Pine Brook is located along a road (the western terminus of today's "Bloomfield Avenue" where it becomes U.S. Route 46) connecting the port city of Newark with the farms, foundries & mines of western New Jersey, it was a waystation for passing trade in its early days. A farming community, Pine Brook produced dairy products in addition to fruits and vegetables, and for many years there existed a large business in cider making and distilling of Cider Brandy in nearby Cider Mills. With its close proximity to Morristown, during the Revolutionary War both British and American forces traveled through the area.