Historic Happenings Blog

Saturday, March 28 – Somerset County Somerset County Historical Society in Partnership with the Manville Public Library Hosts Talk on Doris Duke     The Somerset County Historical Society is pleased to announce the second in this year’s series of History Talks.  Join us at the Manville Library, Saturday, March 28 at 2 PM for  an afternoon with local author Rikki Lyn Hauss-McCarthy as she discusses the lavish life of one of Somerset County's most famous residents, Doris Duke.    Ms. McCarthy will be chronicling Doris' life and the demolition of her New Jersey mansion. Her book  The Duchess of South Somerville , will be available for purchase. Local residents will have an opportunity to share their personal memories of the estate and the Lady.   Please RSVP by emailing the name and number of seats you will need to  info@somersethistorynj.org  or leaving a message at 908-218-1281.  

Sunday, May 5 – Somerset County Doris Duke Author Brings Socialite Inspiration to Bridgewater Historic Headquarters History Talk & Book Re-Issue Party Location: 9 Van Veghten Drive, Bridgewater NJ Date & Time: Sunday, May 5 th , 2019 @1:30pm    The Somerset County Historical Society is pleased to announce the third in its 2019 series of History Talks at the society’s headquarters in the Historic Van Veghten House. Ms. Rikki Lyn Hauss will share the story about  Doris Duke and the recent controversy over the demolition of her estate home in Hillsborough.    Ms. Hauss, a Hillsborough resident herself, fell in love with the Duke Estate as a teenager but didn’t discover the extraordinary woman who owned it until a few years later. An active member of the grassroots organization DORIS, she was involved on the front lines in the effort to save Duke’s historic mansion from the bulldozer. After the unsuccessful effort, she captured the dramat...

Tuesday, April 23 – Morris County     The Mendham Borough Historical Society meeting takes place on Tuesday, April 23,  at 1:30 PM  in the Garabrant Center, 4 Wilson Street, Borough. Following a brief business agenda,  Rikki Lyn Hauss presents “ The Doris Duke Story  –  The Duchess of South   Somerville. ”  The author leads us through exclusive exhibits from the hotly-debated demise of the Duke mansion in Hillsborough, offering a PowerPoint program with  photographs, artifacts, along with a comprehensive dialogue on Duke’s life and legacy (and its controversy) as seen through the eyes of former employees as well as candid friends and neighbors of the billionaire heiress. An interesting program in view of Mendham’s recent Pitney property.     Ms. Hauss is a graduate of Hillsborough HS, Rutgers U, and Arizona State U (MSW, LSW); the 2018 self-published book received three nominations for the 2018 Ind...