During the early part of the 20th century, like much of Morris County at the time, the area became a haven for the wealthy who were attracted by the isolation and natural beauty. The most notable example of this was Francis S. Kinney, a 19th-century industrialist who founded
Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company and built an estate that dates back to 1883. One of the largest private holdings in Morris County at any time, Kinney purchased upwards of of land and built a large "summer cottage" known as
Smoke Rise, which is a translation of the Pequannock Native American name for the mountainous area, where a heavy mist often rises at sunset. His son, Morris Kinney, for whom the borough of Kinnelon was named 41 years later, lived most of his life on the estate. On February 20, 1922, with only 400 full-time residents, Kinnelon was formed as a borough by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature from portions of
Pequannock Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on March 21, 1922. When friends asked to purchase land on the estate to build homes, Talbot decided to develop a planned community designed primarily to serve New York corporation executives. The Smoke Rise Club was the result in November 1946. Talbot's intention was to develop the property as a residential club community akin to
Tuxedo Park in nearby
Orange County, New York; envisioning a community of architect-designed houses suitable for ideal country living. By October 1951, more than 100 families were living in Smoke Rise and community services at St. Hubert’s Chapel were revived for the first time since 1923, when it was used as a private chapel. The development of Smoke Rise largely spurred much of the borough's growth and rising home values in the 1950s; enhancing Kinnelon's standing as a residential suburb. In 1956, the interdenominational Smoke Rise Community Church was established near the North Gate entrance. By August 1966, there were 500 homes in Smoke Rise. The private family friendly community is located entirely within Kinnelon and is administered by residents elected to the Board of Governors of the Smoke Rise Club, which must approve all residents' building plans. The community features over of roadway and over 900 houses on . Entry into the community can only accessed through two gates, the North Gate and East Gate.
St. Hubert's Chapel Smoke Rise is notably home to Lake Kinnelon and
Kitty Ann Mountain, the highest point in Kinnelon. On an island in the lake is St. Hubert's Chapel, built by Mr. Kinney in 1886 and named after his favorite patron saint of the hunt. It was built in the style of an 8th-century stone chapel in tribute to the saint who lived in the 7th and 8th centuries. Sometime later, Kinney commissioned
Louis Comfort Tiffany to expand and enhance the chapel including a Celtic cross stained glass window and a Tiffany-signed mosaic floor among other things. While in private hands, the Chapel stopped holding services until they were revived in 1951. The Chapel is owned by the Smoke Rise Club who can be contacted for more information including tours. Kitty Ann mountain offers views of northern New Jersey and the distant New York City skyline at an elevation of from the Smoke Rise Tower. ==Community==