# Brookside, New Jersey

Brookside (once called Waterstreet) is a historic unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Mendham Township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) west of Morristown, the county seat.
In the Forbes magazine 2009 ranking of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the United States, Brookside was ranked as the 10th most expensive in the country, with its median home sale price of $3,121,115.
It was first listed as a CDP in 2020 census with a population of 1,767.

## History

The settlement appeared on maps as early as 1777. A portion of the Patriots' Path, the trail George Washington and his troops marched on, runs through Brookside's woods along the Whippany River. Brookside was noted as a postal village in 1882. In 1883, the population was 187.
The Brookside Post Office, which at one time was also a general store and gas station, is still the social hub of the village. Many residents stop there daily to collect their mail.
In 1898, the Brookside Union Chapel was built and dedicated the following year. In its infancy it was served by ministers from area churches. By 1929, the Brookside Union Chapel was renamed the Brookside Community Church. The church was later destroyed in a fire in December 1942. A new church was dedicated in 1948.
In the early 1920s Benjamin Natkins, a local entrepreneur, wanted to eradicate Brookside's industrial past. He removed the old mills and structures, creating a residential village by both renovating homes and building new ones.
In 1923, Frederick Garrabrant Kiser opened the Community Club of Brookside after moving a derelict schoolhouse across the Whippany River in Brookside Center. Rental space was available. The Community Club of Brookside was founded and continues to serve Mendham residents.
Along with the Combs Hollow Historic District, in 1995 most of the village was registered in both the State and National Register of Historic Places as the Brookside Historic District.

## Historic district

The Brookside Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1996, for its significance in architecture, industry, and community development from 1780 to 1942. It includes 114 contributing buildings, six contributing structures, and eight contributing sites.

## Geography

Brookside is in southern Morris County, in the eastern part of Mendham Township. It is bordered to the west by Mendham Borough and to the east by Morris Township. New Jersey Route 24 (Mendham Road) forms the southern edge of the Brookside CDP, and leads west into Mendham and east to Morristown.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Brookside CDP has an area of 2.42 square miles (6.27 km$^2$), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km$^2$), or 0.58%, are water. The Whippany River, an east-flowing tributary of the Passaic River, runs through the center of Brookside. It is joined from the north by Harmony Brook in the center of town.

## Culture

The yearly "Brookside 4th of July" Parade, sponsored by the Community Club, has been a communal event since 1923. It includes floats made by community groups and families, a lawnmower brigade, fire departments and ambulance squads from all over the region, farm animals, a pooch parade, and both rock and marching bands. It starts at 9 am from the intersection of Dogwood Drive and Tingley Road, then down East Main Street to the Community Club Field where food, games, and activities for people of all ages await.
The Annual Clam Bake, sponsored by the Brookside Engine Company #1, is also held at the Community Club Field on the second Saturday in September. Other events and programs are often offered by the Mendham Township Library, located on the 1st floor of the municipal building on West Main Street in Brookside. The library website and bulletin board in town hall usually contain a list of events and contact information to RSVP.
A picture of the post office is featured on the first edition cover of American Pastoral.

## Demographics

Brookside first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.

### 2020 census

Brookside CDP, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2020 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 1,537 | 86.98% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 12 | 0.68% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 50 | 2.83% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 15 | 0.85% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 72 | 4.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 81 | 4.58% |
| Total | 1,767 | 100.00% |
As of the 2010 United States Census, the 07926 ZIP Code Tabulation Area for Brookside had a population of 120.

## Education

Mendham Township Public Schools are located in Brookside.

## Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Brookside include:
* Peter Dinklage (born 1969), actor and film producer
* Alice Flaherty (born 1963), neurologist and writer
* Morris Frank (born 1908), cofounder of The Seeing Eye, the first guide-dog school in the United States
* Stewart G. Pollock (born 1933), Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey from 1979 to 1999