Dr. Jabez Campfield House facts for kids
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Dr. Jabez Campfield House
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Campfield House
Schuyler-Hamilton House |
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 Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5 Olyphant Place Morristown, New Jersey |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1765 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000837 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 4, 2008 |
The Dr. Jabez Campfield House is a historic home in Morristown, New Jersey. It is also known as the Schuyler Hamilton House. This two-story house was built in the old colonial Georgian style. Today, it is a museum.
The house is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Morristown Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) owns and cares for it.
Contents
History of the Campfield House
Who Lived Here First?
The house was built around 1760 in Morristown, New Jersey. In 1765, a young doctor named Jabez Campfield bought the house. He moved there from Newark with his new wife, Sarah Ward. Dr. Campfield started his medical practice in Morristown.
The Campfields lived in the house for 56 years. Their only son, William, was born there in 1766. William later inherited the house when his father passed away in 1821.
A Doctor During the American Revolution
Dr. Campfield was not just a local doctor. He also served as a surgeon in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
During the winter of 1777, the Continental Army stayed in Morristown. A serious illness called smallpox spread through the army and the town. Dr. Campfield played a very important role. He helped protect soldiers by giving them inoculations (a type of early vaccine) against the disease. He used his house as a place to do this important work.
A Special Winter: Hamilton and Schuyler
The army returned to Morristown for another winter in 1779–1780. Dr. John Cochran, the top surgeon for the Continental Army, stayed at Dr. Campfield's house. The house became a "flying hospital," which was a mobile hospital for the army. It also stored medical supplies.
That winter, a famous Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, met his future wife, Elizabeth Schuyler. Hamilton was a special assistant to George Washington. Washington was staying nearby at the Ford Mansion. Dr. Cochran's wife, Gertrude, joined him at the Campfield house. In January, their niece Elizabeth Schuyler came to visit too.
Soon after meeting, Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler fell in love and became engaged. A popular story says that Dr. Cochran often found the young couple sitting on his favorite sofa. This meant he couldn't relax there after a long day! Marrying Elizabeth Schuyler helped Alexander Hamilton connect with many powerful families of that time. This helped him become an important person in society.
The House Changes Hands
After the war, Dr. Campfield continued to train many doctors. He was also very active in community projects. When he died in 1821, his son William inherited the house. William lived there for only three more years, passing away in 1824.
William left the house to his six children. However, none of them stayed in Morristown. The house was rented out for several years. It remained in the Campfield family until 1831. Then, the Tuttle family, who were important locally, bought it. The Tuttles owned the house for the next sixty years.
In 1891, a local builder named James Clark and an investor named Robert Dalglish bought the property. Clark later became the sole owner. In 1895, Clark moved the house about 100 feet back on the property. He also turned it to face Olyphant Place. For a few years, Clark rented the house out as two separate apartments.
Visiting the Schuyler-Hamilton House Today
In 1923, James Clark's widow, Millie, sold the house to the Morristown Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The DAR group carefully restored the house. They wanted it to look like it did during the American Revolution. They named it the Schuyler-Hamilton House to remember the love story of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.
Since 1924, the DAR chapter has used the house as their main office. They also open it to the public for tours. Inside, you can see furniture and items from the 1700s. Some items even belonged to Dr. Campfield and the Hamiltons. One special room, called the "keeping room," shows medical tools from the 18th century. It also explains how doctors practiced medicine back then. In 2020, part of the garden was updated with purple, yellow, and white flowers. This celebrated 100 years of the women's suffrage movement, which gave women the right to vote.
Volunteers from the DAR lead tours of the house regularly.
See also
