Morristown, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Morristown is a town
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat
of Morris County
. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution
" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain. Today this history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park
.
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years prior to exploration by Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 17th century, when a significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland
, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, as the Province of New Jersey
. In British colonial records, the first permanent European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a village was founded as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county was named for the popular Governor of the Province, Lewis Morris
, who championed benefits for the colonists.
Following the American Revolution the former colony became the state of New Jersey and almost 100 years after the American Revolution began, Morristown was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township
, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.
on Long Island
and New Haven, Connecticut
as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County
shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County
on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris
, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey
.
By the mid-century the two hundred and fifty people shared the village which had two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.
George Washington first came to Morristown in May of 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to New York City together with John Parke Custis
(his stepson) and Lord Stirling.
In 1777, General George Washington
and the Continental Army
marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green
in the center of the town. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location (between Philadelphia and New York and near New England). It was also chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army.
The churches were used for inoculation
s for smallpox
. That first Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street.
From December 1779 to June 1780 the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow
. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the Ford Mansion
, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the house with Martha Washington and officers of the Continental Army.
The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them (unsuccessfully).
During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.
Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was loyally present with George each winter throughout the war.
The Marquis de Lafayette
brought good news here in 1780 of aid from France.
The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park
managed by the National Park Service
, which has the distinction among historic preservation
ists of being the first National Historical Park
established in the United States.
During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold
was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.
Alexander Hamilton
courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician was billeted. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registry of Historic Places.
The Morristown Green has a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton depicting them discussing forthcoming aid of French tall ships and troops being sent by King Louis XVI of France
to aid the Continental Army.
Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue of the "Father of the American Revolution", Thomas Paine
, who wrote the best selling booklet Common Sense
, which urged a complete break from British rule. The bronze statue, by sculptor Georg J. Lober
, shows Paine in 1776 (using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey) composing Crisis 1. He wrote These are the times that try men's souls .... The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.
is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included Governor of New Jersey
Isaac Halstead Williamson
, which led to approval of the proposal by the New Jersey Legislature
later that year. The canal was used for a century.
The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.
Antoine le Blanc
, a French immigrant laborer murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. In 2007 Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank.
Samuel F. B. Morse
and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Ironworks
in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was A patient waiter is no loser. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the information age
.
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown, was purchased by the Colles family to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the Grey Nuns
from Montreal
into All Souls Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue, U.S. Route 202
, to a newly-built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital.
On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies. The event was a staged hoax using helium balloons and flares, but became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.
, the town has a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), of which, 2.94 square miles (7.62 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) or 2.1% is water.
The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square
from Morristown's colonial days.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa).
of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density
was 6,303.9 people per square mile (2,435.3/km2). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 2,588.7 per square mile (1,000.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races
, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.
9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Honduran American
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.
There were 7,252 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
is headquartered in Morristown
Morristown is a town
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat
of Morris County
. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution
" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain.Weig, Melvin J.; and Craig, Vera B. Morristown: A Military Capital of the American Revolution, National Park Service
, 1950, reprinted 1961. Accessed July 19, 2011. Today this history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park
.
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years prior to exploration by Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 17th century, when a significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland
, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, as the Province of New Jersey
. In British colonial records, the first permanent European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a village was founded as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county was named for the popular Governor of the Province, Lewis Morris
, who championed benefits for the colonists.
Following the American Revolution the former colony became the state of New Jersey and almost 100 years after the American Revolution began, Morristown was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township
, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.
on Long Island
and New Haven, Connecticut
as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County
shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County
on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris
, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey
.
By the mid-century the two hundred and fifty people shared the village which had two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.
George Washington first came to Morristown in May of 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to New York City together with John Parke Custis
(his stepson) and Lord Stirling.Editorial. "225th Anniversary", Daily Record (Morristown)
, January 3, 2002. Accessed February 20, 2011. "He was in Basking Ridge and at Morristown's Mount Kemble with stepson John Parke Custis and patriot Lord Stirling in May of 1773 before the war."
In 1777, General George Washington
and the Continental Army
marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green
in the center of the town.Jacob Arnold's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location (between Philadelphia and New York and near New England). It was also chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army.
The churches were used for inoculation
s for smallpox
. That first Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street.All Souls Hospital, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.Whatever happened to Washington's 1777 HQ in Morristown?, accessed May 7, 2006.
From December 1779 to June 1780 the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow
. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the Ford Mansion
, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the house with Martha Washington and officers of the Continental Army.
The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them (unsuccessfully).
During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.The "Hard" Winter of 1779—80, National Park Service
. Accessed March 17, 2006.
Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was loyally present with George each winter throughout the war.
The Marquis de Lafayette
brought good news here in 1780 of aid from France.
The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park
managed by the National Park Service
, which has the distinction among historic preservation
ists of being the first National Historical Park
established in the United States.Northwest Skylands: Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey Skylands. Accessed September 17, 2006.Fort Nonsense taken from Steeple of the Old First church, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center. Accessed August 20, 2011.
During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold
was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.Dickerson's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Alexander Hamilton
courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician was billeted. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registry of Historic Places.Olyphant Place, house, Dr. Jabez Campfield's house, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center . Accessed August 20, 2011.
The Morristown Green has a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton depicting them discussing forthcoming aid of French tall ships and troops being sent by King Louis XVI of France
to aid the Continental Army.Washington, Lafayette and Hamilton Bronzes - Morristown Green - Morristown, NJ, Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Accessed August 20, 2011. "One of the main focal points on the central Green in Morristown, New Jersey is the life-sized sculptural grouping of General Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette, known as "The Alliance." It commemorates Lafayette's arrival with news of French support for the American cause."
Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue of the "Father of the American Revolution", Thomas Paine
, who wrote the best selling booklet Common Sense
, which urged a complete break from British rule. The bronze statue, by sculptor Georg J. Lober
, shows Paine in 1776 (using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey) composing Crisis 1. He wrote These are the times that try men's souls .... The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.Staff. "Paine Statue Unveiled; 3,000 at Morristown Ceremony in Memory of Patriot", The New York Times
, July 5, 1950. Accessed October 7, 2008.
is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included Governor of New Jersey
Isaac Halstead Williamson
, which led to approval of the proposal by the New Jersey Legislature
later that year. The canal was used for a century.A Brief History, Morris Canal Greenway. Acecssed August 20, 2011. "George P. Macculloch, a Morristown businessman, must be given the credit for conceiving the idea for the Morris Canal and ultimately carrying it through to completion. In 1822 he brought a group of interested citizens together at Morristown including Governor Isaac Williamson to discuss his idea with them. His proposal was received favorably."
The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.Sansay House, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Antoine le Blanc
, a French immigrant laborer murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. In 2007 Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank.
Samuel F. B. Morse
and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Ironworks
in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was A patient waiter is no loser. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the information age
.Historic Speedwell, Morris County, New Jersey
Parks Commission. Accessed August 20, 2011. "The most significant building at Historic Speedwell is the Factory, a National Historic Landmark where Stephen Vail's son, Alfred, worked with Samuel F.B. Morse to perfect the telegraph. It was here on January 11, 1838 where the electromagnetic telegraph was first publicly demonstrated - making Historic Speedwell the 'Birthplace of the Telegraph.'"
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown, was purchased by the Colles family to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the Grey Nuns
from Montreal
into All Souls Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County.All Soul's Hospital, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918.All Soul's Hospital after 1918 fire, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue, U.S. Route 202
, to a newly-built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital.Staff. "'Recycling' a Hospital that was Underused, The New York Times
, December 1, 1985. Accessed September 18, 2009.
On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies. The event was a staged hoax using helium balloons and flares, but became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.Schillaci, Sarah. "2 reveal UFO hoax, but prosecutor for Morris not smiling", The Star-Ledger
, April 3, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2011. "Between early January and late February, Russo and Rudy used Duct tape, fishing line, roadside flares and balloons to pull off a hoax that had many in North Jersey wondering whether UFOs were hovering over Morris County."
, the town has a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), of which, 2.94 square miles (7.62 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) or 2.1% is water.U.S. 2000 Census places datafile
The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square
from Morristown's colonial days.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa).
of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density
was 6,303.9 people per square mile (2,435.3/km2). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 2,588.7 per square mile (1,000.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races
, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.
9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Colombia (population 500+), City-Data
. Accessed February 21, 2011. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Honduran American
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Honduras (population 500+), City-Data
. Accessed February 21, 2011.
There were 7,252 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
is headquartered in Morristown
Morristown is a town
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat
of Morris County
. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution
" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain.Weig, Melvin J.; and Craig, Vera B. Morristown: A Military Capital of the American Revolution, National Park Service
, 1950, reprinted 1961. Accessed July 19, 2011. Today this history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park
.
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years prior to exploration by Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 17th century, when a significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland
, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, as the Province of New Jersey
. In British colonial records, the first permanent European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a village was founded as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county was named for the popular Governor of the Province, Lewis Morris
, who championed benefits for the colonists.
Following the American Revolution the former colony became the state of New Jersey and almost 100 years after the American Revolution began, Morristown was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township
, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.
on Long Island
and New Haven, Connecticut
as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County
shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County
on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris
, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey
.
By the mid-century the two hundred and fifty people shared the village which had two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.
George Washington first came to Morristown in May of 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to New York City together with John Parke Custis
(his stepson) and Lord Stirling.Editorial. "225th Anniversary", Daily Record (Morristown)
, January 3, 2002. Accessed February 20, 2011. "He was in Basking Ridge and at Morristown's Mount Kemble with stepson John Parke Custis and patriot Lord Stirling in May of 1773 before the war."
In 1777, General George Washington
and the Continental Army
marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green
in the center of the town.Jacob Arnold's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location (between Philadelphia and New York and near New England). It was also chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army.
The churches were used for inoculation
s for smallpox
. That first Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street.All Souls Hospital, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.Whatever happened to Washington's 1777 HQ in Morristown?, accessed May 7, 2006.
From December 1779 to June 1780 the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow
. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the Ford Mansion
, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the house with Martha Washington and officers of the Continental Army.
The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them (unsuccessfully).
During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.The "Hard" Winter of 1779—80, National Park Service
. Accessed March 17, 2006.
Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was loyally present with George each winter throughout the war.
The Marquis de Lafayette
brought good news here in 1780 of aid from France.
The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park
managed by the National Park Service
, which has the distinction among historic preservation
ists of being the first National Historical Park
established in the United States.Northwest Skylands: Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey Skylands. Accessed September 17, 2006.Fort Nonsense taken from Steeple of the Old First church, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center. Accessed August 20, 2011.
During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold
was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.Dickerson's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Alexander Hamilton
courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician was billeted. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registry of Historic Places.Olyphant Place, house, Dr. Jabez Campfield's house, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center . Accessed August 20, 2011.
The Morristown Green has a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton depicting them discussing forthcoming aid of French tall ships and troops being sent by King Louis XVI of France
to aid the Continental Army.Washington, Lafayette and Hamilton Bronzes - Morristown Green - Morristown, NJ, Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Accessed August 20, 2011. "One of the main focal points on the central Green in Morristown, New Jersey is the life-sized sculptural grouping of General Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette, known as "The Alliance." It commemorates Lafayette's arrival with news of French support for the American cause."
Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue of the "Father of the American Revolution", Thomas Paine
, who wrote the best selling booklet Common Sense
, which urged a complete break from British rule. The bronze statue, by sculptor Georg J. Lober
, shows Paine in 1776 (using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey) composing Crisis 1. He wrote These are the times that try men's souls .... The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.Staff. "Paine Statue Unveiled; 3,000 at Morristown Ceremony in Memory of Patriot", The New York Times
, July 5, 1950. Accessed October 7, 2008.
is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included Governor of New Jersey
Isaac Halstead Williamson
, which led to approval of the proposal by the New Jersey Legislature
later that year. The canal was used for a century.A Brief History, Morris Canal Greenway. Acecssed August 20, 2011. "George P. Macculloch, a Morristown businessman, must be given the credit for conceiving the idea for the Morris Canal and ultimately carrying it through to completion. In 1822 he brought a group of interested citizens together at Morristown including Governor Isaac Williamson to discuss his idea with them. His proposal was received favorably."
The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.Sansay House, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Antoine le Blanc
, a French immigrant laborer murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. In 2007 Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank.
Samuel F. B. Morse
and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Ironworks
in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was A patient waiter is no loser. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the information age
.Historic Speedwell, Morris County, New Jersey
Parks Commission. Accessed August 20, 2011. "The most significant building at Historic Speedwell is the Factory, a National Historic Landmark where Stephen Vail's son, Alfred, worked with Samuel F.B. Morse to perfect the telegraph. It was here on January 11, 1838 where the electromagnetic telegraph was first publicly demonstrated - making Historic Speedwell the 'Birthplace of the Telegraph.'"
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown, was purchased by the Colles family to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the Grey Nuns
from Montreal
into All Souls Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County.All Soul's Hospital, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918.All Soul's Hospital after 1918 fire, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue, U.S. Route 202
, to a newly-built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital.Staff. "'Recycling' a Hospital that was Underused, The New York Times
, December 1, 1985. Accessed September 18, 2009.
On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies. The event was a staged hoax using helium balloons and flares, but became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.Schillaci, Sarah. "2 reveal UFO hoax, but prosecutor for Morris not smiling", The Star-Ledger
, April 3, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2011. "Between early January and late February, Russo and Rudy used Duct tape, fishing line, roadside flares and balloons to pull off a hoax that had many in North Jersey wondering whether UFOs were hovering over Morris County."
, the town has a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), of which, 2.94 square miles (7.62 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) or 2.1% is water.U.S. 2000 Census places datafile
The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square
from Morristown's colonial days.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa).
of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density
was 6,303.9 people per square mile (2,435.3/km2). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 2,588.7 per square mile (1,000.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races
, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.
9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Colombia (population 500+), City-Data
. Accessed February 21, 2011. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Honduran American
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Honduras (population 500+), City-Data
. Accessed February 21, 2011.
There were 7,252 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
is headquartered in Morristown, it actually is in Morris Township, which shares the same ZIP Code. This often causes confusion among those not familiar with municipal boundaries. Likewise, companies with offices and facilities in Morris Township, not Morristown, include the Louis Berger Group
, The Seeing Eye
, a guide dog
school, Staff. "'Seeing Eye' Trains 6,000th", Sunday Times-Sentinel, April 5, 1972. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Established in Morristown, N.J., in 1929, The Seeing Eye is the nation's oldest guide dog school." and the Morristown & Erie Railway, a local short-line freight railway.
system of New Jersey municipal government under the Faulkner Act
, which went into effect on January 1, 1974.Morris County Manual 2006: Town of Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey
, accessed April 17, 2007. The Morristown Town Council consists of seven members: three members elected at-large representing the entire town; and four members representing each of the town's four wards. Members are elected to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis; there is an election every two years, either for the four ward seats or for the at-large and mayoral seats. As the legislative arm of the government, the council is responsible for making and setting policy for the town.
, the mayor
of Morristown is Timothy Dougherty (Democratic
), elected in November 2009 to office for a four-year term that ends December 31, 2013.Mayor Timothy Dougherty, Town of Morristown. Accessed February 20, 2011. Members of the Morristown Town Council are Council President Anthony Cattano, Jr. (At Large, 2013), Vice President Michelle Harris-King (At Large, 2013), Kevin Gsell (At Large, 2013), Rebecca Feldman (Ward I, 2011), Raline Smith-Reid (Ward II, 2011), James Smith (Ward III, 2011) and Alison Deeb (Ward IV, 2011).Town Council Directory, Town of Morristown. Accessed February 20, 2011.
The municipal budget for 2010 was $37,198,566.Budget Summary: Comparison of FY 2007 to FY 2010, Town of Morristown. Accessed February 20, 2011.
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
is a regional public school district that serves the communities of Morristown and Morris Township
, and high school students (grades 9-12) from Morris Plains
who attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
with the Morris Plains Schools
.Morristown High School 2010 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education
. Accessed July 17, 2011. " 1491 ethnically diverse students, speaking more than 19 different languages, the educational program serves the students entrusted to the school by its communities: Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains." The district served 4,916 students as of the 2099-10 school year at three primary schools (K-2), three intermediate schools (3-5), one multi-age magnet school (K-5), one middle school (6-8) and at Morristown High School
(9-12).Morris School District, National Center for Education Statistics
. Accessed July 17, 2011.
In addition to a public school system, Morristown has several private schools. Primary and elementary schools include The Red Oaks School, a Montessori school serving students from pre-school through grade six, Assumption Roman Catholic grade school (K-8),Morris County Elementary / Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
. Accessed July 26, 2008. and The Peck School
, a private day school
which serves approximately 300 students in kindergarten through grade eight. The Delbarton School
is an all-boys Roman Catholic school serving approximately 540 students in grades seven through twelve. The Morristown-Beard School
, a private co-ed school formed from the merger of two previously existing institutions, Morristown Preparatory School and Miss Beard's School, serves grades 6 through 12. In addition, Villa Walsh Academy
, a private Catholic
college preparatory school conducted by the Religious Teachers Filippini, is located in Morristown.
The Academy of Saint Elizabeth was founded at Morristown in 1860 by the Sisters of Charity
, however when municipal boundaries were redrawn in 1895, the Academy found itself in the Convent Station
section of the adjacent Morris Township.
The Rabbinical College of America
, one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic yeshiva
s in the world is located in Morristown. The Rabbinical College of America has a Baal Teshuva
yeshiva for students of diverse Jewish backgrounds, named Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim.Yeshiva Tiferes The New Jersey Regional Headquarters for the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement is located on the campus.
. Morristown was one of the first five “transit village
s” designated in New Jersey in 2000.
In 1999, Morristown changed its zoning code to designate the area around the train station as a “Transit Village Core” for mixed-use. The designation was at least partly responsible for development plans for several mixed-use condominium developments.Drobness, Tanya. "Transit village units ready for sale in Morristown", The Star-Ledger
, July 12, 2009. Accessed February 20, 2011. As a town with New Jersey Transit
rail service at the Morristown
station, it benefited from shortened commuting times to New York City due to the "Midtown Direct" service New Jersey Transit instituted in the 1990s.
format.
WJSV
radio and television (90.5 FM) also exists in Morristown, the nonprofit radio station of Morristown High School, which also has a television show which airs on Educational-access television cable television
, Colonial Corner.
The Morristown Daily Record
is published locally, as is New Jersey Monthly
magazine.
Hometown Tales
, a Public-access television
show and podcast chronicling stories and urban legends from around the world, is loosely based in Morristown.
are a professional inline hockey
team that competes in the Eastern Conference
of the Professional Inline Hockey Association
.
The United States Equestrian Team
, USET, the international equestrian team for the United States, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on van Beuren Road in Morristown.
Morristown has a cricketing club, the first in North America.Indoor Cricket USA - Bringing Tradition Inside
The Morristown 1776 Association Football Club is a Soccer club that competes in the North Jersey Soccer League and MCSSA
Town (New Jersey)
A Town in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government...
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain. Today this history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
.
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years prior to exploration by Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 17th century, when a significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, as the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
. In British colonial records, the first permanent European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a village was founded as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county was named for the popular Governor of the Province, Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (1671-1746)
Lewis Morris , chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York .-Biography:...
, who championed benefits for the colonists.
Following the American Revolution the former colony became the state of New Jersey and almost 100 years after the American Revolution began, Morristown was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.
Eighteenth century
Morristown was settled around 1715 by English Presbyterians from Southold, New YorkSouthold, New York
Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (1671-1746)
Lewis Morris , chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York .-Biography:...
, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
By the mid-century the two hundred and fifty people shared the village which had two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.
George Washington first came to Morristown in May of 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to New York City together with John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis was a Virginia planter, the son of Martha Washington and stepson of George Washington.-Childhood:...
(his stepson) and Lord Stirling.
In 1777, General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green
Morristown Green
Morristown Green, most commonly referred to as the Green, is a historical park located in the center of the Morristown, New Jersey, with two and a half acres that have served as a military base, a militia training ground, and an area for public executions...
in the center of the town. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location (between Philadelphia and New York and near New England). It was also chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army.
The churches were used for inoculation
Inoculation
Inoculation is the placement of something that will grow or reproduce, and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into the body of a human or animal, especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease...
s for smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. That first Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street.
From December 1779 to June 1780 the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow is a unit of Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey. It was twice used as a winter encampment by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the Ford Mansion
Ford Mansion
The Ford Mansion is a mid-18th century mature version of the classical American architecture that was built by Jacob Ford, Jr. in 1774. It was acquired by the Washington Association of New Jersey in 1873. Today, it is owned by National Park Service. The Georgian styled mansion is known for...
, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the house with Martha Washington and officers of the Continental Army.
The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them (unsuccessfully).
During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.
Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was loyally present with George each winter throughout the war.
The Marquis de Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
brought good news here in 1780 of aid from France.
The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, which has the distinction among historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
ists of being the first National Historical Park
National Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
established in the United States.
During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician was billeted. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registry of Historic Places.
The Morristown Green has a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton depicting them discussing forthcoming aid of French tall ships and troops being sent by King Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
to aid the Continental Army.
Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue of the "Father of the American Revolution", Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
, who wrote the best selling booklet Common Sense
Common Sense (pamphlet)
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It was first published anonymously on January 10, 1776, during the American Revolution. Common Sense, signed "Written by an Englishman", became an immediate success. In relation to the population of the Colonies at that time, it had the largest...
, which urged a complete break from British rule. The bronze statue, by sculptor Georg J. Lober
Georg J. Lober
-Background:Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1892, Lober moved to Keyport, New Jersey as a teenager. He later married Eleanor Campbell, daughter of Thomas and Anna Campbell and had one son...
, shows Paine in 1776 (using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey) composing Crisis 1. He wrote These are the times that try men's souls .... The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.
Nineteenth century to present
The idea for constructing the Morris CanalMorris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Isaac Halstead Williamson
Isaac Halstead Williamson
Isaac Halstead Williamson was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 8th Governor of New Jersey, from 1817 to 1829.-Biography:...
, which led to approval of the proposal by the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
later that year. The canal was used for a century.
The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.
Antoine le Blanc
Antoine le Blanc
Antoine le Blanc was a 19th Century murderer and a French immigrant to the United States.Le Blanc came to New York to seek his fortune after being disowned by his family in France...
, a French immigrant laborer murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. In 2007 Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank.
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter.-Birth and education:...
and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Ironworks
Speedwell Ironworks
Speedwell Ironworks was an ironworks in Speedwell, New Jersey, USA, just north of Morristown, New Jersey. It is on Speedwell Avenue, part of U.S. Route 202...
in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was A patient waiter is no loser. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the information age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
.
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown, was purchased by the Colles family to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the Grey Nuns
Grey Nuns
The Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Order of Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian order of Roman Catholic religious sisters...
from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
into All Souls Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue, U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
, to a newly-built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital.
On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies. The event was a staged hoax using helium balloons and flares, but became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), of which, 2.94 square miles (7.62 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) or 2.1% is water.
The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square
Market square
The market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day....
from Morristown's colonial days.
Climate
Morristown has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,303.9 people per square mile (2,435.3/km2). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 2,588.7 per square mile (1,000.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.
9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American
Colombian American
Colombian Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. They are the largest South American ethnic group in the United States.-Causes of migration:...
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Honduran American
Honduran American
A Honduran American is an American of Honduran descent. The number of Hondurans in the U.S. in 2005 was estimated at 459,653.- US communities with high percentages of people of Honduran ancestry :...
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.
There were 7,252 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the town was $57,563, and the median income for a family was $66,419. Males had a median income of $42,363 versus $37,045 for females. The per capita incomePer capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
While many think HoneywellHoneywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
is headquartered in Morristown
Morristown is a town
Town (New Jersey)
A Town in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government...
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain.Weig, Melvin J.; and Craig, Vera B. Morristown: A Military Capital of the American Revolution, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, 1950, reprinted 1961. Accessed July 19, 2011. Today this history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
.
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years prior to exploration by Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 17th century, when a significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, as the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
. In British colonial records, the first permanent European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a village was founded as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county was named for the popular Governor of the Province, Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (1671-1746)
Lewis Morris , chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York .-Biography:...
, who championed benefits for the colonists.
Following the American Revolution the former colony became the state of New Jersey and almost 100 years after the American Revolution began, Morristown was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.
Eighteenth century
Morristown was settled around 1715 by English Presbyterians from Southold, New YorkSouthold, New York
Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (1671-1746)
Lewis Morris , chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York .-Biography:...
, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
By the mid-century the two hundred and fifty people shared the village which had two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.
George Washington first came to Morristown in May of 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to New York City together with John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis was a Virginia planter, the son of Martha Washington and stepson of George Washington.-Childhood:...
(his stepson) and Lord Stirling.Editorial. "225th Anniversary", Daily Record (Morristown)
Daily Record (Morristown)
The Daily Record is a seven-day morning daily newspaper located in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Sometimes called the Morristown Daily Record because of its historical ties to nearby Morristown, New Jersey, the paper serves the greater Morris County area of northern New Jersey. It is owned by...
, January 3, 2002. Accessed February 20, 2011. "He was in Basking Ridge and at Morristown's Mount Kemble with stepson John Parke Custis and patriot Lord Stirling in May of 1773 before the war."
In 1777, General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green
Morristown Green
Morristown Green, most commonly referred to as the Green, is a historical park located in the center of the Morristown, New Jersey, with two and a half acres that have served as a military base, a militia training ground, and an area for public executions...
in the center of the town.Jacob Arnold's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location (between Philadelphia and New York and near New England). It was also chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army.
The churches were used for inoculation
Inoculation
Inoculation is the placement of something that will grow or reproduce, and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into the body of a human or animal, especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease...
s for smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. That first Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street.All Souls Hospital, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.Whatever happened to Washington's 1777 HQ in Morristown?, accessed May 7, 2006.
From December 1779 to June 1780 the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow is a unit of Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey. It was twice used as a winter encampment by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the Ford Mansion
Ford Mansion
The Ford Mansion is a mid-18th century mature version of the classical American architecture that was built by Jacob Ford, Jr. in 1774. It was acquired by the Washington Association of New Jersey in 1873. Today, it is owned by National Park Service. The Georgian styled mansion is known for...
, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the house with Martha Washington and officers of the Continental Army.
The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them (unsuccessfully).
During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.The "Hard" Winter of 1779—80, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. Accessed March 17, 2006.
Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was loyally present with George each winter throughout the war.
The Marquis de Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
brought good news here in 1780 of aid from France.
The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, which has the distinction among historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
ists of being the first National Historical Park
National Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
established in the United States.Northwest Skylands: Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey Skylands. Accessed September 17, 2006.Fort Nonsense taken from Steeple of the Old First church, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center. Accessed August 20, 2011.
During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.Dickerson's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician was billeted. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registry of Historic Places.Olyphant Place, house, Dr. Jabez Campfield's house, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center . Accessed August 20, 2011.
The Morristown Green has a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton depicting them discussing forthcoming aid of French tall ships and troops being sent by King Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
to aid the Continental Army.Washington, Lafayette and Hamilton Bronzes - Morristown Green - Morristown, NJ, Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Accessed August 20, 2011. "One of the main focal points on the central Green in Morristown, New Jersey is the life-sized sculptural grouping of General Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette, known as "The Alliance." It commemorates Lafayette's arrival with news of French support for the American cause."
Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue of the "Father of the American Revolution", Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
, who wrote the best selling booklet Common Sense
Common Sense (pamphlet)
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It was first published anonymously on January 10, 1776, during the American Revolution. Common Sense, signed "Written by an Englishman", became an immediate success. In relation to the population of the Colonies at that time, it had the largest...
, which urged a complete break from British rule. The bronze statue, by sculptor Georg J. Lober
Georg J. Lober
-Background:Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1892, Lober moved to Keyport, New Jersey as a teenager. He later married Eleanor Campbell, daughter of Thomas and Anna Campbell and had one son...
, shows Paine in 1776 (using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey) composing Crisis 1. He wrote These are the times that try men's souls .... The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.Staff. "Paine Statue Unveiled; 3,000 at Morristown Ceremony in Memory of Patriot", The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, July 5, 1950. Accessed October 7, 2008.
Nineteenth century to present
The idea for constructing the Morris CanalMorris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Isaac Halstead Williamson
Isaac Halstead Williamson
Isaac Halstead Williamson was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 8th Governor of New Jersey, from 1817 to 1829.-Biography:...
, which led to approval of the proposal by the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
later that year. The canal was used for a century.A Brief History, Morris Canal Greenway. Acecssed August 20, 2011. "George P. Macculloch, a Morristown businessman, must be given the credit for conceiving the idea for the Morris Canal and ultimately carrying it through to completion. In 1822 he brought a group of interested citizens together at Morristown including Governor Isaac Williamson to discuss his idea with them. His proposal was received favorably."
The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.Sansay House, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Antoine le Blanc
Antoine le Blanc
Antoine le Blanc was a 19th Century murderer and a French immigrant to the United States.Le Blanc came to New York to seek his fortune after being disowned by his family in France...
, a French immigrant laborer murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. In 2007 Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank.
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter.-Birth and education:...
and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Ironworks
Speedwell Ironworks
Speedwell Ironworks was an ironworks in Speedwell, New Jersey, USA, just north of Morristown, New Jersey. It is on Speedwell Avenue, part of U.S. Route 202...
in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was A patient waiter is no loser. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the information age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
.Historic Speedwell, Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
Parks Commission. Accessed August 20, 2011. "The most significant building at Historic Speedwell is the Factory, a National Historic Landmark where Stephen Vail's son, Alfred, worked with Samuel F.B. Morse to perfect the telegraph. It was here on January 11, 1838 where the electromagnetic telegraph was first publicly demonstrated - making Historic Speedwell the 'Birthplace of the Telegraph.'"
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown, was purchased by the Colles family to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the Grey Nuns
Grey Nuns
The Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Order of Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian order of Roman Catholic religious sisters...
from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
into All Souls Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County.All Soul's Hospital, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918.All Soul's Hospital after 1918 fire, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue, U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
, to a newly-built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital.Staff. "'Recycling' a Hospital that was Underused, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, December 1, 1985. Accessed September 18, 2009.
On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies. The event was a staged hoax using helium balloons and flares, but became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.Schillaci, Sarah. "2 reveal UFO hoax, but prosecutor for Morris not smiling", The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
, April 3, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2011. "Between early January and late February, Russo and Rudy used Duct tape, fishing line, roadside flares and balloons to pull off a hoax that had many in North Jersey wondering whether UFOs were hovering over Morris County."
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), of which, 2.94 square miles (7.62 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) or 2.1% is water.U.S. 2000 Census places datafile
The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square
Market square
The market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day....
from Morristown's colonial days.
Climate
Morristown has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,303.9 people per square mile (2,435.3/km2). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 2,588.7 per square mile (1,000.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.
9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American
Colombian American
Colombian Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. They are the largest South American ethnic group in the United States.-Causes of migration:...
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Colombia (population 500+), City-Data
City-data
City-Data is a private Illinois-based social networking and information website known for its comprehensive profiling system of U.S. cities, containing everything from sex offender lists to general city guides. City-data.com is owned and operated by Advameg, Inc...
. Accessed February 21, 2011. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Honduran American
Honduran American
A Honduran American is an American of Honduran descent. The number of Hondurans in the U.S. in 2005 was estimated at 459,653.- US communities with high percentages of people of Honduran ancestry :...
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Honduras (population 500+), City-Data
City-data
City-Data is a private Illinois-based social networking and information website known for its comprehensive profiling system of U.S. cities, containing everything from sex offender lists to general city guides. City-data.com is owned and operated by Advameg, Inc...
. Accessed February 21, 2011.
There were 7,252 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the town was $57,563, and the median income for a family was $66,419. Males had a median income of $42,363 versus $37,045 for females. The per capita incomePer capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
While many think HoneywellHoneywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
is headquartered in Morristown
Morristown is a town
Town (New Jersey)
A Town in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government...
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain.Weig, Melvin J.; and Craig, Vera B. Morristown: A Military Capital of the American Revolution, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, 1950, reprinted 1961. Accessed July 19, 2011. Today this history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
.
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years prior to exploration by Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 17th century, when a significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, as the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
. In British colonial records, the first permanent European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a village was founded as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county was named for the popular Governor of the Province, Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (1671-1746)
Lewis Morris , chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York .-Biography:...
, who championed benefits for the colonists.
Following the American Revolution the former colony became the state of New Jersey and almost 100 years after the American Revolution began, Morristown was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.
Eighteenth century
Morristown was settled around 1715 by English Presbyterians from Southold, New YorkSouthold, New York
Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (1671-1746)
Lewis Morris , chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York .-Biography:...
, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
By the mid-century the two hundred and fifty people shared the village which had two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.
George Washington first came to Morristown in May of 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to New York City together with John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis was a Virginia planter, the son of Martha Washington and stepson of George Washington.-Childhood:...
(his stepson) and Lord Stirling.Editorial. "225th Anniversary", Daily Record (Morristown)
Daily Record (Morristown)
The Daily Record is a seven-day morning daily newspaper located in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Sometimes called the Morristown Daily Record because of its historical ties to nearby Morristown, New Jersey, the paper serves the greater Morris County area of northern New Jersey. It is owned by...
, January 3, 2002. Accessed February 20, 2011. "He was in Basking Ridge and at Morristown's Mount Kemble with stepson John Parke Custis and patriot Lord Stirling in May of 1773 before the war."
In 1777, General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green
Morristown Green
Morristown Green, most commonly referred to as the Green, is a historical park located in the center of the Morristown, New Jersey, with two and a half acres that have served as a military base, a militia training ground, and an area for public executions...
in the center of the town.Jacob Arnold's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location (between Philadelphia and New York and near New England). It was also chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army.
The churches were used for inoculation
Inoculation
Inoculation is the placement of something that will grow or reproduce, and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into the body of a human or animal, especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease...
s for smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. That first Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street.All Souls Hospital, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.Whatever happened to Washington's 1777 HQ in Morristown?, accessed May 7, 2006.
From December 1779 to June 1780 the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow is a unit of Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey. It was twice used as a winter encampment by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the Ford Mansion
Ford Mansion
The Ford Mansion is a mid-18th century mature version of the classical American architecture that was built by Jacob Ford, Jr. in 1774. It was acquired by the Washington Association of New Jersey in 1873. Today, it is owned by National Park Service. The Georgian styled mansion is known for...
, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the house with Martha Washington and officers of the Continental Army.
The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them (unsuccessfully).
During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.The "Hard" Winter of 1779—80, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. Accessed March 17, 2006.
Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was loyally present with George each winter throughout the war.
The Marquis de Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
brought good news here in 1780 of aid from France.
The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, which has the distinction among historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
ists of being the first National Historical Park
National Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
established in the United States.Northwest Skylands: Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey Skylands. Accessed September 17, 2006.Fort Nonsense taken from Steeple of the Old First church, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center. Accessed August 20, 2011.
During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.Dickerson's Tavern, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician was billeted. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registry of Historic Places.Olyphant Place, house, Dr. Jabez Campfield's house, not dated, Morristown, NJ, Morristown & Morris Township Public Library, The North Jersey History & Genealogy Center . Accessed August 20, 2011.
The Morristown Green has a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton depicting them discussing forthcoming aid of French tall ships and troops being sent by King Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
to aid the Continental Army.Washington, Lafayette and Hamilton Bronzes - Morristown Green - Morristown, NJ, Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Accessed August 20, 2011. "One of the main focal points on the central Green in Morristown, New Jersey is the life-sized sculptural grouping of General Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette, known as "The Alliance." It commemorates Lafayette's arrival with news of French support for the American cause."
Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue of the "Father of the American Revolution", Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
, who wrote the best selling booklet Common Sense
Common Sense (pamphlet)
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It was first published anonymously on January 10, 1776, during the American Revolution. Common Sense, signed "Written by an Englishman", became an immediate success. In relation to the population of the Colonies at that time, it had the largest...
, which urged a complete break from British rule. The bronze statue, by sculptor Georg J. Lober
Georg J. Lober
-Background:Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1892, Lober moved to Keyport, New Jersey as a teenager. He later married Eleanor Campbell, daughter of Thomas and Anna Campbell and had one son...
, shows Paine in 1776 (using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey) composing Crisis 1. He wrote These are the times that try men's souls .... The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.Staff. "Paine Statue Unveiled; 3,000 at Morristown Ceremony in Memory of Patriot", The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, July 5, 1950. Accessed October 7, 2008.
Nineteenth century to present
The idea for constructing the Morris CanalMorris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Isaac Halstead Williamson
Isaac Halstead Williamson
Isaac Halstead Williamson was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 8th Governor of New Jersey, from 1817 to 1829.-Biography:...
, which led to approval of the proposal by the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
later that year. The canal was used for a century.A Brief History, Morris Canal Greenway. Acecssed August 20, 2011. "George P. Macculloch, a Morristown businessman, must be given the credit for conceiving the idea for the Morris Canal and ultimately carrying it through to completion. In 1822 he brought a group of interested citizens together at Morristown including Governor Isaac Williamson to discuss his idea with them. His proposal was received favorably."
The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.Sansay House, The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011.
Antoine le Blanc
Antoine le Blanc
Antoine le Blanc was a 19th Century murderer and a French immigrant to the United States.Le Blanc came to New York to seek his fortune after being disowned by his family in France...
, a French immigrant laborer murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. In 2007 Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank.
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter.-Birth and education:...
and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Ironworks
Speedwell Ironworks
Speedwell Ironworks was an ironworks in Speedwell, New Jersey, USA, just north of Morristown, New Jersey. It is on Speedwell Avenue, part of U.S. Route 202...
in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was A patient waiter is no loser. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the information age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
.Historic Speedwell, Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
Parks Commission. Accessed August 20, 2011. "The most significant building at Historic Speedwell is the Factory, a National Historic Landmark where Stephen Vail's son, Alfred, worked with Samuel F.B. Morse to perfect the telegraph. It was here on January 11, 1838 where the electromagnetic telegraph was first publicly demonstrated - making Historic Speedwell the 'Birthplace of the Telegraph.'"
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown, was purchased by the Colles family to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the Grey Nuns
Grey Nuns
The Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Order of Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian order of Roman Catholic religious sisters...
from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
into All Souls Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County.All Soul's Hospital, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918.All Soul's Hospital after 1918 fire, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Accessed July 17, 2011. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue, U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
, to a newly-built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital.Staff. "'Recycling' a Hospital that was Underused, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, December 1, 1985. Accessed September 18, 2009.
On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies. The event was a staged hoax using helium balloons and flares, but became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.Schillaci, Sarah. "2 reveal UFO hoax, but prosecutor for Morris not smiling", The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
, April 3, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2011. "Between early January and late February, Russo and Rudy used Duct tape, fishing line, roadside flares and balloons to pull off a hoax that had many in North Jersey wondering whether UFOs were hovering over Morris County."
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), of which, 2.94 square miles (7.62 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) or 2.1% is water.U.S. 2000 Census places datafile
The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square
Market square
The market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day....
from Morristown's colonial days.
Climate
Morristown has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,303.9 people per square mile (2,435.3/km2). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 2,588.7 per square mile (1,000.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.
9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American
Colombian American
Colombian Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. They are the largest South American ethnic group in the United States.-Causes of migration:...
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Colombia (population 500+), City-Data
City-data
City-Data is a private Illinois-based social networking and information website known for its comprehensive profiling system of U.S. cities, containing everything from sex offender lists to general city guides. City-data.com is owned and operated by Advameg, Inc...
. Accessed February 21, 2011. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of Honduran American
Honduran American
A Honduran American is an American of Honduran descent. The number of Hondurans in the U.S. in 2005 was estimated at 459,653.- US communities with high percentages of people of Honduran ancestry :...
ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Honduras (population 500+), City-Data
City-data
City-Data is a private Illinois-based social networking and information website known for its comprehensive profiling system of U.S. cities, containing everything from sex offender lists to general city guides. City-data.com is owned and operated by Advameg, Inc...
. Accessed February 21, 2011.
There were 7,252 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the town was $57,563, and the median income for a family was $66,419. Males had a median income of $42,363 versus $37,045 for females. The per capita incomePer capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
While many think HoneywellHoneywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
is headquartered in Morristown, it actually is in Morris Township, which shares the same ZIP Code. This often causes confusion among those not familiar with municipal boundaries. Likewise, companies with offices and facilities in Morris Township, not Morristown, include the Louis Berger Group
Louis Berger Group
The Louis Berger Group, based in Morristown, NJ, according to their website:The Louis Berger Group currently ranks as the third largest USAID private sector partner....
, The Seeing Eye
The Seeing Eye
The Seeing Eye, Inc. is a guide dog school that is located in Morristown, New Jersey in the United States. It was founded in 1929 as the first guide dog school in the country...
, a guide dog
Guide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
school, Staff. "'Seeing Eye' Trains 6,000th", Sunday Times-Sentinel, April 5, 1972. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Established in Morristown, N.J., in 1929, The Seeing Eye is the nation's oldest guide dog school." and the Morristown & Erie Railway, a local short-line freight railway.
Local government
Morristown is governed under a Plan F Mayor-CouncilFaulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...
system of New Jersey municipal government under the Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
, which went into effect on January 1, 1974.Morris County Manual 2006: Town of Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, accessed April 17, 2007. The Morristown Town Council consists of seven members: three members elected at-large representing the entire town; and four members representing each of the town's four wards. Members are elected to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis; there is an election every two years, either for the four ward seats or for the at-large and mayoral seats. As the legislative arm of the government, the council is responsible for making and setting policy for the town.
, the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Morristown is Timothy Dougherty (Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
), elected in November 2009 to office for a four-year term that ends December 31, 2013.Mayor Timothy Dougherty, Town of Morristown. Accessed February 20, 2011. Members of the Morristown Town Council are Council President Anthony Cattano, Jr. (At Large, 2013), Vice President Michelle Harris-King (At Large, 2013), Kevin Gsell (At Large, 2013), Rebecca Feldman (Ward I, 2011), Raline Smith-Reid (Ward II, 2011), James Smith (Ward III, 2011) and Alison Deeb (Ward IV, 2011).Town Council Directory, Town of Morristown. Accessed February 20, 2011.
The municipal budget for 2010 was $37,198,566.Budget Summary: Comparison of FY 2007 to FY 2010, Town of Morristown. Accessed February 20, 2011.
Federal, state, and county representation
Morristown is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
Education
The Morris School DistrictMorris School District
The Morris School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from three municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States...
is a regional public school district that serves the communities of Morristown and Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
, and high school students (grades 9-12) from Morris Plains
Morris Plains, New Jersey
Morris Plains, billing itself "the Community of Caring," is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,236....
who attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
with the Morris Plains Schools
Morris Plains Schools
The Morris Plains Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that educates students from kindergarten through 8th grade from Morris Plains, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States....
.Morristown High School 2010 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
. Accessed July 17, 2011. " 1491 ethnically diverse students, speaking more than 19 different languages, the educational program serves the students entrusted to the school by its communities: Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains." The district served 4,916 students as of the 2099-10 school year at three primary schools (K-2), three intermediate schools (3-5), one multi-age magnet school (K-5), one middle school (6-8) and at Morristown High School
Morristown High School
Morristown High School is a four-year public high school serving students in grades 9 - 12 from three communities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Morris School District...
(9-12).Morris School District, National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
. Accessed July 17, 2011.
In addition to a public school system, Morristown has several private schools. Primary and elementary schools include The Red Oaks School, a Montessori school serving students from pre-school through grade six, Assumption Roman Catholic grade school (K-8),Morris County Elementary / Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
The Diocese of Paterson is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, which includes three counties in northern New Jersey: Passaic, Morris, and Sussex. The city of Paterson, third-largest in the state of New Jersey, was chosen as the episcopal see, even though...
. Accessed July 26, 2008. and The Peck School
The Peck School
The Peck School is an independent, co-educational day school with grades kindergarten through eighth grade. The Peck School is located in Morristown, in Morris County, New Jersey. Approximately 330 students attend The Peck School...
, a private day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
which serves approximately 300 students in kindergarten through grade eight. The Delbarton School
Delbarton School
Delbarton School is a private all-male Roman Catholic college preparatory school in Morristown, New Jersey, educating young men from 7th to 12th grade. Delbarton is a Catholic independent school directed by the Benedictine monks of St. Mary's Abbey....
is an all-boys Roman Catholic school serving approximately 540 students in grades seven through twelve. The Morristown-Beard School
Morristown-Beard School
Morristown-Beard School is a coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in sixth through twelfth grade, located in Morristown, in Morris County, New Jersey. Morristown-Beard School is the product of the 1971 merger of two institutions, Miss Beard's School for girls, founded in...
, a private co-ed school formed from the merger of two previously existing institutions, Morristown Preparatory School and Miss Beard's School, serves grades 6 through 12. In addition, Villa Walsh Academy
Villa Walsh Academy
Villa Walsh Academy is a private, grades 7-12, Catholic college preparatory school for girls located in Morristown, New Jersey, United States, conducted by the Religious Teachers Filippini. The school operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson...
, a private Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
college preparatory school conducted by the Religious Teachers Filippini, is located in Morristown.
The Academy of Saint Elizabeth was founded at Morristown in 1860 by the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth are a Roman Catholic apostolic congregation of pontifical right, based in the Convent Station area of Morris Township, New Jersey. The stated purpose of the order is to show the love of Jesus Christ in serving those in need, especially the poor...
, however when municipal boundaries were redrawn in 1895, the Academy found itself in the Convent Station
Convent Station, New Jersey
Convent Station is an unincorporated area within Morris Township, Morris County, New Jersey, east of Morristown.-History:The community is named after, and contains, the railroad station established during the 1870s to serve the complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic school operated...
section of the adjacent Morris Township.
The Rabbinical College of America
Rabbinical College of America
The Rabbinical College of America is one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic Yeshivas in the world. The Yeshiva is located in Morristown, New Jersey and has trained thousands of Rabbinic students. The Yeshiva is supported by Jewish philanthropists such as David T. Chase, and Ronald Lauder of...
, one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s in the world is located in Morristown. The Rabbinical College of America has a Baal Teshuva
Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
yeshiva for students of diverse Jewish backgrounds, named Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim.Yeshiva Tiferes The New Jersey Regional Headquarters for the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement is located on the campus.
Transit-oriented development
Morristown has attempted to implement transit-oriented developmentTransit-oriented development
A transit-oriented development is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership...
. Morristown was one of the first five “transit village
Transit village
A transit village is a residential development planned around a transportation hub, such as a train station, with the intent to make it convenient for village dwellers to get to/from work or run errands and travel via a public transportation network....
s” designated in New Jersey in 2000.
In 1999, Morristown changed its zoning code to designate the area around the train station as a “Transit Village Core” for mixed-use. The designation was at least partly responsible for development plans for several mixed-use condominium developments.Drobness, Tanya. "Transit village units ready for sale in Morristown", The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
, July 12, 2009. Accessed February 20, 2011. As a town with New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
rail service at the Morristown
Morristown (NJT station)
Morristown is a New Jersey Transit rail station on the Morristown Line. It is located in Morristown and serves an average of 1,800 passengers on a typical weekday. Construction of the historic station began in 1912 and the facility opened November 3, 1913. A station agent and waiting room are...
station, it benefited from shortened commuting times to New York City due to the "Midtown Direct" service New Jersey Transit instituted in the 1990s.
Local media
WMTR is an AM radio station at 1250 kHz is licensed to Morristown. The station features an oldiesOldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format.
WJSV
WJSV
-Educational WJSV :WJSV is a student-run radio station in Morristown, New Jersey. WJSV is run by students of Morristown High School and owned by the Morris School District. WJSV, first bought by the Morris School District in 1971, generally broadcasts Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm...
radio and television (90.5 FM) also exists in Morristown, the nonprofit radio station of Morristown High School, which also has a television show which airs on Educational-access television cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, Colonial Corner.
The Morristown Daily Record
Daily Record (Morristown)
The Daily Record is a seven-day morning daily newspaper located in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Sometimes called the Morristown Daily Record because of its historical ties to nearby Morristown, New Jersey, the paper serves the greater Morris County area of northern New Jersey. It is owned by...
is published locally, as is New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine.
Hometown Tales
Hometown Tales
Hometown Tales began as a Public-access television cable TV program in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania area in 2002. It was created by a producer from New Jersey, Gene Fitzpatrick and a writer from New Mexico, Bryan Minogue...
, a Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
show and podcast chronicling stories and urban legends from around the world, is loosely based in Morristown.
Sports
The New Jersey MinutemenNew Jersey Minutemen
The New Jersey Minutemen are a professional inline hockey team based in Morristown, New Jersey, and competing in PIHA....
are a professional inline hockey
Inline hockey
Inline hockey, often referred to as roller hockey in the United States, is a sport similar to ice hockey but played with inline skates. Like its parent sport, skaters on two teams use hockey sticks to direct a disk-shaped puck into the opponent's goal; however, various details of the game, such as...
team that competes in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (PIHA)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the Professional Inline Hockey Association used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
of the Professional Inline Hockey Association
Professional Inline Hockey Association
The Professional Inline Hockey Association, often abbreviated to the PIHA, is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates an elite inline hockey league of 16 franchised member clubs, all of which are located in the United States. Headquartered in Middletown, Pennsylvania, the PIHA...
.
The United States Equestrian Team
United States Equestrian Team
The United States Equestrian Team, or USET, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on van Beuren Road in Morristown, New Jersey, and is the international equestrian team for the United States...
, USET, the international equestrian team for the United States, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on van Beuren Road in Morristown.
Morristown has a cricketing club, the first in North America.Indoor Cricket USA - Bringing Tradition Inside
The Morristown 1776 Association Football Club is a Soccer club that competes in the North Jersey Soccer League and MCSSA
Architectural
- The only heroic statue of Thomas PaineThomas PaineThomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
in the United States is located in Morristown.
- One of the few statues depicting an unblindfolded Lady JusticeLady JusticeLady Justice |Dike]]) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.-Depiction:The personification of justice balancing the scales of truth and fairness dates back to the Goddess Maat, and later Isis, of ancient Egypt. The Hellenic deities Themis and Dike were later...
adorns the facade of the Courthouse.Virtual Walking Tour of Historic Morristown, Morristown partnership. Accessed August 4, 2008. "Above the front entrance to the courthouse stands a wooden statue of Justice. She holds a scale to symbolize the balanced judicial system, and a sword to represent the protection of individual rights. Morristown´s statue of Justice is unlike most others because she is not blindfolded."
Notable natives and residents
Some noted current and former residents:- Bonnie Lee BakleyBonnie Lee BakleyBonnie Lee Bakley was the wife of actor Robert Blake.-Early life:Bonny Lee Bakley was born in Morristown, New Jersey to arborist Edward J. Bakley and his wife, Marjorie Lois Bakley. Bakley had three other siblings: Margerry Lisa Bakley, Joe Bakley, and her half-brother Peter Carlyon from her...
(1956–2001), murdered wife of Robert BlakeRobert Blake (actor)Robert Blake is an American actor who starred in the film In Cold Blood and the U.S. television series Baretta. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted for the 2001 murder of his wife, but on November 18, 2005, Blake was found liable in a California civil court for her wrongful death.-Early...
, was born in Morristown."Blake Transferred To County Jail As He Awaits Murder Charges", WMAQ-TVWMAQ-TVWMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
, April 19, 2002. Accessed October 15, 2007. "The Morristown, N.J., native had a criminal record for a 1989 drug-related arrest in Tennessee, where she associated herself with singer Jerry Lee Lewis and his sister." - Brendan BuckleyBrendan BuckleyBrendan Buckley is currently known for being the drummer in popstar Shakira's band.-Early life:Brendan Buckley was born in Morristown, New Jersey on March 13, 1974, to his Korean mother Soon Ja Kim, and his Irish-American father Dennis Buckley...
, drummer.Bio: Brendan Buckley, RhythmTech. Accessed November 28, 2007. "Brendan Buckley grew up in the New Jersey area (Morristown and Mount Arlington) before moving to Miami to attend the University of Miami's School of Music." - Lincoln ChildLincoln ChildLincoln Child is an author of seventeen techno-thriller and horror novels. He often writes with Douglas Preston. Many of their novels have become bestsellers, and one, Relic, was adapted into a feature film...
(born 1957) author of techno-thrillerTechno-thrillerTechno-thrillers are a hybrid genre, drawing subject matter generally from spy/action thrillers, fantasy/war novels, and science fiction...
and horrorHorror fictionHorror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, often paired with writing partner Douglas PrestonDouglas PrestonDouglas Preston is an American author who has written seventeen popular techno-thriller and horror novels, four alone and the rest with Lincoln Child...
.Rohan, Virginia. "The Monster on the Doodle Pad -- Lincoln Child's 'The Relic' is the Product", The Record (Bergen County)The Record (Bergen County)The Record is a newspaper in northern New Jersey. It has the second largest circulation of New Jersey's daily newspapers, behind The Star-Ledger. Owned by the Borg family since 1930, it is the flagship publication of the North Jersey Media Group. Stephen Borg is the publisher of The Record...
, January 28, 1997. Accessed December 5, 2007. "When Lincoln Child was just a lad, his mother handed him a big black notebook. First, he doodled in the front. Then, the Morristown novelist recalls, 'I turned to the back, and I drew something so frightening I could never look at it again.'" - George T. CobbGeorge T. CobbGeorge Thomas Cobb was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district from 1861 to 1863.-Biography:...
(1813–70), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional districtNew Jersey's 4th congressional districtNew Jersey's 4th Congressional District elects one member of congress by the first past the post method, it is currently represented by Republican Chris Smith. He has represented the district since 1981....
from 1861 to 1863, and Mayor of Morristown from 1865 to 1869.George T. Cobb, Biographical Directory of the United States CongressBiographical Directory of the United States CongressThe Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as well as its predecessor, the Continental Congress...
. Accessed August 18, 2007. - Augustus W. CutlerAugustus W. CutlerAugustus William Cutler was a 19th century politician and lawyer from New Jersey. He was the great-grandson of Silas Condict.-Biography:...
(1827–1897), U.S. Representative from New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.Augustus W. Cutler, Biographical Directory of the United States CongressBiographical Directory of the United States CongressThe Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as well as its predecessor, the Continental Congress...
. Accessed July 24, 2007. - Peter DinklagePeter DinklagePeter Dinklage is an American film, television and theater actor. Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian...
(born 1969), actor.Meoli, Daria. "That’s Entertainment", New Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
, October 2005. Accessed December 26, 2007. "Find Me Guilty, shot in Newark, Bayonne, and Hoboken, stars tough guy Vin Diesel as Giacomo “Fat Jack” DiNorscio, in the true story of New Jersey’s notorious mob family the Lucchesis. Morristown native Peter Dinklage plays a defense attorney." - Caroline C. Fillmore (1813–81), wife of PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Millard FillmoreMillard FillmoreMillard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
, was born in Morristown.Caroline Carmichael McIntosh Fillmore, Buffalo Architecture and History. Accessed November 23, 2008. "Caroline Carmichael was the daughter of Charles Carmichael and Temperance Blachley Carmichael. She was born in Morristown, New Jersey, 10/21/1813." - Adam GardnerAdam GardnerAdam Seth Gardner is a guitarist and vocalist of the band Guster and a member of the Tufts University Beelzebubs...
(born 1973), singer/songwriter/guitarist of the band GusterGusterGuster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
grew up in Morristown.Staff. "danielle austen", Daily Record (New Jersey), June 27, 2003. Accessed January 3, 2011. "Adam Gardner of the band Guster right grew up in Morristown." - Samuel Hazard Gillespie, Jr. (1910–2011), former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.Staff. "S.H. GILLESPIE, 79, IMPORTER, IS DEAD; Retired Partner in Concern Here Aided U.S. in War as Transport Expert", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, December 2, 1957. Accessed January 3, 2011. "MORRISTOWN, N.J., Dec. 1 --Samuel Hazard Gillespie, a retired exporter and importer, died here today at his home, 25 Ogden Place." - Justin GimelstobJustin GimelstobJustin Jeremy Gimelstob is a retired American tennis player. Gimelstob has been a resident of Morristown, New Jersey and as of 2009 resided in Santa Monica, California....
(born 1977), professional tennis player.Robbins, Liz. "Tennis: Notebook; Gimelstob Says Fine For Spitting Is Low", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, August 31, 2001. Accessed June 1, 2008. "Gimelstob was so disturbed that he threatened to find Tabara in the locker room afterward. Yesterday, Gimelstob, from Morristown, N.J., was even more angry." - Anna HarrisonAnna HarrisonAnna Tuthill Symmes Harrison , wife of President William Henry Harrison and grandmother of President Benjamin Harrison, was nominally First Lady of the United States during her husband's one-month term in 1841, but she never entered the White House.-Early Life and Marriage:Anna was born at her...
(1775–1864), First Lady of the United StatesFirst Lady of the United StatesFirst Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
, wife of President William Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
and grandmother of President Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
.Brooks, Gertrude Zeth. "The First Ladies Of The Nation", Reading EagleReading EagleThe Reading Eagle is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This family-owned newspaper has a daily circulation of 64,000 and a Sunday circulation of 100,000...
, September 9, 1960. Accessed September 4, 2011. "As the wife of a president of the United States and grandmother of a later one, Anna Symmes Harrison was the first First Lady from the state of New Jersey. She was born in Morristown, N.J., during the first year of the Revolutionary War and died during the Civil War." - Linda HuntLinda HuntLinda Hunt is an American film, stage and television actress. After making her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in Popeye , Hunt portrayed Billy Kwan, her breakthrough performance in The Year of Living Dangerously...
(born 1945), the Academy Award winning actress, was born in Morristown.Kelly, Kevin. "LINDA HUNT; AT LAST, SHE WINS FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION", Boston Globe, January 15, 1984. Accessed January 3, 2011. - I. Stanford JolleyI. Stanford JolleyIsaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
(1900–78), actor. - Otto Hermann KahnOtto Hermann KahnOtto Hermann Kahn was an investment banker, collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts.-Life and career:He was born on February 21, 1867, and raised in the city of Mannheim, Germany, to Jewish parents...
(1867–1934), among the 76 millionaires listed in the 1896 Morristown Social Directory.Rae, John W. & John W. Rae Jr. (1980). Morristown's Forgotten Past "The Gilded Age." Morristown, NJ, John W. Rae. - Luther KountzeLuther KountzeLuther Kountze was an American banker, responsible for helping the city of Denver, Colorado in a time of need and leaving a philanthropic legacy in Morristown, New Jersey...
(1841–1918), banker who built an estate in Morristown in the late 1880s.Staff. "OLD KOUNTZE ESTATE SOLD; Physician Buys 400 Acres at Moristown, N.J.", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, March 2, 1924. Accessed January 3, 2011. "Dr. Nathan Blaustein of New York City has purchased the large estate formerly owned by the late Luther Kountze, known as 'Delbarton,' at Morristown, N.J. " - Fran LebowitzFran Lebowitz-Life:Born and raised in Morristown, New Jersey, Lebowitz is best known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York sensibilities. Some reviewers have called her a modern-day Dorothy Parker...
(born 1950), author.Morris, Bob. "At Lunch with: Fran Lebowitz; Words Are Easy, Books Are Not", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, August 10, 1994. Accessed June 1, 2008. "Ms. Lebowitz grew up in Morristown, N.J., where her parents owned a furniture store." - Dave Moore (born 1969), former NFL tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
.Dave Moore profile, National Football League Players Association. Accessed July 24, 2007. "Hometown: Morristown, NJ...Attended Roxbury High School in Succasunna, New Jersey, lettering in football, basketball, baseball and track… High school All-America as a senior." - Troy MurphyTroy MurphyTroy Brandon Murphy is an American professional basketball power forward who last played with the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township located in northwest New Jersey...
(born 1980), professional basketball player.Youngmisuk, Ohm. "Doherty's Putting the 'Fight' Back in Fighting Irish", New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, March 30, 2000. Accessed June 1, 2008. "'You can consider him a player's coach,' said Troy Murphy, a Morristown native and Big East Player of the Year."
- Thomas NastThomas NastThomas Nast was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who is considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was the scourge of Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall machine...
(1840–1902), caricaturist and editorial cartoonist, lived in Morristown for more than twenty years.Thomas Nast: America's Image Maker, Macculloch Hall Museum. Accessed July 24, 2007. "Thomas Nast moved his family to Morristown, NJ in 1870, believing it to be a safe distance from his political enemy, William "Boss" Tweed of New York. Although his work for Harper's took him weekly to New York for overnight stays, Nast was a full-fledged resident of Morristown." - Craig NewmarkCraig NewmarkCraig Alexander Newmark is an Internet entrepreneur best known for being the founder of the San Francisco-based international website Craigslist.-Biography:...
(born 1952), founder of craigslist.orgCraigslistCraigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
was born in Morristown and attended Morristown High School.Ante, Stephen E. "The Net's Free Force: Craig Newmark's craigslist is an online grapevine that generates 1.5 billion page views a month", Business Week, August 15, 2005. "A 52-year-old native of Morristown, N.J., Newmark began craigslist while working as a freelance software developer in San Francisco." - Neil O'DonnellNeil O'DonnellNeil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
(born 1966), former NFL quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, most notably for the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.Nakamura, David. "O'Donnell Bracing for Media Blitz; Quarterback Jumps From Pittsburgh's Frying Pan to New York's Firing Line", The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, August 13, 1996. Accessed February 26, 2008. "Since joining the Jets -- and returning to play near his home in Morristown, N.J. -- O'Donnell has tried to quash talk that he is more interested in getting paid..." - Sister ParishSister ParishSister Parish was an American interior decorator and socialite. She was the first interior designer brought in to decorate the Kennedy White House, a position that was soon usurped by French interior designer Stéphane Boudin...
(1910–1994), interior decorator and socialite, most notably as the first interior designer brought in to decorate the KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.Pace, Eric. "Sister Parish, Grande Dame of American Interior Decorating, Is Dead at 84", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, September 10, 1994. Accessed July 17, 2011. "Mrs. Parish's own girlhood was, if not regal, at least baronial. She was born Dorothy May Kinnicutt in July 15, 1910, in Morristown, N.J., the daughter of G. Hermann Kinnicutt and the former May Appleton Tuckerman, who had homes in Manhattan, Maine and Paris, as well as New Jersey." - Rick PorcelloRick PorcelloFrederick Alfred "Rick" Porcello III is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
(born 1988), starting pitcher for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.via Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. "RHP Porcello is Detroit Tigers rookie of the year", USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, November 5, 2009. Accessed January 3, 2011. "Porcello led all American League rookies with 14 wins in 2009. The Morristown, N.J., native notched a 3.96 ERA and 89 strikeouts in his first season." - Robert Randolph of Robert Randolph & the Family Band.Wise, Brian. "Eclectic Sounds of New Jersey, Echoing From Coast to Coast", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, February 8, 2004. Accessed November 22, 2007. - Garrett ReismanGarrett ReismanGarrett Erin Reisman is an American engineer and former NASA astronaut. He was a backup crew member for Expedition 15 and joined Expedition 16 aboard the International Space Station for a short time before becoming a member of Expedition 17. He returned to Earth 14 June 2008 on board STS-124 on...
(born 1968) NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut, first American to be on board of the International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
.Garrett E. Reisman, NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. Accessed October 7, 2008. - Gene ShalitGene ShalitGene Shalit is a film and book critic. He has filled these roles on NBC's The Today Show since January 15, 1973. He is known for his frequent use of puns, his oversized handlebar moustache, and for wearing colorful bowties.-Career:...
(born 1932), film critic on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Today Show.Gene Shalit, The Today Show, December 10, 2004. Accessed January 27, 2008. "In six years he fled to Morristown, New Jersey, where he was columnist for the high school paper and narrowly escaped expulsion." - John Cleves SymmesJohn Cleves SymmesJohn Cleves Symmes was a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey, and later a pioneer in the Northwest Territory. He was also the father-in-law of President William Henry Harrison .-Early biography:He was the son of the Rev...
(1742–1814), Delegate to the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, pioneer responsible for the Symmes PurchaseSymmes PurchaseThe Symmes Purchase, also known as the Miami Purchase, was an area of land in Southwestern Ohio in what is now Hamilton, Butler, and Warren Counties. It was purchased by Judge John Cleves Symmes of New Jersey from the Continental Congress...
, Father-in-law of PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
William Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
.WESTERN BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING CO., 1882 - Jyles TuckerJyles TuckerJyles Christopher Tucker is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
(born 1983), linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.Jyles Tucker, San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Accessed November 21, 2007. - Alfred Vail (1807–1859), inventor of the Morse codeMorse codeMorse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
.Alfred Vail, World of Invention. Accessed June 1, 2008. "Alfred Vail was born on September 25, 1807, in Morristown, New Jersey, where his father, Stephen, operated the Speedwell Iron Works." - Tom VerlaineTom VerlaineTom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:...
(born 1949) songwriter, guitarist, and lead singer for the New York rock band TelevisionTelevision (band)Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
.New Jersey Music, FamousNewJerseyans.com. Accessed july 17, 2011. - George Theodore WertsGeorge Theodore WertsGeorge Theodore Werts was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 28th Governor of New Jersey from 1893 to 1896...
(1846–1910), 28th Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
from 1893–1896, who served as Mayor of Morristown from 1886-1892.New Jersey Governor George Theodore Werts, National Governors AssociationNational Governors AssociationThe National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
. Accessed August 1, 2007. - Nancy ZeltsmanNancy ZeltsmanInternational Marimba Soloist, Nancy Zeltsman has taught at the Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music since 1993.-Biography:Zeltsman was born in 1958 in Morristown, New Jersey...
(born 1958), jazz vibraphonist.Nancy Zeltsman, University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. Accessed July 17, 2011. "Nancy Zeltsman was born in 1958 in Morristown, New Jersey. She studied piano starting at age five and then took up percussion when she was thirteen. She studied intensely with Ian Finkel during high school, focusing on mallet sight-reading."Biography, Nancy Zeltsman. Accessed November 23, 2008.
External links
- Official website
- "Where the People Live"
- Morristown travel guide from WikitravelWikitravel-External links:* *...
- The Morristown & Morris Township Public Library