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Ramsey
,
New Jersey
is situated in
Northeast New Jersey
. The borough was officially founded in 1908. Ramsey
spans 5.9 square miles. Located in the northern portion of
Bergen County
,
New Jersey
, Ramsey is based at the foothills of the
Ramapo
Mountains
. A devastating fire in 1921 significantly changed the look of
Ramsey, but it was rebuilt rapidly and its redevelopment style still
exists today.
Ramsey’s
existence dates back to pre-Revolutionary times. It is known
that the first settlers were primarily Dutch, English, Scottish, and
German. Ownership of the borough traces back to William Penn
and Englishmen Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley. Local
landowners have occupied portions of the town since the 1740’s.
In the mid 1780’s, Abraham Dater opened a gristmill in town,
bringing new recognition to the area. Mary Ramsey purchased
land along today’s
Darlington Avenue
in 1791. In 1848, Peter Ramsey sold a portion of his
family’s land to the Paterson/Ramapo Railroad for a right of way
and station to be constructed. The train station became the
catalyst for development. Ramsey grew up around the station,
creating a historic connection between the town and railroad.
Main Street
was then established to bisect the railroad tracks and serve as the
hub of commerce for the local area. It was home to hotels,
general and specialty stores, blacksmith shops, etc.
Main Street
quickly became the center of rural life, especially once it was
paved in 1921. The private Ramsey Golf and Country Club exists
over 220 acres and includes 550 homes. The main clubhouse,
“The Abbey”, dates back to the early 1900’s, when it was
referred to as “
Arlena
Towers
”. In 1935, the National Better Lawns and Gardens
Association declared
Arlena
Towers
the most beautiful estate in
America
. The country club is located on Freeman’s
Lake
, part of Freeman’s Farm, until the farm was sold in 1940 to allow
for the construction of the residential community.
Ramsey is home to
a superior school system, which over the years, has been recognized
on city, state, and national levels. There are two K-3 primary
schools: Wesley D. Tisdale (built 1952) and John Y. Dater (1912),
one 4-5 upper elementary school: Eric S. Smith (1968), and
Ramsey
High School
(1936). Dater school once served as the region’s high school
because of its central location at the time. Once the
population began expanding, a new site was chosen to built a larger
high school. The
Ramsey
School District
accepts students in grades 6-12 from neighboring
Saddle
River
. A private primary/middle school is also located in town: St.
Paul’s Roman Catholic Interparochial school, and one private Roman
Catholic all-boys high school: Don Bosco Preparatory school.
Don Bosco was founded in 1915 by the Salesian Fathers and Brothers.
There is also a small college situated in Ramsey: The Ho-Ho-Kus
School, specializing in business and medical sciences.
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