Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Welcome

The George Griswold Frelinghuysen Arboretum (127 acres) is an

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

located at 353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Township,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. It is open daily without charge. It is also the headquarters of the Morris County Parks Commission. The arboretum features thematic collections of plant life, including ornamental grasses, spring-blooming shrubs and perennials, summer shrubs and cutbacks, fall fruit and foliage, shade trees, and a garden called the "promising plants garden" which has underused plants supplied by nurseries, growers, and breeders. In front of the large main house there is the Great Lawn, a large gently sloping manicured grassy expanse in the style of an English county manor landscape; it is the site of outdoor concerts in the warmer months. There are different nature and horse trails. There is a Braille Nature Trail in a small wooded hollow just off the Great Lawn which was designed for hands-on exploration. The Kathryn A. Porter "Branching Out!" Garden is worked on by children ages 5–13 during a spring after-school and summer program; the course of study includes cooking and crafts. Participants grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers to take home. The Patriots' Path is a network of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails and green open spaces, and links to other parks in

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Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Building Entrance

Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Stream

The arboretum surrounds the Frelinghuysens'

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

mansion and its formal gardens, and features nature trails with labeled trees and shrubs. The arboretum was established on the site of Whippany Farm, owned by

George Griswold Frelinghuysen (1851-1936) George Griswold Frelinghuysen (May 9, 1851 – April 21, 1936) was an American patent lawyer, and president of P. Ballantine & Sons Company, a New Jersey brewery. Early life Frelinghuysen was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 1851. He was ...

, son of

Frederick T. Frelinghuysen Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (August 4, 1817May 20, 1885) was an American lawyer and politician from New Jersey who served as a U.S. Senator and later as United States Secretary of State under President Chester A. Arthur. Early life and e ...

, and a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

attorney and president of

Ballantine Brewing Company P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company was an American brewery founded in 1840, making Ballantine one of the oldest brands of beer in the United States. At its peak, it was the 3rd largest brewer in the US. The brand is currently owned and ope ...

from 1905 until his retirement, and Sara Ballantine (1858-1940) of

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Peter Ballantine Peter Ballantine (November 16, 1791 – January 23, 1883) was the founder of Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company in 1840 in Newark, New Jersey, United States. Early life He was born on November 16, 1791, in Dundee, Scotland. He decided t ...

of the Ballantine Brewing Company. In 1920, Mrs. Sara Ballantine planted roses, and the rose beds were laid out between the spokes of a Chippendale style brick wall set in a basket weave pattern. In 1964 their daughter, Matilda Frelinghuysen (1887-1969) began plans to turn the estate into an arboretum. Today's Frelinghuysen Arboretum was dedicated in 1971. File:Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Grounds Trees.jpg, Evergreen conifers abound on the spacious property. File:Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Along Trail.jpg, In summer, this gazebo juts out over a small pond. File:Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Tree.jpg, The preserve has a wide variety of trees, plants, and gardens. Young trees are sometimes enclosed with wire fences to prevent deer from eating the leaves. File:Frelinghuysen Arboretum Morristown Front Lawn.jpg, The picturesque 127-acre estate was bequeathed to Morris County by Matilda E. Frelinghuysen, who inherited the estate from her parents, in 1969. She participated in plans to convert the property into an arboretum open to the public.

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