Historical Society of Boonton Township
Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History
The Blue Tour
Saturday, May 6, 2023
12pm to 5pm
Historical Society of Boonton Township
Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History
Event Information
- See the mysterious 1837 folk – face
- Enjoy photographs, documents, and exhibits highlighting Boonton Township history
- Learn about Oscar A. Kincaid, Jr.’s legacy Civil War era flag and its fascinating story
- See WWI exhibit featuring Harriet Lawshe Dixon’s WWI Red Cross Volunteer uniform
- See exhibit of farm implements at the Road Stand
- On-site parking is available.
In 1785, Adam Miller Jr. and Anna De Mouth Miller, his wife, built the earliest section of the second oldest frame building in Boonton Township. The house faces out as there was no designated road to the property when it was constructed.
John Decker, Oscar Kincaid Jr.’s great-great-grandfather, purchased the home and forge site in 1833 from owner William Scott. Decker added extensive acreage to the property and enlarged the original house in 1837 when the side-hall, main section was added. The addition’s most remarkable feature is the idiosyncratic portrait created in spiteful retaliation by a dismissed contractor. A unique example of naive and whimsical folk art, the “decoration” was never painted over and can still be seen today.
A small ice cream stand, built in the 1920’s by Oscar Kincaid Sr., is thought to be one of the oldest continually-running country stands in New Jersey. In 1938, Mr. Kincaid Sr. entered the dairy business and added a room and a large walk-in cooler. By 1944, the Kincaids had reverted to general farming and adopted the name “Valley Farm”. In 1980, the site received the prestigious “Century Farm Award” given by the New Jersey Agricultural Society, the oldest farm organization in the country.
