About Vernon Chamber of Commerce
Vernon Chamber of Commerce
The Vernon NJ Chamber of Commerce is the collective voice of area businesses. It gives us strength and influence when advocating important positions on issues at all levels of government local, county and state. The Chamber serves as a watchdog for business interests and constantly keeps an eye on issues that affect or could affect your business.
9th Annual Vernon Street Fair
Street Fair
September 9, 2023
11:00am - 3:00pm
Join us for the vibrant and exciting Annual Vernon Street Fair! Discover a day filled with fun, entertainment, and community spirit. From delectable food stalls to local artisans showcasing their unique crafts, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Delight in live music, thrilling performances, and engaging activities for the whole family. Mark your calendars for a memorable day of celebration and togetherness on Vernon Street. We can't wait to see you there!
About Vernon
A Thriving Community
Located in the rolling hills of Sussex County, there lives more than 24,000 people who call Vernon Township their home. Many more people pass through Vernon each year, be it for a day long getaway or to follow the path of the Appalachian Trail. The independent township of Vernon was established on November 19, 1792. The 68 square miles which marked the town's borders over 200 years ago have not changed since. However, the population of Vernon, which as a mere 1548 people as recently as 1950, has steadily grown since the 1960's, when the ski industry was introduced to the area. Today, the town's 5,451 students make it the largest school system in Sussex County. (Photo: Appalachian Trail: Bob Breese/breesepix.com)
Historical Excerpts
On April 19, 2009 the Vernon Township Historical Society held a dedication for the new historic marker at High Breeze Farm on Barrett Road. The historic marker for this important landmark, which is on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places site was purchased through donations by the VanDien family, relatives of the Barretts who owned High Breeze Farm; the Myrtle Hanke Fund, a memorial fund set up for the beloved late trustee and curator of the Society; and by the society.
- Hi Breeze Farm
St. Thomas Episcopal Church was founded in 1847 and is the oldest church structure in Vernon Township. It is a quaint church that sits below Route 94 on the southbound lane in Vernon, NJ. It is a board-and-batten construction with a belfry that is mounted at the rear of the building. The church’s design is Carpenter or Rural Gothic. The congregation was incorporated a year after it was built. It sits near a cemetery, vicarage, parish house, and a new St. Thomas Church.
- St. Thomas Church
Friends of Wawayanda State Park, an Officially Recognized “Friends” Organization (ORFO) of the state, is a sister organization of the Vernon Township Historical Society. All members of the Society are members of “Friends.” The official purpose of the Friends of Wawayanda State Park is to restore, preserve, and promote historical and cultural resources in our state park, such as the Wawayanda Iron Furnace, High Breeze Farm, and the Black Creek Site. We have several events each year to raise funds for that purpose.
- Friends of Wawayanda State Park
The Black Creek Site in Vernon Township is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. The site is one of only three Native American sites in New Jersey listed on the historic registers.More than 6,000 artifacts dating back 10,000 years were found at the Black Creek Site. These artifacts represent the Early Archaic to the Late Woodland Periods.The Nanticoke Lenni Lenape Indians of New Jersey joined efforts with local residents to nominate and preserve the Black Creek Site.
- Black Creek Site
VERNON NJ HISTORY
Vernon Township's destiny has always been shaped by its geography. On the east are the rough and rugged Wawayanda and Hamburg Mountains. To the west is Pochuck Mountain and beyond lie the Wallkill River and meadowlands. Between the two lies narrow but fertile Vernon Valley. This geography is a product of the last ice age when a mile-thick glacier plowed over Vernon.
As told by Richard M. Stevens of Greendell
So join me, if you care to, for a seat-of-the-pants, completely idiosyncratic barnstorming tour of historic Vernon Village--some old, some new, some long-gone, with the caution that far more research needs to be done to fully understand the history of the sites herein mentioned. Sources for this include: a 1920 newspaper article by Henry B. DeKay, giving his recollections of Vernon Village going back into the 1850s; the 1860 Map of Sussex County; aerial surveys, and a plotting of historic deeds in the village.
