Film Screening Offers Glimpse into Glen Rock History

For the Borough of Glen Rock, 1964 was an interesting year. Ground was broken on the construction of the public library, residents performed at the New Jersey pavilion during the New York World’s Fair, and the iconic rock from which the borough derives its name earned its first historical marker.

It’s also a time catalogued by The Rock in the Glen, a film produced that year to tell the first 70 years of the borough’s history. The film is being shown at the Glen Rock Library Thursday at 7 p.m.

According to borough historian Susan Tryforos, the film is a link between the founding and modern era, preserving a glimpse of the town that predates many modern developments. The documentary is narrated by Mabel Hubschmitt, a daughter of one of Glen Rock’s first families who displays her first hand knowledge of the early years.

Hubschmitt, from her own family history, had original documents and photographs on hand to produce the historical journey.

“A lot of her holdings make up the nucleus of the archive that the Glen Rock Historical Society has now,” Tryforos said.

The reels collected dust for many years, and Tryforos couldn’t recall the last time the film was shown in public. Its 50th anniversary provided the impetus for a public screening, and the historian says that the historical society is currently exploring options for transferring the film to DVD for public sale.

Still, many residents have seen clips on YouTube, and seats filled fast for the screening. The library expects to hold another showing in December just to meet demand for the peak into the borough’s past.

Tryforos said that viewers can expect a sweeping story of the transformation of a small farming town to the suburban commuter community it is now.

“I think they’ll learn something about Glen Rock’s past because it gives a nice overview of how it was settled,” she said. “The places look familiar, but they’re not really the same as how they are now.”