Frelinghuysen Fields

Farmed for centuries, these fields have remained a cherished Harding Township vista while much open cropland has disappeared. In 1999, Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen conveyed to the Harding Land Trust nearly 100 acres of open fields on both sides of James Street through outright donation, conservation easements and “bargain sales.”

In 2013, the Harding Land Trust purchased the final acreage from the Frelinghuysen family. The New Jersey Green Acres program, The Morris County Preservation Trust, and Township of Harding and private donors assisted the Harding Land Trust in making this acquisition.

The Harding Land Trust continues to grow hay on 24 acres of this property to support local equine operations. The hayfields are not harvested until mid-July to allow grassland nesting birds to fledge.

The property also contains wet meadow, forested wetlands, and warm season grassland. These warm season grasses serve to protect and attract species of upland ground-nesting birds. The property’s natural features are part of a complex of habitats that play an important role in the diversity of the region.