Back in the early l970s, when the Historical Society attempted vainly to save the Herlich house, it received a letter about life in Warren in the early l900s. The author, whose name was not recorded but who was related to the Bornmann family, obviously cherished her childhood memories: "As a small child, I can remember visiting my aunt's [my father's sister, Kate Newmiller] farm in Warrenville between l908 and l915. This house stood where the [Warrenville] Tavern is now at the corner of Mt. Bethel Rd. and Mountain Boulevard. This house was built prior to 1847 by Daniel Bornmann, and was adjacent to the Herlich house. My cousins, along with neighboring children, attended the one-room schoolhouse, which has been converted to a home and stands on Mt. Bethel Rd. a short distance up the road to the [north] of the present Tavern. My aunt was the wife of Daniel Bornmann's son, John Bornmann, who raised his family on this property. Daniel's daughter, Lizzie, followed her father's role of Postmaster of the Warrenville Post Office, which was in the General Store, attached to the farmhouse. Prior to the building of a post office in Plainfield, Miss Lizzie Bornmann herself, or someone sent by her, would go by horse and buggy once a week to Elizabeth to pick up the mail, which would be sorted into cubby holes where the people would pick it up when they came to the General Store. Besides having the General Store and farm, John Bornmann and his father before him peddled items to farmhouses by horse and wagon, carrying items such as vinegar, cider, staples, household items, etc., including diaper material, and many times this particular item was left free of charge when it was felt this was needed but funds were low! I understand that the area butchers (Mundy included) also peddled meat to the farmhouses by horse and buggy. The Bornmann farm and General Store were torn down about l916 after being vacated by the family a year or so before when they moved to North Plainfield. Across the street from the General Store was the Howard Toms family. Their house was afterward moved to the east side of the present Tavern. Mr. Toms made wagon wheels, was a barber and also the undertaker.... Many homes were either torn down or moved when the Hofheimer family bought much property in the area. Dances and social activities were held in what is now the King George Inn, and in [its] barroom at present is a wall-poster advertising a social event, tickets for which could be purchased from various people, one of which was Miss Lizzie Bornmann, at the Post Office. I can remember summers when visiting, being driven by horse and wagon filled with cousins, to picnics at Washington Rock, and we went by way of what is now Warrenville Road.... To get to the farm from the east end of Plainfield where I lived, we took a trolley to the center of Plainfield, transferred to one which took us to the end of the line, corner of Somerset Street and Interhaven Ave., North Plainfield, where we were met by someone from the farm with a buggy. It seemed a long journey, but well worth the visit with cousins, and the love and warmth there, not to mention the homemade bread and homegrown stewed tomatoes. I also remember being allowed to choose penny candy from the big glass case in the store. |