Morristown National Historical Park facts for kids
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Morristown National Historical Park
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Ford Mansion, Washington's headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey
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 Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | In and around Morristown, New Jersey |
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| Area | 1,711 acres (6.92 km2) |
| Built | 1744 |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Cape Cod |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000053 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHP | March 2, 1933 |
Morristown National Historical Park is a special place in New Jersey. It helps us remember important events from the American Revolutionary War. This park was the very first United States National Historical Park in the country!
The park has four main sites. These are Jockey Hollow, Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Washington's Headquarters Museum. These sites are found in and around Morristown, New Jersey. They show where soldiers and leaders stayed during the war.
Morristown National Historical Park was created on March 2, 1933. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. This was because of its important history in building, military events, and old discoveries.
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Exploring Morristown's Historic Sites
The park has several key locations. Each one tells a part of America's story.
Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow is a few miles south of Morristown. It was a camp for the Continental Army. This was the army that fought for America's freedom. Soldiers stayed here during the cold winters. Sometimes, soldiers became unhappy with their conditions. For example, some soldiers from Pennsylvania protested for better treatment.
Fort Nonsense
Fort Nonsense sits on a high hill. It looks over Morristown. People believe it was used for signal fires. These fires would send messages across distances. It also had earthworks, which are walls made of dirt for defense.
Ford Mansion
The Ford Mansion in Morristown was a very important home. George Washington, the leader of the Continental Army, stayed here. He and his staff spent the "hard winter" of 1779–1780 there. This was the coldest winter ever recorded in New Jersey.
The owner, Theodosia Ford, shared her home. She lived there with her four children. Washington, his helpers like Alexander Hamilton, and their servants also stayed. Even Martha Washington, George's wife, came to spend the winter.
Washington's Headquarters Museum
Next to the Ford Mansion is the Washington's Headquarters Museum. This museum is open to visitors most days. It has three rooms with exhibits. These exhibits teach you about the Revolutionary War. You can also watch a video called Morristown: Where America Survived.
If you want to see the Ford Mansion, you must take a guided tour. These tours start at the museum.
New Jersey Brigade Encampment Site
South of Jockey Hollow is the New Jersey Brigade Encampment Site. About 1,300 Continental Army soldiers camped here. They stayed during the winter of 1779–1780. It was another important winter camp for the troops.
How the Park Was Created
The idea for Morristown National Historical Park started a long time ago.
In April 1932, the National Park Service (NPS) suggested something. They thought the winter camps of the Continental Army should be a special protected area. They wanted to include Jockey Hollow and the Ford Mansion.
In January 1933, many leaders met. They included people from the NPS and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Business and community leaders from Morris County also joined. They wrote a plan to create a national historical park. They wanted it to be as important as the big parks out West.
The plan for the park went to United States Congress in January 1933. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ray Lyman Wilbur, strongly supported it. He called it "the most important park project" at that time.
In March 1933, Morristown officially became the country's first National Historical Park. This happened during the last days of Herbert Hoover's time as president.
See also
