What is 43 North Road in Smoke Rise?

43 North Road is a 2,618 sq ft commercial building at the North Gate of Smoke Rise, a private gated community in Kinnelon, NJ. The Board of Governors purchased the property, and the community is now surveying residents about its future use, including options like a Heritage Center, commercial lease, clubhouse, or mixed use.

What is the Village Inn deficit at Smoke Rise?

The Village Inn at Smoke Rise operates at a yearly deficit of $406,304 as of the 2026 proposed budget. The Inn generates $1.43M in revenue but costs $1.83M to operate. The deficit has grown 64% since 2019, from $247K to $406K. Every household pays approximately $34/month to cover this gap.

How much does 43 North Road cost Smoke Rise residents?

43 North Road costs approximately $181,280 per year including mortgage ($56,820) and capital replacement items ($125,000). Combined with the Village Inn deficit of $406,304, the total yearly cost to the community is $587,584 — approximately $50 per month from each of the 980 households.

What is Smoke Rise in Kinnelon NJ?

Smoke Rise is a private gated community of over 900 homes in Kinnelon, New Jersey, established in 1946. It features a lake, beach, Village Inn restaurant, 24/7 security, St. Hubert's Chapel with 1886–1889 Tiffany windows, and four distinct neighborhoods: North Gate, East Gate, Mountain & Hilltop, and Lakeside & Perimeter.

The Ricker Family | 43 North Rd

The Rickers farmed the highlands in the 1800s, and their name outlasted the farm: Ricker Road and Lake Rick-A-Bear both carry it to this day.

1800s

Local history

A name on the map

The Rickers were a farming family of the 1800s, among the names local accounts record on this land in the late 1800s. What endured was their name on the map — Ricker Road runs through the borough still, and Lake Rick-A-Bear keeps a worn-down echo of it. The fuller story of the family, and the curious name “Rick-A-Bear,” is one the record only partly tells.

Local history

The Ricker farm and the origin of “Rick-A-Bear” come down through local history and place-names rather than a documented deed. If you can fill in the family's story, we'd welcome it.

The family record

1800s — farmersLocal history

The Ricker family

farmer

Farm family whose name still sits on the map — Ricker Road and Lake Rick-A-Bear both carry it.

The Rickers farmed the highlands in the 1800s, and their name outlasted the farm: Ricker Road and Lake Rick-A-Bear both carry it to this day. The Rickers are among the family names local accounts record on this land in the late 1800s. The full story behind the family — and behind the curious name “Rick-A-Bear” — is one we'd welcome help documenting.

Homestead & site

Ricker Road & Lake Rick-A-Bear

Regional — area only

Places named for the family; the homestead site itself is undocumented.

Connections

Kinnelon — Ricker Road and Lake Rick-A-Bear keep the family name on the Kinnelon map.

Sources

Borough of Kinnelon — local history (historian “Meyer”)
PureHistory.org — Kinnelon, New Jersey
LostHistory.net — History of Kinnelon Borough
Lucy Meyer, Kinnelon: A History (1976)

Is this your family? Help us tell it right.

This history grows with you

The Ricker name is on the map; the family's story is only partly written. If you carry the name — or hold photographs, records, or the tale behind “Rick-A-Bear” — share it. Family stories publish as local history; dated records publish as documented. Nothing publishes without review.

Ricker farm and family photographs
The story behind “Lake Rick-A-Bear”
Family lineage and descendants

Your turn

Be the first to add to this history

A story, a correction, or a name we've missed — every piece helps. It takes a minute.

Sources

Borough of Kinnelon — local history (historian “Meyer”)
PureHistory.org — Kinnelon, New Jersey
LostHistory.net — History of Kinnelon Borough
Lucy Meyer, Kinnelon: A History (1976)

Compiled from publicly available sources; where accounts differ, the most widely documented version is used. Community corrections welcome.

Explore more of the Highlands

Founding Families

Kinnelon

All history