The Lair, Lehr, Lare family of Hunterdon County originated with the immigrants Johannes and Maria Lehr, who originated in Germany or eastern France. They may have been French Huguenot. There is a town of Lehr in Germany in the palatinate between France and Germany. And Lair is a family name from Lyon. The two children of Johannes and Maria that we know of were born there. After the death of Johannes Lair, the family migrated to America, probably encouraged to do so by other German immigrants.
The marvelous house on the northeast corner of the intersection at Rosemont (at Routes 519 and 604), once known as the Rittenhouse or Crosskeys Tavern, may be in search of a new owner in the near future. It is my sincere hope, and that of the current owners, that someone will take over who fully appreciates the historic value of the property. The sale has reminded me that I have not yet published Egbert T. Bush’s article on Crosskeys Tavern.
In a previous article, I told the story of Martin Kaffitz and his wife Hattie W. Fritts. Kaffitz was employed for many years by William Crater who ran the blacksmith shop in Glen Gardner, Hunterdon County. I learned about the life of Martin Kaffitz from the many entries about him in the Hunterdon Republican newspaper. That paper was equally informative about William Crater, although Crater led a very different sort of life.