History of JP's Steakhouse and Rhythms

Rhythms is located on a section of land in Manville that, prior to manville's creation, was known as Weston. Bordered by South Main Street to the west, Royce Brook River to the north, the Millstone River to the east and Wilhousky Street to the south. Main Street in Manville is aka County Route 533 Below is a time line of the property going back to just before the revolutionary war times. Many image below enlarge when clicked.

JP's Steakhouse

- 2007

Even with a large assortment of foods this wasn't enough to get non music clubbers to stop in to eat. In 2007 a change was made, the result was the addition of the establishment's second name, Johnny Pett's Steakhouse.

Several high end steak and seafood choices were added to the menu. In the spring 2008 more pasta dishes, burgers and several wrap sandwiches were then added to the menu.

2007 Nor'easter

April 14-17

"We flooded a foot inside, but it wasn't too bad!" No, The Huggers didn't play that night! The Millstone River again rose on that weekend.

Rhythms reopened a few weeks later after a quick cleanup.

Rhythms of the Night opens

- 2004

John Pettoni bought The Yellow Rose propert in 2000 and then gutted everything inside to create his vision of a music club and restaurant – the building's age dates to the mid 1930s. From floor to ceiling, the restaurant is littered with musical memorabilia, ranging from old musical instruments (including John's first accordion) to record album covers, which line the inside top shelf of the main bar, to pictures of some of the greatest musicians of all time; Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and "Ol' Blue Eyes" to name a few.

A wide elevated stage was constructed in the back of the restaurant. The attic above the stage and dance floor was replaced with a cathedral style ceiling with skylights.

Hurricane Floyd

- 1999

The September 1999 flood disaster was the worst ever to hit Manville. The Millstone River had suffered a number of severe flooding events over the past 200 years. Hurricane Floyd produced a particularly severe flood. The vacant, building was ravaged by Hurricane Floyd. Inside, standing on what seems to be the floor which was covered with inches of mud, leaves, and other debris. Now, try to picture a beautiful room full of tables, chairs, booths, a bar...no, make that two bars, a dance floor, and a stage where the band will play. Can't? Neither could anyone else; that is, except for John Pettoni, CPA and restaurateur.

The Yellow Rose

- 1987 to 1998?

The Yellow Rose a country-western dance club where line dancing was especially popular. Bronco Jim was the weekend DJ and later the assistant manager. Tom Hicks, was a dance instructor then. Who remembers the pay phone 685-9423? Opened in 1987 - it closed in the late 90's. In August 1996 the Eastern Alliance of Country Music Listeners met at the Yellow Rose to discuss the campaign to convince some radio station owner to bring a country music station back to New York. (When did it close? - citation needed)

Crystal Roller Palace

- ???? to 1987

Crystal Roller Palace "The roller rink....was there in the late 70's early 80's. It was called the Crystal Roller Palace. My cousin used to be the DJ there. I believe the original use for the building was the Knights of Columbus."

Crystal Roller Palace DJ 1982-87

"Bobby Durnye owned a rink in Manville in the 70's"

Last day from Facebook group: Crystal Roller Palace

Date of "Crystal Roller Palace" opening unknown - citation eneeded.

The Hullabaloo - Teen nightclub

- 1966

Early video of the garage band Witches Bru performing at The Hullabaloo in Manville, NJ (circa 1966). The Hullabaloo is now Rhythms of the Night. The Hullabaloo clubs were a chain of 5 independently owned teen clubs modeled after the Hullabaloo TV show.

Dates of "Teen nightclub" operation unknown.

Manville formed

- April 18, 1929

Manville was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 1, 1929, with a referendum held on April 18, 1929; prior to that it was a section of Hillsborough. The section of Weston on the west side of the Millstone River and the remainder south of Zarephath was not included in Zarephath when it was formed in 1906. The section of Weston on the west side of the Millstone River later became a part of Manville.

J.R. Connell farm

- 1860

From a 1860 map of Hillsborough the property Rhythms is built on was a part of the farm of J.R. Connell.

Mill, Dam and Bridge

- 1740 to present

The Weston Mill was built as Schenck's Mill about the 1740s and operated for nearly 250 years. It was later named Van Neste's Mill by it's second owner, Abraham Van Neste. It was the scene of a bloody skirmish during the American Revolution, when raiding British were searching for flour.

When William Rodgers owned the mill between 1823 and 1843, he changed the name of the area to Weston, purportedly to reflect the name used at the time for an area across the river from the mill (where Rhythms is).

Wilbur Smith was the mill's last owner, beginning in the 1920s. In 1982, the mill structure collapsed and in 1983 the remains of the mill burned in a fire. The mill's dam is still present and connects the island (visible from Rhythms back deck) to the eastern shore of the Millstone River. The bridge is on the present-day site of the causeway between Zarephath and Manville (visible from the south end of the deck - towards Krauser's).

Millstone River

- river flow height gauge

Millstone River at Weston NJ United States Geological Survey gauge number 01402540 is located behind Rhythms. Installed on the downstream center pier on Wilhouski Street bridge over the bypass channel - visible from the south side of Rhythms deck. Shiny cylinder and white pipe in the picture.