Historical Tour
HANOVER, WEST HANOVER
AND MORRISTOWN !!!
The Whippany Cemetery dates to the 1700s. Three of the original Morris
County Freeholders are entombed there, as well as Jacob Green, a designer of
the NJ Constitution, a signer of the U.S. Constitution and he actively opposed
slavery. Jacob Green was a brew-master and the minister at the
Presbyterian Church at the north end of Hanover Road. That church and its
nearby startup church in Whippany were the parent churches of the first
Presbyterian churches at Madison and Morristown, etc.
Early cemetery records
(partial) . . .
East
Hanover and Whippany
Morristown
Presbyterian Churchyard
Holy Rood
Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery
Photos thanks to Glen K. Coutts.
In 1715, Kay, Stevenson and Helby bought about 4500 acres at the present site of
Morristown and part of Morris
Township from the Council of Proprietors of the Western Division of New
Jersey.
King
George II gave a church
bell to the Presbyterian Church in Morristown -
about 1763 - before the Revolutionary War.
Thanks for some of this information from
John Viola.
Morristown's early Presbyterian
Churches This Manse, the home of the Presbyterian pastor,
Rev.Timothy Johnnes of
the Revolutionary War days, became
the first home of the Morristown Memorial Hospital.
The second structure for the Morristown Presbyterian Church . . .
1752 
1771
About seventeen persons held services
approximately a mile from the Green in
1752. In 1771 a small church was built across from the Green near the
present Speedwell
Avenue.
Their cemetery was just behind that church. Later, the
interred were removed to Evergreen Cemetery.
The roots of
Brown University of Rhode Island, began at Morristown as
the Hopewell Academy (circa 1750), the first Baptist Theological School. Reverend
Isaac Eaton and Brown
University's first president, Rev.
James Manning, began as preachers at
our First Baptist Church. This is the religion that most supported "the
separation
of church and state."
[
Across
from the Morris County Courthouse.
In 1892, the congregation had this beautiful Romanesque Revival Church dedicated.
It suffered a major
fire in 2000, but has been restored by the devoted
congregation.
During the Civil War, the Baptists divided into Southern
Baptists (now mainly Southern), National Baptists (now
mainly Black) and (as in Morristown, now at Washington Street and Catano
Avenues) American Baptists with American Baptist HQ at Valley
Forge - King of Prussia, Pa. ]
1773
George Washington and his stepson,
John Parke Custis, came to our region in May of 1773 with William Alexander (Lord Stirling) to visit various "royalists,"
such as Governor William Franklin and Peter Kemble. Washington had
"tea" and discussed the "Tea Act" in New York with his old
acquaintance of French and Indian War days, General Gage.
Peter Kemble's daughter became the wife of this "to be enemy
general." Two years later, Washington and Gage would face each
other as enemies at Boston. Washington then reconnoitered his future
battle regions - from Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Burlington, Philadelphia and
York, Pa.
Morristown had 57 houses
and buildings in the Revolutionary War days. In 1777, soldiers would
work on a redoubt atop a hill at Morristown. The hill has since been
called Mount Saint Michael, and the fort was called "Fort
Nonsense." This tall
hill directly above the town of Morristown eventually had a reservoir and a
Methodist cemetery on the hillside, just below Fort Nonsense.
To the south of Fort
Nonsense is Mount Kemble, owned by the Kemble family.
This
hill is just east of
Jockey Hollow and (the 1700's Jacob Larzelears Half Moon
Tavern). (Route202
South).
These are the times that try men's souls ...
THOMAS PAINE (originally Thomas Pain).
Goal (Jail) and the Courthouse The Jacob Arnold Tavern
Tavern and Inn was the 1777 HQ.
Jacob Arnold's Tavern was near the military storehouse
GW organized "Small Pox" inoculations and quarantine.
Jacob Arnold Tavern GW's FIRST
MORRISTOWN HQ 
IN EARLY 1777 MOST OF THE ARMY CAMPED SOUTHEAST OF
MORRISTOWN
Lowantica Valley - and Green Village
<== AND IN 1779-1780
SOUTHWEST AT JOCKEY HOLLOW
(photo)
The Joseph Morris House at the corner of Whippany Road and Hanover Avenue was
once a stagecoach stop. It was the home of one of George Washington's
Revolutionary War generals is in good condition. Washington gave Morris the task
of cutting off the British as they tried to enter the colonies from Canada.
Morris was wounded in the throat during the action, was carried by Colonial
troops back to this home, where he died from his wounds.
THE WORST WINTER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - 1780
GW ... 
by Trego
Tempe Wick House at Jockey Hollow and Headquarters
with the Ford family and the Military HQ Family.
The Wick house was the HQ of General St. Clair 1779-80
J O C K E Y H O
L L O W E N C A M P M E N T December 1779 - May 1780.
The toughest winter of deep, deep snow and run-away inflation hit Morristown and
the eastern US in 1780.
General Washington
The trial of Benedict Arnold took place at Dickerson's Tavern (at Spring
St. & MLK)
General Washington had to publicly berate Arnold, but he promised to "make
up for it."
After Arnold was later appointed to defend "West Point," he turned
traitor and escaped.
This house may still exist with a double width brick and window storefront built
around it.
Martha Washington's second Morristown
Home
LaFayette brought the news of possible overall VICTORY, with the help
of the French.
Now Private Businesses - 5 Maple Avenue - was built, circa 1800, for
Canfield &
Wetmore General Store's proprietor, Israel Canfield. In the
1840's, it served as the manse for the Methodist Church.
The first railroad into Morristown was routed behind what is now King's Super
Market on South Street, along Railroad Avenue (now Maple Avenue) to Dehart
Street, a block to the s/east of #5 Maple Avenue. The town planners had
intended to continue the railroad n/west across the Bank Street Gulch and up
the steep hill on Ann Street. But the plan was redrawn, and the railroad
tracks were moved from this site - to the north/e, along the present RR
station site on Morris St. near Lumber St.
The first services
for Saint Peter's Episcopal congregation were held on January 1, 1827 in the
home of George Macculloch.
The Macculloch Hall Museum and Gardens (since
1949) The house was enlarged and completed in
1819.
It shows a collection of 18th and 19th century English
and American fine decor and has a large collection of the works of
Thomas Nast, the creator of "Uncle Sam," portly "Santa
Claus," "the GOP Elephant," "the Dem-Donkey" ...
It is shown with "The Kedge" in the background, which is owned by
descendants of George Macculloch.
The Federal-style brick building began as a smaller home and school house, for George Macculloch, the "Father
of the
Morris Canal." George Macculloch envisioned the connection of the
Morris County iron factories with the Pennsylvania coal mines by via a canal from the Delaware
River to the Hudson River - with locks and inclined-planes and fed from the waters
from Lake Hopatcong in the center of northern New
Jersey.
Macculloch organized the planning and construction of the canal which was
completed in 1831.
A section of
the "MORRIS CANAL" (near Bloomfield, NJ)
The second Morris County Courthouse
(built 1826-1827 in federal style) at Washington Street, Court Street and
Western Avenue. The statue of Lady Justice has a sword and scales but unlike many
others - no blindfold ! The local architects were John M. Lindsley of
Morristown and Lewis Carter of Chatham, NJ. The bell in the tower belfry
sounded for fires and for the opening of court. Hanging gallows equipment
are stored here.
Saint Peter's
Episcopal Church was
built in 1828, after their initial January 1, 1827
meeting at the George Macculloch house.
The church lasted for over half a century until replaced by the large stone
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church at South Street and Miller Road. Many
famous Morristown-ites were buried there, including members of
the Macculloch, Miller, Ford, Vail, Ogden, Foote and Wood families.
The Wheel House at the factory with a wheel using an "overshot" water
feed ...
Speedwell Dam at Speedwell Factory
The first steam driven ship to cross the Atlantic had boilers that were designed
here.
Where was the TELEGRAPH DEVELOPED ? ? ? ... H E R E ! ! !
Alfred Vail ministry student and inventor-engineer ... invented the dot-dash
Morse-Vail Code.
The
commercial telegraph was born here.
Thus, this is one of the
ROOTS of the INTERNET !
Look at the
ACTUAL CODE ==> VAIL-MorseCODE.
See
the invention
site of the Telegraph.
Learn of the
Morse-Vail code -
a huge but very interesting story.
The train has put us
on the map, too.
President
William C. Harrison wed
Morristown's Anita Symmes.
Her grandson, William H. Harrison,
was also PRESIDENT of the USA.
President
Millard
Fillmore wed Morristown's Carolyn
Carmichael.
The wisteria above the
porch is said to have been a gift from Commodore Matthew C. Perry
from the 1854
Japanese expedition.
Now a Private Home
. . .
This Vernacular Gothic Revival house at
40 Macculloch Avenue was built in 1852 for Jane Slidell and her
husband Christopher Raymond
Perry Rogers ( d. 1892 ), the nephew
of Oliver Hazard Perry. Admiral Rogers was the Superintendent of the U.S.
Naval Academy at Annapolis during the Mexican Wars, and he was
Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific
Squadron.
(the church with the white steeple)
After a split in Morristown's Presbyterian congregation in 1840, a wooden
white-steeple 'd "South Street Presbyterian Church" was built at 65
South Street. The present structure was built in 1878 in a Romanesque
Revival design by Josiah Cleveland Cady - after the first structure was
destroyed by fire from the furnace (that furnace was later repaired and given
to the Lyceum across the street (that building later burned). In 1920,
the split in congregations was resolved, and the new structure was modified to
contain offices, Sunday school classes, meeting rooms, and a basketball court
or auditorium with a stage. (the present "Parish House")
(a
three story tall building with full front porch)
A Private Home. The Pitney House 43 Maple Avenue
was built from 1860-1864 and purchased
by
Henry C. Pitney was President of the Morris Aqueduct and the National
Iron Bank, County Prosecutor,
Vice-Chancellor of New Jersey and Director of the Lyceum and
Library
The Lyceum & Library burned.
It had been using the same furnace as used by the So. St. Presbyterian
Church, which had also caught fire and burned.
The Lyceum then became an armory on South Street.
THE LYCEUM on SOUTH STREET
The Maple Avenue School - 1867 "... dear old golden rule
days." Joyce Kilmer, who wrote the poem Trees
(I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree . . .)
- taught here in 1911 ..."
Maple Avenue High School - 1910
"The
Kedge" (a small anchor) was first built from
1870-1880 as a summer cottage for Henry Miller, but later enlarged.
He was a distinguished lieutenant-commander in the U.S. Navy. The enlarged
residence was the permanent residence
of the Macculloch family . . . descendents of his grandfather George Macculloch.
Miller Road is named for this family.
A private home "THE KEDGE" 49
Macculloch Avenue is next door to the ...
General Logan's AMERICAN LEGION
'First National Commander' was Morristown's Franklin
D' Olier.
HERSHEY
CHOCOLATE was founded by Milton
Hershey who, in 1862, worked on South Street at Day's Confectionery.
The Colles Mansion
The present Kellogg Club and gardens
was the home of Julia Keese Colles and John Colles of Colles Avenue.
They bought the original Washington's HQ - Jacob Arnolds Tavern and had
it preserved by moving it a half mile south to what is now the eastern parking
lot of the Morristown Memorial Hospital's REHAB CENTER. It was the first
All Souls Hospital in Morristown.
A National Historical
Landmark once visited by Mark Twain and Ulysses S. Grant
Private Home -Built 1866 as Villa Fontana and was the home of THOMAS NAST from 1872
for 20 years.
Rolley-Polley
Santa Claus came from here. So did the the donkey and elephant
of the major parties;
skinny Uncle Sam,
too! The Tammany Tiger of
a political cartoonists, Thomas Nast
had something
to do with it! Nast
died from malaria in Central America while serving our government.
George and Martha slept here
across from the Green.
Originally the JACOB ARNOLD TAVERN
This is an 1886 view before it was moved south of town to become the All Souls
Hospital.
Private Home - General Fitz John Porter house
Private Home - 2 Farragut Place (nice !)
at 1 Farragut Place was built from 1880 to 1890. He
Some think that Frank Lloyd Wright would like this !!!
served at Greystone Park Hospital and once helped
reorganize the New York City government. He had
served under General Lee at West Point. At the Battle of
Bull Run, he was court marshaled for refusing commands.
However, in 1878, he was exonerated by Congress.
Now, the oldest church building
in Morristown.
A Ruskinian Gothic style church, now listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
This second structure 
was
raised in 1872
and later reconstructed with a modernized altar area - after a 1980s fire.
The Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption was formed in 1845
within the "Little Dublin" neighborhood by Irish immigrants.
St.
Margaret's Roman Catholic Church on Sussex Avenue
at Speedwell Avenue was begun in 1885.
BLACHLEY SQUARE, in honor of Blachley, who died in the Spanish-American War.
WASHINGTON'S FIRST HEADQUARTERS
IN
MORRISTOWN
Arnold's Tavern became
and then 
All Souls Hospital
Sharp-shooter
ANNEY OAKLEY married Morristown's
Frank Class.
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church was
built in 1828, after their initial January 1, 1827
meeting at the George Macculloch house.
The church lasted for over half a century until replaced by the large stone
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church at South Street and Miller Road. Many
famous Morristown folks were buried there, including members of
the Macculloch, Miller, Ford, Vail, Ogden, Foote and Wood families.
Miller Road - St. Peter's Churchyard
Miller Road - St. Peter's Churchyard
A Jockey Club created by Wall Streeters.
The Whippany River Club, now gone, was at the present Mennen property at
Cory Road and E. Hanover Avenue, a place of horse racing and auto racing.
Yes, Morristown had telephone polls - on Washington Street !
Park Place West ? The Green is on the right ! Do they now
call this North Park Place?
Come stay at the UNITED STATES HOTEL as guest of A. E. Vorhees !
The Green, when there was a two-way street with a trolley car and buggies.
South Street near Dehart Street looking N/w - in horse and buggy days !
The Morristown Presbyterian Church's third building on the Green was built in the 1890's
The trolley came to town in
1909.
A CABOOSE of the MORRIS & ERIE RR - a line with tracks to Whippany and
Caldwell ...
The Fire House ! Is that a ghost of the HQ Plaza Buildings in the sky
behind ?
The corner of N/w PARK PLACE, WATER
ST. and SPEEDWELL AVENUE (was Bridge Street).
The fire station has a short flag pole. Ah! Automobiles and street
lights ! . . .
Yes, kids ! Horses and dogs need water, too !
CLICK
HERE FOR MORE PICTURES OF SPEEDWELL
NEAR THE GREEN
The Mansion House Hotel in Morristown, NJ circa 1910s.
The Dam at Pocahontas Lake with freight cars in the background . . .
Boniface's Market was on Park Place. Photo is near Howard House
The Park Hotel and restaurant ... was this at 26 South Street ?
DAY'S RESTAURANT SINCE 1862 !
ICE CREAM !!! Day's, where MILTON HERSEY worked as a young
man.
12 and 14 Pine Street - Victor A. Weiss and Brothers Garage
The Woman's Community Club on South Street at Community
The Morristown Inn was on the site of the present Community Theatre.
Hetty Green, the feisty and famous Wall Street investor had a room
here.
She left funds at St. Peter's Parish which now serve charities in Morristown.
The Morristown-Morris Township Library - 1 Miller Road at South Street.
The Joint Free Public Library of Morristown and Morris Township. (MTT).
1917 . . .
Around the Green . . .
The Young Ladies Seminary.
The Miss Dana School for Girls.
The Morristown Memorial Hospital was in the old Presbyterian (White) Manse on
Morris Street
and then on the hill behind that (behind the present mid-town mall) and then was
moved to the
present site on Madison Avenue near Jefferson Street and Franklin Street.
It has grown!
Young
(later
President) Theodore Roosevelt stayed
nearby at an estate called "the
Holt".
The
old town hall - 
THE THEODORE VAIL RESIDENCE / MUSEUM ON SOUTH STREET AT MILLER ROAD.
This Italian Renaissance Palazzo style mansion was to show family art
collections and inventions.
It was built from 1916 - 1918 by the twice president of the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company and
was chief architect of the "Bell System." Vail died soon after
construction was completed (he never lived there).
The bronze doors depict eight panels of scenes from local history and lore. The building was acquired by Morristown in 1922 for municipal offices - TOWN
HALL !
Morristown is surrounded by many
colleges and private schools. The public schools often excel at the state
level.
The Morristown School later became the Morristown-Beard School.
The Arboretum on East Hanover
Avenue near Whippany road is now the County Parks Department Headquarters..
Morristown is surrounded by fantastic Park Systems and Arboretums.
Soranno Park, where horses once
raced and Mennen has since made skin bracer ... "Thanks! I needed
that !"
In the 1950's we had racing just north of town. The site now has the
county's Indoor Ice Skating Rinks.
The Turnpike Inn
An infamous murder of a family and helper, Phoebe, by
La Blank took place here in the 18th century.
The Wedgwood Inn on South Street at Hamilton became Society
Hill, Phoebe's and then Jimmy's Haunt
Patriot's Farewell or Patriots' Farewell
The ex-Beneficial Finance HQ - the Carteret Bank - now TOWN HALL.
"The Seeing Eye" -
the private dog training organization for the Blind
- is nearby. Training is on Morristown streets. Drive
carefully!
Thanks for some of the above information from
John Viola.
For
Fun see
Washington's
HeadQuarters
Click ==> and a site
of the "The
WASHINGTON ASSN OF NJ"
For
Fun take a
PICTURE
WALKING TOUR
Click MORRISTOWN,
NJ. Courtesy of MorrisTourism .org
(c)
Copyright 1998-February, 2008
- etc., Tom j. Collins. He does not endorse or control
third party Web Site(s) contents.
Images, other than by T. Collins, are the (c) of their
representative owners.
