At 7 tonight, Thursday, Nov. 12, the Mendham Township Library hosts "Our First Soldiers – Revolutionary War Veteran's Images" at 2 West Main Street. Nine days later, the Brookside Community Club opens its free Holiday Boutique at 1 East Main Street, across the road. Between now and Christmas, almost everything on Brookside's public calendar happens in one of these two buildings. The two calendars also overlap more than most people expect.
Brookside has no single big December night drawing everyone to the green. What it has is a weekly schedule: Thursday history talks, Saturday shopping, weekday craft sessions and a Sunday concert. All of it is free or close to it, and all of it is within a short walk of the corner of Main Street.
Two addresses, one calendar
The library side has changed the most. The Observer-Tribune reported that the library moved back into historic Mendham Town Hall after two years of renovations. The paper describes added windows in the program area, reading nooks and study spaces, a new children's room, and a patio for programs and meetings. Programs now use two floors of Town Hall. The library's own calendar places toddler sessions and the Tuesday chair yoga class in the Town Hall Meeting Room, upstairs from the library.
The Brookside Community Club is the older institution, with more than 100 years behind it. It's a nonprofit owned by its members and run by an unpaid board elected each year, and rental fees and member dues cover its operating costs. Membership is limited to Mendham Township residents. The Club lists its hours as 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and the building can be reserved.
The two calendars overlap in December. The library's gingerbread house sessions on Dec. 2 and 3 are listed on the library calendar but held across the street at the Club. A family that follows only one building's schedule will miss part of the other's.
Thursday nights at 7 carry the season
The library's Local History Lecture Series is the most regular part of the calendar, and its December topics are close to home. Tonight's veterans' images program fits the pattern, and the evening talks continue into December:
- Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m.: "Washington Crossing the Delaware and The Battle of Trenton," part of the library's America 250 programming, on the Ten Crucial Days campaign of 1776.
- Thursday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m.: "The History of Troop 1 – Mendham," on the Boy Scouts of America troop founded in 1935 by William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, whose ideas the library describes as a foundation of Scouting in America.
- Thursday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.: "The History of Patriots' Path," presented by Sam Tolley, vice chair of the Mendham Township Historic Preservation Committee, and John Mallon, chair of the Mendham Wildlife Management Committee.
These talks are about places a resident can visit the next morning. The Patriots' Path program is presented by two people who serve on township committees, so it covers ground they deal with in their township roles. The library's calendar says all events are free and open to the public, with registration where noted.
The November weekends lead up to the Club's Saturday
Before the boutique, the library runs weekend craft and history programs. The Patch Mendham-Chester calendar lists:
- A Lace Making Workshop at noon on Saturday, Nov. 14
- A History Gaming Series session on the WWII D-Day battle at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15
- A Scherenschnitte workshop at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17
All three are at 2 West Main Street. Scherenschnitte is the old craft of decorative paper cutting, which makes it an easy match for handmade holiday gifts.
The Club's turn comes on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Brookside Holiday Boutique runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with free admission. The Club describes it as an annual sale of handmade gifts and holiday treasures that supports the community.
December, building by building
December is the busiest month, and the two buildings take turns. Here's the schedule in date order, with registration openings where the library lists them:
| Date | Event | Where | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Dec. 2, 4 p.m. | Gingerbread Houses | Brookside Community Club, 1 E Main St. | Not listed |
| Thu., Dec. 3, 4 p.m. | Gingerbread Houses | Brookside Community Club, 1 E Main St. | Not listed |
| Sun., Dec. 6, 2–4 p.m. | Special Needs Day: Gingerbread Houses | Library, 2 W Main St. | Opened Nov. 6 |
| Mon., Dec. 7, 1 p.m. | Holiday Glass Plate Painting Workshop | Library, 2 W Main St. | Opened Nov. 7 |
| Fri., Dec. 11, 3:30–4:45 p.m. | Friday's Unplugged: Make a Gingerbread House, middle school only | Library, 2 W Main St. | Opened Nov. 11 |
| Sun., Dec. 13, 2 p.m. | Jersey Jubilation Handbell Choir Holiday Concert | Library, 2 W Main St. | Not listed |
| Mon., Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m. | Sound Bath Experience | Library, 2 W Main St. | Not listed |
As of today, Nov. 12, registration is open for all three sessions that require it. The Dec. 6 session is for children of all ages who need a quieter setting, held in the library itself. The glass plate workshop is led by New Jersey artist Susan Scarince-Jones, and participants paint holiday designs on glass plates. The library describes the handbell concert as a performance by Jersey Jubilation, an advanced community handbell ensemble that has performed since 2004.
The library's year ends earlier than many people plan for. It's closed Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 24 to 26, and again on Thursday, Dec. 31. If you want a last craft session or a quiet place to read before the holidays, Dec. 23 is the last open day before Christmas.
From the Troop 1 talk to the trails at Schiff
The Dec. 3 Scouting talk also links to the main outdoor space nearby. Schiff Nature Preserve protects about 780 acres with 12 miles of marked trails. It lists Revolutionary-period artifacts and Depression-era buildings put up by the Boy Scouts of America among its history. After the Troop 1 talk, those buildings are worth a weekend walk.
Schiff also has events of its own this month. Its events page lists:
- A Full Moon Hike on Nov. 22
- A Singing Bowl Meditation on Nov. 27
- A Volunteer Stewardship Day on Nov. 28
The Full Moon Hike falls the day after the boutique, so you can fit in Main Street on Saturday and the trails on Sunday.
Before heading out on the trails, check one notice. Schiff's homepage says its deer management season runs from Sept. 9, 2026, to Feb. 20, 2027, and asks visitors to "plan accordingly." That covers the whole holiday season and more, so check the preserve's site before a winter hike.
Schedules can change, so confirm dates and register through the library calendar and the Club's site before you go.
Many Mendham Township homes have their own history, as Town Hall does. Bonnie and Greg take that history into account in every valuation. At Bonnie & Greg, we pay attention to the Brookside details that shape what a house is worth. If you're curious about yours this season, get your instant home valuation and we'll follow up with a local read on the numbers.
