Connie McNamara

A History of Mountainside, 1945-2007 Connie McNamara

Bordered by the Watchung ridges, Mountainside's picturesque four square miles afford a parklike setting in the midst of exurban activity. Author Connie McNamara provides a comprehensive look at this tight-knit community that prides itself on its bucolic surroundings and its caring and cohesiveness. She recounts anecdotes, passed on by town elders, of Mountainside's prestigious historic architecture, the establishment of the nationally renowned Children's Specialized Hospital and the Badgley House, where Revolutionary residents concealed their valuables from the British. Longtime Mountainsiders candidly recall the 1987 tornado, the 1995 centennial celebration and the galvanizing day in 1985 when the historic Hetfield House was moved down Route 22. Produced in collaboration with the Mountainside Historic Preservation Committee, A History of Mountainside unveils the extraordinary character of this beloved New Jersey town.