Snyder’s Greenhouses, located along Paterson Road (today’s Maple Avenue), was a vital resource for local farmers purchasing seeds and supplies for seasonal planting. Owned by Andrew V. D. Snyder, a committed civic leader, the greenhouse also played a key role in Glen Rock’s early government. Snyder offered his store as the first meeting place for both the Borough’s Town Council and Board of Education.

In 1894, Glen Rock’s founding coincided with the height of “boroughitis,” a movement in which residents—especially commuters—pushed for greater local control over schools and infrastructure rather than remaining part of large rural townships, often called “Punkin Dusters.” That year alone, Bergen County saw the creation of 26 new boroughs.

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By the early 1890s, Ridgewood Township was experiencing significant growing pains. Improved rail service to Jersey City, with connections by ferry to New York City, made the area increasingly attractive to commuters. As new residents arrived, the population grew, placing pressure on the township’s small, rural school system. At the time, education was provided by three district schools: School #61 on Union Street, which had two rooms and two teachers, and School #44 at the intersection of Ackerman Avenue and Rock Road, along with another one-room, one-teacher school. Plans were soon proposed to replace these smaller schools with a centralized, eight-room facility on Beech Street (now Cottage Place in Ridgewood). Driven in part by concerned mothers, the proposed school was to be constructed of brick rather than wood, at the considerable cost of $50,000. When residents of the Glen Rock area (South Ridgewood at the time) learned that all local district schools would be closed and their children required to attend the new centralized school, concern quickly turned to action.

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A group of local leaders began to advocate for the creation of an independent borough. Among the most prominent were Garret T. Hopper, Andrew Van Dien Snyder, Richard T. Snyder (Andrew’s cousin), John J. Storms, and John Vanderbeck. Many of these men had prior experience in township government and understood the challenges ahead. A petition was circulated, and, in a remarkable show of determination, a survey was conducted by lantern light late into the evening—carefully including properties of those who wished to join the new borough and excluding those who did not. The completed documents were delivered to Hackensack just hours before a competing petition was filed to establish the Village of Ridgewood, which included some of the same territory.

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On September 14, 1894, in Snyder’s Greenhouse, the Borough of Glen Rock was officially formed. The new borough encompassed 1,736 acres drawn from portions of Ridgewood Township and Saddle River Township. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, 80 in support and 2 opposed. Notably, the two “nay” votes were intentionally cast to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the outcome; one of those dissenting voters, Henry E. Mead, would later serve as Glen Rock’s third mayor in 1899.

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The borough held its first election of officers on October 2, 1894, with Richard T. Snyder elected as its first mayor. At the time, Glen Rock was a small but growing community of approximately 600 residents living on about 100 farms. The first municipal budget totaled just $600, with half allocated to repairing the area’s dusty dirt roads. The young borough included a single store along Paterson Road (now Maple Avenue), three greenhouses, a few blacksmith shops, several mills along the Diamond Brook, and three streetlights—soon removed because they proved too bright for horses and wagon drivers.

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The origin of the name “Glen Rock” is not officially recorded, but several early references and local traditions offer insight. The name appears on a 1876 map in the Walker Atlas, identifying the area surrounding The Rock, alongside other nearby place names such as “Small Lots” and “Ferndale.” One account, shared by Mrs. William H. Legg (née Marinus), credits a member of the Marinus family—who felt that “Big Rock” was an unappealing name—with renaming the area “Glen Rock.” The Marinus family, prominent in the community, operated a sawmill along the Diamond Brook near what is now The Boulevard.

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Another local tradition attributes the name to resident Charles Viel, who objected to the proposed name “South Ridgewood” for the new borough, arguing that it would create confusion with neighboring Ridgewood. Instead, Viel advocated for “Glen Rock.” What is certain is that the original incorporation papers were drafted with the name “South Ridgewood,” but this was manually crossed out and replaced with “Glen Rock” before submission to authorities in Hackensack.