Join us as the National Society of Arts and Letters hosts author and lecturer Barry Thomson. He will speak about the historic Blairsden estate and The Schiff Nature Preserve as well as their upcoming ‘Farm to Table’ event. Peapack-Gladstone’s Blairsden and Mendham’s Schiff Nature Preserve share several historical and physical connections. Both properties were originally developed as grand estates during the “Country House Era” by socially connected, prominent families and both are situated along the North Branch of the Raritan River. Thomson was a contributor to New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills (Mountain Colony Press, 2005), and he will talk about Blairsden’s architectural and historical relevance. For more info on the topics of this event visit: https://www.schiffnaturepreserve.org/farm-to-table.cfm

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https://www.arts-nsal.org/
Our speaker: After leaving a corporate career in New York, Barry Thomson has been engaged with many architectural and local history projects and organizations and is an author and frequent lecturer on those topics. Born and raised in Peapack-Gladstone where his family has deep roots, Thomson received his undergraduate education at Drew University and later studied architecture and urban planning at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He has worked with The Mansion in May, The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills and The Arc of NJ among other groups and charities.