies dotted the community. Randolph had even attracted the presence of some prominent performers such as Frank Sinatra and Phil Silvers and many boxers like Floyd Patterson, James J. Braddock, Max Baer and Rocky Marciano.

Randolph is still home to many historical sights. Though the town has changed greatly over its long history there are still plenty of locations with major historical values.

Randolph Museum:

Opened in 1988 the Randolph Museum once used to be housed in a two-family summer cottage that was one of Randolph’s forty-five bungalow colonies. These colonies were popular summer vacation destinations during the township’s resort era that began as early as 1905 and lasted through the 1960s. However, in the summer of 2005, the museum completed its move to the Brundage House, a circa 1867 building at the gateway to Freedom Park which it is still housed in today.

Shongum Lake:

In 1879 Shongum Lake became a recreation area when “a number of prominent gentlemen of piscatorial proclivities” formed The Shongum Club. The lake was regularly stocked with fish and was noted for its abundance of bass, perch, pickerel, and bluegills. The club, using the present SLPOA clubhouse, became a gathering place for prominent politicians, who signed their names in the club register, which is now the property of the Morristown / Morris Township Public Library.

Randolph used to be filled with farms but as the town has changed the number of operational farms has dwindled. Though, there are still some in town with historic roots here that everyone should go see.

Knothe's Farm:

Since 1917 Knothe's Farm has been family owned and operated. It started out as a dairy and produce farm, a mobile farmers market supplied the local area with vegetables, milk, eggs, and honey from Grandma Knothe's bee hives. As time passed throughout the decades, our focus shifted to seasonal flowers and Christmas trees, while we still sell Jersey Fresh produce like sweet corn and tomatoes.

Miller Hill Farm:

Miller’s Hill Farm has been open since January of 1924. They focused on the production of dairy for the first decade or so but in the 1940’s they closed their creamery and began to focus on beef, hay and egg production. In the 1970’s the farm was passed on to the Miller’s eldest daughter and during this time the youngest of the Miller children came home to help expand the production of vegetables. This led to in the 1990’s the blacksmith shop to be converted into a produce market. Currently Miller’s Hill Farm is a preserved farm. The original barn still stands, though it has been updated and restored and they have expanded into also providing wholesale vegetables to local restaurants. The farm has even expanded further to not just produce vegetables, beef, pork and eggs but also Christmas trees, pumpkin hayrides and education tours.

Home:

Today, Randolph is a place many people call home, from those whose families have been here for generations to ones who are just starting their journey here. Though, most do not know just how much history still lives alongside them. Many people have not stopped to take a gander at the historic architecture or ask those around them really just what Randolph used to be like. So, if you ever have a chance, take a look around and you may just be surprised to see all those little things you have missed and who know, you might even learn something.