Mosle Preserve, a new 120-acre recreation open space area in Mendham Township , will officially open to the public at 1 p.m. Sunday, October 4, 2009 . A short ceremony will be followed by games, food and festivities for all residents.

The scenic park property was originally the site of Mosle Manor, owned by the wealthy businessman George Mosle. Later, it became Mount St. John , home to the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, who for decades provided a variety of social services including an orphanage. The Sisters relocated and, wishing to preserve their historic and beautiful land, chose to sell it to Mendham Township to be preserved and used as open space.

Located on high ground in the southwest portion of the township, with some of the land in Peapack, it offers excellent views, woods, and recreational facilities. It adds multiple all-purpose fields to the township roster of active recreation facilities and will be the site of a Little League baseball field, pending renovation of an existing playing area. In addition, a new hiking trail has been cleared by the Mendham Township Environmental Commission for public use.

Opening ceremony for the new park

The opening ceremony will be hosted by the Mendham Township Open Space Trust Committee, acknowledging the many organizations that partnered with and contributed to the acquisition. These include the Mendham Township Committee, the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program, the Trust for Public Land , the Schiff Natural Lands Trust, the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, the Victoria Foundation, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Mendham Township provided $1,500,000 towards the $8,350,000 total cost, with the rest provided by the other partners to preserve the historic, environmental, and other features of the property.

An example of the value of open space

Open space in a community not only provides active and passive recreational facilities and hiking in beautiful natural areas, but also strengthens property values, controls property taxes compared with residential development, and preserves the environment including critical water recharge and quality. Partnerships such as the one that enabled the acquisition of the Mosle Preserve demonstrate how deeply shared the view is that protecting open space is important. Moreover, such partnerships make preservation very cost effective for residents and enhance the quality of life throughout the region.

Outdoor fun event

Following the opening ceremony, a free outdoor fun day will commence. Among the diversions will be children’s sporting demonstrations by the Mendham Township Recreation Commission and US Sports; a guided trail hike and talk; a bake sale and refreshment area with premium hot dogs (donated by Chester Meat Market) and barbecue “sloppy Joes”; local entertainment; and other activities. The event ends at 4 p.m.

Directions

The public should use the Mosle Preserve’s new entrance located on Carriage Hill Road near the intersection with Hunters Glen. Coming from Route 24/County 510/Mendham Road West, turn onto Roxiticus Road south opposite the Ralston General Store (go towards Peapack Gladstone); drive approximately 2.6 miles; turn left onto Hunters Glen and right onto Carriage Hill Road at the end of Hunters Glen.

For more information

Information about the event is posted on the Mendham Township web site (www.mendhamtownship.org), and at www.hikemendham.org.