Women - Hunterdon County, New Jersey

BERYL L. DOYLE
There may never have been even the idea of parklands or
the preservation of open space for the use and appreciation of
generations to come if it had not been for the tireless energy
more than two decades ago of Raritan Township resident Beryl
Doyle.
She arrived in Hunterdon County in 1958 from Wisconsin
with her equally energetic physician husband. In the next few
years she became the mother of three sons.
Mrs. Doyle recalled that her interest in land preservation
was piqued in 1972, when she learned that the school board for
Raritan Township was thinking of putting a new middle school
on Route 12, close to land that was part open and part woods.
In addition, a total of 17 townhouses were to be constructed
between the elementary school in Flemington and Bonnell
Street. With her leadership, a Flemington-Raritan recreation
task force was created to develop an open space plan for a nearby 10 acres.
In 1977, with the help of a Green Acres matching grant of $7,000 ("a long, tedious
effort to raise the money," she said), it was finally possible to gain land in both
Flemington and Raritan Township. With further effort -- particularly from the Citizens of
Parkland and another Green Acres grant -- there was developed a greenway belt and
the Bernadette Morales Park for outdoor recreation.
With the explosive growth of building in Hunterdon County, she has been very
active on the Solid Waste Advisory Council. Mrs. Doyle continues her work on behalf of
all Hunterdon County citizens to expand recreation areas and parkland, most recently
leading the movement for the preservation of the Dvoor farm in Flemington.
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