Acorn Hall is an 1853 Victorian

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

mansion located at 68 Morris Avenue in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on April 3, 1973, for its significance in architecture. With It serves as the headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society, which operates Acorn Hall as a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

. After inheriting the property, antiwar activist and actress Mary Crane Hone tried for decades to donate the property for historical preservation, finally succeeding in 1971.Acorn Hall's National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
,

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

, USDotI

History

Named for the two-centuries-old

oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

formerly standing on its property, Acorn Hall was built in 1853 by the Schermerhorn family as a simple four-room over four-room farmhouse. Following the death of Mrs. Schermerhorn in 1854, Dr. Schermerhorn put the house and its contents up for sale. It was purchased in 1857 by the Augustus Crane family of New York. The Cranes in 1860 had the house enlarged and remodeled in the then-fashionable Italianate Villa style.

Legacy

After being passed down through several generations, the house was given to the Historical Society in 1971 by antiwar activist, actress, and curator Mary Crane Hone. Hone was the last private resident of the property. Historians have recognized Acorn Hall for its authentic mid-Victorian era furnishings, primarily pieces from the Schermerhorn and Crane-Hone families, supplemented with significant objects from other prominent Morris County families of the 19th century. Carpeting, wall coverings, and decorative paint techniques remain as they were in the nineteenth century. Acorn Hall also offers an exhibit gallery with changing exhibits highlighting various aspects of Morris County history and Victorian culture. In addition to the National Register of Historic Places, Acorn Hall is on the New Jersey State Register, and is part of the

New Jersey Women's Heritage Trail The New Jersey Women's Heritage Trail is a collaborative effort between the New Jersey's Historic Preservation Office, part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and 94 historic sites statewide to raise awareness about the roles ...

, in recognition of the importance of the Crane and Hone women in both preservation and the

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

movement. The grounds are also connected to the

Morris County Park Commission The Morris County Park Commission (MCPC) is a board of commissioners that manages parks, facilities, and historic sites in Morris County, New Jersey. It is the largest county park system in New Jersey. Russel Myers was its first Secretary-Direct ...

's Patriot's Path system of trails.

References

External links

*
MCHS/ Acorn Hall official site
{{NRHP in Morris County, New Jersey Historic house museums in New Jersey Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Italianate architecture in New Jersey Houses completed in 1853 Museums in Morristown, New Jersey Houses in Morris County, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Morris County, New Jersey Villas in the United States New Jersey Register of Historic Places

History

Legacy

See also

References

External links