Morristown () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Morris County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

.New Jersey County Map

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed July 10, 2017. Morristown has been called "the military capital of the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

. Morristown's history is visible in a variety of locations that collectively make up

Morristown National Historical Park Morristown National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, consisting of four sites important during the American Revolutionary War: Jockey Hollow, Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, ...

, the country's first National Historical Park. Morristown was incorporated as a town by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township, and it was formally set off from the township in 1895.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 195. Accessed May 30, 2024. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 20,180, its highest decennial census count ever and an increase of 1,769 (+9.6%) from the 2010 census count of 18,411, which in turn had reflected a decline of 133 (−0.7%) from the 18,544 counted at the 2000 census. According to

British colonial The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, while not forming p ...

records, the first permanent settlement in Morristown was New Hanover, founded in 1715 by colonists from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. Morris County was created on March 15, 1739, from portions of

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a County (United States), county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, 4th-least populous ...

. The county, and ultimately Morristown itself, was named for the popular Governor of the Province,

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

, who championed land ownership rights for colonists.

History

Present-day Morristown was initially inhabited by the

Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historical territory included present-day northeastern Del ...

Native Americans for up to 6,000 years prior to exploration of Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

in the early 17th century, when significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

, a Dutch colony, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir

George Carteret Vice admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet ( – 14 January 1680 New Style, N.S.) was a royalist statesman in Jersey and England, who served in the Clarendon ministry, Clarendon Ministry as Treasurer of the Navy. ...

and

John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1602 – 26 August 1678) of Berkeley House in Westminster and of Twickenham Park in Middlesex, was an English royalist soldier, politician and diplomat, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley f ...

, and named the

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial history of the United States, Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherla ...

18th century

Morristown was settled around 1715 by English

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

from

Southold, New York The Town of Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 23,732 at the 2020 census. The town contains a hamlet ...

, on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

and

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, as the village of New Hanover.Staff
"Morristown Timeline"
'' Daily Record'', March 23, 2000. Accessed July 19, 2012. "1715 - The Green is established as the center of the community of Morristown, then known as West Hanover, or New Hanover.... 1740 - Morris County separates from Hunterdon County and about half of the new county becomes the Township of Morris. As the most promising village in the county, West Hanover changes its name to Morristown, in honor of Lewis Morris, the first governor of the colony of New Jersey after it separated from New York." The town's central location and road connections led to its selection as the seat of the new Morris County shortly after its separation from

on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for

, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of

. By the middle of the 18th century, Morristown had 250 residents, with two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills and farms nearby.

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

first came to Morristown in May 1773, two years before the Revolutionary War broke out, and traveled from there to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

with

John Parke Custis John Parke Custis (November 27, 1754 – November 5, 1781) was an American planter class, planter and politician. Custis was a son of Martha Washington, Martha Dandridge Custis (later Washington) and Daniel Parke Custis, and later, the stepson o ...

, his stepson, and

Lord Stirling William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (December 27, 1725 – January 15, 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He held a claim to be the male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirl ...

. In 1777, General Washington and the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

marched from the victories at Trenton and

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington's headquarters during that first encampment was at Jacob Arnold's Tavern, located at the Morristown Green in the center of Morristown. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location. It was between Philadelphia and New York and near New England while being protected by the

Watchung Mountains The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States. The name is derived from the American Native Lenape name for them, Wach Unks ...

from the bulk of

British troops The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Gurkhas, 25,742 volunteer reserve personnel and 4,697 "other personnel", for a total of 108,4 ...

camped in New York City. It also was chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to support the army. The churches were used for

inoculation Inoculation is the act of implanting a pathogen or other microbe or virus into a person or other organism. It is a method of artificially inducing immunity against various infectious diseases. The term "inoculation" is also used more generally ...

s for

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

. That first headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved south of the green onto Mount Kemble Avenue to become All Souls' Hospital in the late 19th century. It suffered a fire in 1918, and the original structure was demolished, but new buildings for the hospital were built directly across the street. From December 1779 to June 1780, the Continental Army's second encampment at Morristown was at Jockey Hollow. Then, Washington's headquarters in Morristown was located at the

Ford Mansion The Ford Mansion, also known as Washington's Headquarters, is a classic 18th-century American home located at 30 Washington Place in Morristown, New Jersey that served as General George Washington's headquarters from December 1779 to June 1780 d ...

, a large mansion near what was then the edge of town. Ford's widow and children shared the house with

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 Old Style, O.S. – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the ...

and officers of the Continental Army. The winter of 1780 was the worst winter of the Revolutionary War. The starvation was complicated by extreme inflation of money and lack of pay for the army. The entire Pennsylvania contingent successfully mutinied. Later, 200 New Jersey soldiers also attempted unsuccessfully to mutiny. Many soldiers died, due to weak health. During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared

St. Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chri ...

a holiday to honor his many Irish troops. Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and remained with her husband each winter throughout the war. The

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

came to Washington in Morristown to inform him that France would be sending ships and trained soldiers to aid the Continental Army. Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of

, managed by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

, which has the distinction among

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

ists of being the first

National Historical Park National Historic Site (NHS) and National Historical Park (NHP) are designations for officially recognized areas of nationally historic significance in the United States. They are usually owned and managed by the federal government. An NHS usually ...

established in the United States. During Washington's stay,

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

was court-martialed at Dickerson's Tavern, on Spring Street, for charges related to profiteering from military supplies at

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him.

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

courted and wed Elizabeth Schuyler at a residence where Washington's personal physician resided. Locally known as the Schuyler-Hamilton House, the Dr. Jabez Campfield House is listed on both the New Jersey and

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. At Morristown Green, there is a statue commemorating the meeting of George Washington, the young Marquis de LaFayette, and young Alexander Hamilton as they discussed forthcoming aid from

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

ships and troops being sent by

King Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir-apparent of King Louis XV), and Mari ...

to aid the

in the Revolutionary War. Morristown's Burnham Park has a statue, "Father of the American Revolution", depicting

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In ...

, who wrote ''

Common Sense Common sense () is "knowledge, judgement, and taste which is more or less universal and which is held more or less without reflection or argument". As such, it is often considered to represent the basic level of sound practical judgement or know ...

'' in 1776, which urged a complete break from

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

rule and helped inspire the

. The bronze statue by sculptor Georg J. Lober shows Paine in 1776 using a drum as a table during the withdrawal of the army across New Jersey composing ''Crisis 1''. He wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls..." The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1950.

19th century

The idea for constructing the

Morris Canal The Morris Canal (1829–1924) was a toll road, common carrier Anthracite, anthracite coal canal across North Jersey, northern New Jersey that connected the two industrial canals in Easton, Pennsylvania across the Delaware River from its weste ...

is credited to Morristown businessman George P. Macculloch, who in 1822 convened a group to discuss his concept for a canal. The group included

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

Isaac Halstead Williamson Isaac Halstead Williamson (September 27, 1767July 10, 1844) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served two terms as the eighth governor of New Jersey, from 1817 to 1829. Early life and education Isaac Halstead Williamson was bor ...

, which led to approval of the proposal by the

later that year. The canal was used for a century. In July 1825 during his 15 month return tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street (the edifice still stands as of 2011). In 1827, St. Peter's Episcopal Church was founded at the behest of Bishop

George Washington Doane George Washington Doane (May 27, 1799 – April 27, 1859) was an American churchman, educator, and the second bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Episcopal Church for the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, Diocese of New ...

and many prominent Morristown Families, including George P. Macculloch, of the Morris Canal. When the Church was rebuilt by the then-internationally famous architectural firm,

McKim, Mead and White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm based in New York City. The firm came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in ''fin de siècle'' New York. The firm's founding partners, Cha ...

, beginning in 1889, the congregation erected one of the United States finest church buildings –a stone, English-gothic church complete with fined stained glass, and a long, decorated interior. Antoine le Blanc, a French immigrant laborer, murdered the Sayre family and their servant (or possibly slave), Phoebe. He was tried and convicted of murder of the Sayres (but not of Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. Until late 2006, the house where the murders were committed was known as "Jimmy's Haunt," which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost because her murder never saw justice. Jimmy's Haunt was torn down to make way for a bank in 2007. Samuel F. B. Morse and

Alfred Vail Alfred Lewis Vail (September 25, 1807 – January 18, 1859) was an American machinist and inventor. Along with Samuel Morse, Vail was central in developing and commercializing American electrical telegraphy between 1837 and 1844. Vail and Morse ...

built the first

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

at the Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was ''A patient waiter is no loser''. The first public demonstration of the invention occurred five days later as an early step toward the

Information Age The Information Age is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the Industrial Revolution, to an economy centered on information technology ...

. Jacob Arnold's Tavern, the first headquarters for Washington in Morristown and site of

's 1780 trial, was purchased by Morristown historian

Julia Keese Nelson Colles Julia Keese Nelson Colles (1840–1913) was an American historian, lecturer, and writer who lived in and studied Morristown, New Jersey. In 1893, she published a collection of Morristown, New Jersey#History, Morristown, New Jersey history in ''Au ...

(1840-1913) to save it from demolition in 1886. It was moved by horse-power in the winter of 1887 from "the green" (after being stuck on Bank Street for about six weeks) to a site south on Mount Kemble Avenue at what is now a parking lot for the Atlantic RIMM Rehabilitation Hospital. It became a boarding house for four years until it was converted by the

Grey Nuns The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian religious institute of Roman Catholic religious sisters, found ...

from

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

into All Souls' Hospital, the first general hospital in Morris County. George and Martha Washington's second floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. In 1910, the late

Augustus Lefebvre Revere Augustus Lefebvre Revere (1861-1910) was an American financier, banker, stock broker, and civic leader from Morristown, New Jersey. He was a member of the Morristown Club, the Morristown Golf Club, the Morristown Field Club, and the Washington A ...

(brother of hospital founder

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, military officer and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, ...

) willed the Hospital $10,000 to be used for the erection of a new building.Undated newspaper clipping, “Mr. Revere's Bequests.” Fosterfields cabinet, Subject Research Files: Paul & Augustus Revere. This fund was used 8 years later when the original Arnold's Tavern building was lost to a fire. The entire organization, nurses, doctors, and patients of All Souls' Hospital were then moved across Mount Kemble Avenue,

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

, to the newly built brick hospital building. All Souls' was set to close because of financial difficulties in the late 1960s. In 1973, it became Community Medical Center. In 1977, the center became bankrupt and was purchased by the then new and larger Morristown Memorial Hospital, which is now the

Morristown Medical Center Morristown Medical Center (MMC) is a 735 bed non-profit, tertiary, research and academic medical center located in Morristown, New Jersey, serving northern New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. The hospital is the flagship facility of ...

. On December 18, 1843, the Bethel

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan theology, Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, connexional polity. It ...

was incorporated. This was the first congregation established by blacks in Morris County. It is still active. The first site of the Church was located at 13 Spring Street and served as the only schoolhouse for colored children until 1870. The Church relocated to its present site at 59 Spring Street in 1874. The first Jews moved to Morristown in the 1850s, but much larger numbers of

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

migrated to the region from Eastern Europe in the 1890s, which led to the incorporation of the Morristown Jewish Center in 1899. Today there are several Jewish synagogues in Morristown reflecting the diversity of the community. In the 1880s, the town's residents were primarily farmers. The small amount of stores in the Morristown Green town center were only open during the evening to accommodate farmers who did not leave their work during the daytime. There were only a few stores in town, including Adams & Fairchild grocers and P. H. Hoffman & Son clothiers, both located in the Arnold's Tavern on the Morristown Green.Foster, Caroline. "Oral History Caroline Morristown," November 9, 1967. Interview conducted by Clayton Smith. Available from the Morris County Park Commission archives at Historic Sites\FosterFields\Oral Histories.

Gilded Age of Morristown

Starting in the mid-1800s, Morristown became a popular summer retreat for some of New York City's wealthiest residents. From the 1870s onwards, immense estates were built up along once rural thoroughfares; Madison Avenue, which runs along Morristown and

Madison, New Jersey Madison is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 16,937, an increase of 1,092 (+6.9%) from the 2010 United ...

, became known as "the street of the 100 millionaires" due to the sheer extravagance of the houses that were constructed. Between 1880 and 1929, the Gilded Age of Morristown occurred, when dozens of "millionaires with large fortunes built their estates" in Morristown and Morris Township.Overview: Township of Morris
Morris Township. Accessed December 8, 2022. In the

1880 United States census The 1880 United States census, conducted by the Census Office during June 1880, was the tenth United States census. In 1889, Christian charity organization

Market Street Mission Market Street Mission is an American charity organization and Christian mission based in Morristown, New Jersey. The organization operates a homeless shelter, meals, and emergency services, along with men's drug addiction recovery groups, commu ...

was established on 9 Market Street beside the Morristown Green in response to the large number of saloons on Market Street. Beginning on March 18, 1889, the Mission hosted nightly meetings to aid and convert those with alcoholism, opioid use, and homelessness. As of 2022, the organization continues to operate a homeless shelter, meals, and emergency services, along with men's

drug addiction recovery groups Drug addiction recovery groups are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome their drug addiction. Different groups use different methods, ranging from completely secular to explicitly spiritual. Some programs may advoc ...

, community counseling, a chapel, and a

thrift store A charity shop is a retail establishment run by a charitable organization to raise money. Charity shops are a type of social enterprise. They sell mainly used goods such as clothing, books, music albums, shoes, toys, and furniture donated by ...

. Morris Township describes the influx of millionaires to the area:

By 1896, an estimated 54 millionaires lived in the Morristown area, with a total wealth of $289,000,000, which irca 2009would be worth billions of dollars. Six years later in 1902, there were at least 91 millionaires.

This included New York warehouse and grain broker Charles Grant Foster, who bought the farm estate and mansion of Union Army general Joseph Warren Revere in 1881. This became

Fosterfields Fosterfields, also known as Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, is a farm and open-air museum at the junction of Mendham and Kahdena Roads in Morris Township, New Jersey. The oldest structure on the farm, the Ogden House, was built in 1774. List ...

, a

Jersey cow The Jersey is a British breed of small dairy cattle from Jersey, in the British Channel Islands. It is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds, the others being the Alderney – now extinct – and the Guernsey. The milk is high in butterf ...

farm. It was later managed by Caroline Rose Foster, though most of its herd was sold in a 1927 auction. In 1979 it was donated to the Morris County Park Commission. The site currently houses a living history museum and Revere's historic house. In 1902, the ''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Hi ...

'' described Morristown as "the Millionaire City of the Nation." The ''Herald'' claimed it "contains the richest and least known colony of wealthy people in the world." It identified 45 millionaires (15 of whom were worth over $10 million) who had purchased country homes in Morristown to avoid "lavish display" and seek "freedom from notoriety." The newspaper named some of them including lawyer George Griswold Frelinghuysen, carpet-making heir

Eugene Higgins Eugene Higgins (1860 – 1948) was the rich heir to a carpet-making business, known as a ''bon vivant'', sportsman, and philanthropist. A bachelor when he died in 1948, his estate went to establish the Higgins Trust, at that time, the eleventh la ...

, banker

Otto Hermann Kahn Otto Hermann Kahn (February 21, 1867 – March 29, 1934) was a German-born American investment banker, collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. Kahn was a well-known figure, appearing on the cover of ''Time'' magazine and was sometimes ...

Luther Kountze Luther Kountze (October 29, 1841 – April 17, 1918) was an American banker, responsible for helping the city of Denver, Colorado in a time of need and leaving a philanthropic legacy in Morristown, New Jersey. He founded a late-19th century n ...

, and Louis A. Thebaud. Even smaller estates without deer herds,

polo fields The Polo Fields is a large multi-purpose stadium and sporting field located on the West Side (San Francisco), West Side of San Francisco in Golden Gate Park. Despite its name, polo is rarely played on the Polo Fields. The facility has a multitud ...

or private gas plants necessitated "multiple indoor and outdoor employees" such as "butlers, housekeeprs, parlor-maids and upstairs maids; governesses, nannies, and tutors; cooks and kitchen maids, coachmen, grooms, and stable boys; managers, care-takers, watchmen; gardeners and assistants." The Gilded Age of Morristown ended in 1929, due to the "high cost of maintaining the estates, increasing income taxes, and the stock market crash" that led to the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. The Morris Township reports, "Many of the mansions were closed or sold, and some burned."

20th century

Since 1929, more than 16,000

guide dog Guide dogs (colloquially known in the US as seeing-eye dogs) are assistance dogs trained to lead people who are blind or visually impaired around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green c ...

s for the blind from The Seeing Eye, Inc., the oldest such school in the U.S., have been trained on the streets of Morristown.

21st century

On January 5, 2009, five red lights were spotted in the Morristown area night skies, who gained significant press coverage and 9-1-1 calls. On April 1, 2009, the perpetrators revealed their hoax by publicizing footage of its creation, which consisted of helium balloons and flares. The event became nationally known as the Morristown UFO hoax.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Morristown town had a total area of 3.01 square miles (7.79 km²), including 2.91 square miles (7.53 km²) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.25 km²) of water (3.26%). Morristown is completely surrounded by Morris Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former

market square A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...

from Morristown's colonial days.

Climate

Morristown has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Dfa'') with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

is 7a.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 20,180 people, 8,391 households, and 4,199 families in Morristown. The population density was 6,934.7 per square mile (2,679.9/km). There were 9,029 housing units at an average density of 3,102.7 per square mile (1,199.1/km). The racial makeup was 49.29% (9,947)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 10.05% (2,028) black or African-American, 1.71% (345) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 4.8% (968) Asian, 0.06% (12)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 20.47% (4,130) from other races, and 13.63% (2,750) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 25.6% (4,882) of the population. Of the 8,391 households, 19.1% had children under the age of 18; 36.2% were married couples living together; 29.0% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 33.7% were comprised of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 3.0. 13.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 99.6 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $111,130 (with a margin of error of +/- $13,384) and the median family income was $124,531 (+/- $26,526). Males had a median income of $61,823 (+/- $6,029) versus $55,479 (+/- $7,473) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $58,971 (+/- $3,850). Approximately, 7.5% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.5% of those under the age of 18 and 13.6% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 18,411 people, 7,417 households, and 3,649 families in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 8,172 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 62.50% (11,507)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 13.97% (2,572) Black or African American, 0.64% (117) Native American, 4.34% (799) Asian, 0.06% (11)

, 14.84% (2,732) from other races, and 3.66% (673) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 34.09% (6,277) of the population. Of the 7,417 households, 22.7% had children under the age of 18; 31.1% were married couples living together; 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 50.8% were non-families. Of all households, 38.8% were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.13. 17.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 104.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 106.1 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $64,279 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,628) and the median family income was $66,070 (+/− $3,638). Males had a median income of $51,242 (+/− $6,106) versus $44,315 (+/− $5,443) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $37,573 (+/− $2,286). About 10.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the

, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 67.63%

, 16.95%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06%

, 8.48% from other races, and 3.36% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 27.15% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Morristown town
,

. Accessed December 27, 2011.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Morristown town, Morris County, New Jersey

. Accessed July 19, 2012. 9.8% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of

Colombian American Colombian Americans ( or ), are Americans who have Colombian ancestry. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of full or partial Colombian descent or to someone who has immigrated to the United States from Colombia. Colombian ...

ancestry in the 2000 Census, the eighth- highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States. 4.5% of Morristown residents identified themselves as being of

Honduran American Honduran Americans (, or ) are Americans of full or partial Honduran descent. Hondurans are the eighth largest Hispanic group in the United States and the third largest Central American population, after Salvadorans and Guatemalans. Honduran ...

ancestry in the 2000 Census, the sixth-highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States. There were 7,252 households, out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.19. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 40.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $57,563, and the median income for a family was $66,419. Males had a median income of $42,363 versus $37,045 for females. The

for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the

, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Companies based in Morristown include Capsugel,

Reworld Reworld, formerly Covanta (legal name; Reworld Holding Corporation), is a private energy-from-waste and industrial waste management services company headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. Most of its revenue comes from operating incineratio ...

Louis Berger Group Louis Berger (formerly known as Berger Group Holdings) is a full-service engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, program and construction management and economic development firm based in Morristown, New Jersey. Founded in 1953 in H ...

Schindler Group Schindler Holding Ltd. is a Swiss multinational company which manufactures escalators, moving walkways, and elevators worldwide, founded in Switzerland in 1874. Schindler produces, installs, maintains and modernizes lifts and escalators in man ...

and the Morristown & Erie Railway, a local short-line freight railway and

Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building automation, industrial automa ...

, with 5,500 employees, is Morristown's largest employer. In a ruling issued in June 2015, Tax Court Judge Vito Bianco ruled that the hospital would be required to pay property taxes on nearly all of its campus in the town.

Arts and culture

Main sites

– Four historic sites around Morristown associated with the American Revolutionary War, including Jockey Hollow, a park that includes a visitor center, the Revolution-era Wick farm, encampment site of

's Continental Army, and around 25 miles of hiking trails, and the Washington's Headquarters & Ford Mansion, a Revolution-era Georgian-style mansion used by George Washington as his headquarters during the Jockey Hollow encampment. * Speedwell Lake - Park with an old dam, other ruins, and more. Patriots Path, a footpath that runs through Northern New Jersey winds through this park. * Morristown Green – Park at the center of town which was the old town "common" or "green." It is the site of several Revolutionary War and Civil war monuments (including one with George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis De Lafayette discussing the arrival of French aid to the colonies), and is surrounded by historic churches, the colonial county-courthouse, and a shopping and restaurant district. * St. Peter's Episcopal Church – Large McKim Mead and White church with bell tower, fine stained glass and medieval furnishings. * Acorn Hall – 1853 Victorian Italianate mansion and home to the Morris County Historical Society. Donated to the historical society in 1971 by Mary Crane Hone, the mansion retained much of its original furnishings and accouterments as it remained in the same family for over a century. It is currently operated as a museum and is the headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society. *

Morris Museum Actively running since 1913, the Morris Museum is the second-largest museum in New Jersey at . The museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Museum history 1913–1957: early years The Morris Children's Museum was found ...

– formally incorporated in 1943. The museum's permanent displays include rocks, minerals, fossils, animal mounts, a model railroad, and Native American crafts, pottery, carving, basketry and textiles. *

Mayo Performing Arts Center The Mayo Performing Arts Center (MayoPAC) is a nonprofit multi-use performing arts center located in Morristown, New Jersey, United States. History The Community Theatre was built in 1937 and was once the crown jewel of Walter Reade's chain ...

– a former Walter Reade movie theater originally constructed in 1937 that has been converted into a 1,302-seat performing arts center. *

The Seeing Eye The Seeing Eye, Inc. is a guide dog school located in Morris Township, New Jersey, in the United States. Founded in 1929, the Seeing Eye is the oldest guide dog school in the U.S., and one of the largest. The Seeing Eye campus includes admin ...

– the first school in North America for training and connecting

s with blind and visually impaired students. * Speedwell Ironworks – a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

and museum at the site where the

electric telegraph Electrical telegraphy is Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point distance communicating via sending electric signals over wire, a system primarily used from the 1840s until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecom ...

was first presented to the public, on January 11, 1838.

Libraries

* Morristown and Morris Township Public Library - Originating as informal book trading in 1792, the library was officially incorporated in 1866. After growing to 30,000 volumes, a 1914 fire destroyed the lyceum and much of its contents. In 1916, textile merchant Grinnell Willis constructed and paid for a new fireproof building. Its Modern Mondays Reading Club, an exclusive women's-only book club established in 1921, included prominent community members such as anthropologist Ethel Cutler Freeman; writer

Dorothy Kunhardt Dorothy Kunhardt (née Meserve; September 29, 1901 – December 23, 1979) was an American children's-book author, best known for the baby book ''Pat the Bunny.'' She was also a historian and writer about the life of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln ...

; local farmer Caroline Rose Foster;E2 Project Management LLC. ''Historic Structures Report: The Willows at Fosterfields: An update to the 1983 Historic Structures Report by Robert P. Guter'', 2015. Accessible via the archives of the Morris County Park Commission. and Elinor Parker, manager of Scribner's Book Store.

Historic sites

Morristown is home to the following locations on the

: * Acorn Hall – 68 Morris Avenue (added 1973) * Boisaubin Manor – Southeast of Morristown on Treadwell Avenue (added 1976) * Dr. Jabez Campfield House – 5 Olyphant Place (added 2008) * Dr. Lewis Condict House – 51 South Street (added 1973) *

Cutler Homestead The Cutler Homestead is a historic house located at 21 Cutler Street in the town of Morristown in Morris County, New Jersey. Originally built in 1799 by Joseph Cutler for Silas Condict, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places o ...

– 21 Cutler Street (added 1975) * Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Station – 132 Morris Street (added 1980) *

Fordville Fordville is a city in Walsh County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 207 at the 2020 census. Fordville was founded in 1905. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Dem ...

– East of Morristown at 30 Ford Hill Road (added 1978) * Glanville Blacksmith Shop – 47 Bank Street (added 1987) * Jenkins-Mead House – 14 Revere Road (added 1997) * Lindenwold – 247 South Street (added 1986) * Timothy Mills House – 27 Mills Street (added 1975) * Morris County Courthouse – Washington St. between Court Street and Western Avenue (added 1977) *

Morristown District The Morristown District, also known as the Morristown Historic District, is a historic district in the town of Morristown in Morris County, New Jersey. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 30, 1973, for its sig ...

– Roughly bounded by the cemetery, King Place, Madison and Colles Avenues., DeHart Street, and North Park Place (added 1973), Boundary Increase Irregularly bounded by Lackawanna, Franklin Place, James Street, Ogden Place, Doughty, Mt. Kemble, Western, and Speedwell Avenues (added 1986) *

– At junction of U.S. 202 and NJ 24 (added 1966) *

Morristown School Morristown may refer to: Places Canada * Morristown, Kings County, Nova Scotia * Morristown, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia United States * Morristown, Arizona * Morristown, Indiana ** Morristown station (Indiana) *Morristown, Minnesota **Morristo ...

– Junction of Whippany Road and Hanover Avenue, Morris Township (added 1996) * Mount Kemble Home – 1 Mt. Kemble Avenue (added 1986) * Thomas Nast Home – MacCulloch Avenue and Miller Road (added 1966) * Normandy Park Historic District – Normandy Parkway, between Columbia Turnpike and Madison Avenue, Morris Township (added 1996) * Oak Dell – Franklin Street and Madison Avenue (added 1986) * Joseph W. Revere House – Northwest of Morristown on Mendham Avenue (added 1973), Fosterfields Boundary Increase at junction of Mendham and Kahdena Roads, Morris Township (added 1991) * Speedwell Village-The Factory – 333 Speedwell Avenue (added 1974) * Spring Brook House – 167 James Street (added 1986) * Thorne and Eddy Estates – East of Morristown on Columbia Road (added 1978) * Whippany Farm – 53 East Hanover Avenue (added 1977) * Willow Hall – 330 Speedwell Avenue (added 2011)

Statues

* An Equestrian statue of George Washington (Morristown, New Jersey), equestrian statue of George Washington by the sculptor Frederick Roth is located near the

, Washington's Headquarters from December 1779 to June 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. It was dedicated on October 19, 1928, the anniversary of the surrender of British General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis at Siege of Yorktown, Yorktown in 1781. * A copy of ''The Hiker (Kitson), The Hiker'' by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson, commemorating the soldiers who fought in the Spanish–American War, was installed at the corner of Elm Street and Morris Avenue in 1948. * One of only two heroic statues of

in the United States is located in Morristown; the other is found in Bordentown, New Jersey, Bordentown, NJ. * One of the few statues depicting an unblindfolded Lady Justice adorns the façade of the Courthouse. *A statue of Morris Frank, the co-founder of

guide dog school for the blind, and his dog Buddy stands in a corner of the green. *''The Alliance'' (2007) by Brooklyn's StudioEIS, Studio EIS, featuring bronze figures of

and the Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette. The statue is in the Morristown Green.Buckeye 1776. "Morristown Green." Wikimapia - Let's Describe the Whole World! June 6, 2010. Web. December 6, 2010. .

Sports

The New Jersey Stampede (formerly the Minutemen) are a professional inline hockey team that competes in the Professional Inline Hockey Association. The United States Equestrian Team, the international equestrian team for the United States, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on Van Beuren Road in Morristown. Morristown has a cricketing club, the first in North America. The Morristown 1776 Association Football Club is a Association football, soccer club that competes in the North Jersey Soccer League and MCSSA.

Government

Local government

Morristown is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under a Plan F Faulkner Act (mayor–council), Mayor-Council system of New Jersey municipal government, which went into effect on January 1, 1974.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 116. The town is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The Morristown Town Council is comprised of seven members, of which three members are elected at-large representing the entire town and one representative is chosen from each of the town's four Ward (United States), wards. Members are elected on a partisan basis to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election, with the four ward seats up for vote together and the at-large and mayoral seats up for vote together two years later. As the legislative arm of the government, the council is responsible for making and setting policy for the town. , the Mayor of Morristown is Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Timothy Dougherty, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.Mayor Timothy Dougherty
Town of Morristown. Accessed April 26, 2023. Members of the Morristown Town Council are Council President Nathan Umbriac (D; At Large, 2025), Council Vice President David Silva (D; At Large, 2025), Toshiba Foster (D; At Large, 2025), Robert Iannaccone (Independent politician, I, Ward I, 2027), Tina Lindsey (D, Ward II, 2027), Steven Pylypchuk (D, Ward III, 2027), and Christopher Russo (D; Ward IV, 2027).''Morris County Manual 2024''
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2024.''Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2024''
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk, updated March 20, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results
Morris County, New Jersey, updated December 11, 2203. Accessed January 1, 2024.General Election Winners For November 2, 2021
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022. In 2019, Mary Dougherty, wife of Mayor Tim Dougherty was criminally charged with accepting bribe money from Attorney Matt O'Donnell. Mary had been running for a seat on the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2018 when O'Donnell offered her $10,000, presumably to help him get awarded more contracts from the county for legal work."AG Grewal Announces Criminal Charges Against Five Public Officials and Political Candidates in Major Corruption Investigation"
New Jersey Attorney General, December 19, 2019. Accessed July 12, 2022. "Mary Dougherty, a real estate agent from Morristown, allegedly accepted a bribe of $10,000 from the cooperating witness – initially delivered as cash but later converted to checks from 'straw donors' – for her unsuccessful campaign for Morris County Freeholder in 2018. In return, she allegedly promised to support the reappointment of the cooperating witness as counsel for Morris County."Mary Dougherty Criminal Complaint
New Jersey Attorney General, December 19, 2019. Accessed July 12, 2022. In a plea agreement, Mary pled guilty in February 2021 to a reduced charge of falsifying a campaign finance report in exchange for dropping the bribery charge; she would face probation and a fine of $10,000.

Mayors

*Tim Dougherty, 2010 to present *Donald Cresitello, 2006 to 2010 *Jay DeLaney, 1998 to 2006 *Norman Bloch, 1990 to 1998 *David Manahan, 1986 to 1989 *Emilio J. Gervasio 1982 to 1986 *Donald Cresitello, 1977 to 1981 *David Manahan, 1974 to 1977 *John Bickford, 1963. * William Parsons Todd, 1953–1954. *Clyde W. Potts (1876–1950), 1921 to 1934. He was born on November 1, 1876, in Libertyville, Iowa. He died on May 19, 1950. *Theodore Ayers, 1909 to 1910 *Thomas W. Cauldwell, 1908 to 1909 (Died) *Alexander Bennell, 1906 to 1907 *Rev. Dr. Norman Fox, 1902 *Edward Quayle, 1894, 1896, 1898 (Mayor during Spanish–American War) *James Sullivan (1837–1899), was born about 1837. Democrat. Grocer; mayor of Morristown, N.J.. Baptist. Member, Freemasons. Died May 9, 1899 *George Theodore Werts (1846–1910), 1886 to 1892. *Henry W. Miller, 1880 to 1881 *Theodore Ayers, 1876 to 1879 *Alfred Mills, 1874 to 1875 *Joseph W. Ballentine, 1872 to 1873 *Samuel S. Halsey, 1870 to 1871 *George Thomas Cobb (1813–1870), 1865 to 1869 *John Edwards Taylor (1834 – November 23, 1914).

Federal, state, and county representation

Morristown is located in the 11th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 25th legislative district, New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of June 2019, a total of 11,330 voters were registered in Morristown, of which 5,087 (44.9%) were Democratic Party (United States), Democrats, 2,208 (19.5%) Republican Party (United States), Republicans, and 4,035 (35.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated (New Jersey), Unaffiliated. In the 2016 United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 67.4% of the vote (4,984 votes), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 27.5% (2,033 votes), and other candidates with 5.1% (294 votes), among the 7,470 ballots cast by the town's 11,060 voters, for a turnout of 67.5%. In the United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012, 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 67.1% of the vote (4,485 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 31.7% (2,117 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (79 votes), among the 6,727 ballots cast by the town's 10,212 registered voters (46 ballots were Spoilt vote, spoiled), for a turnout of 65.9%. In the 2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021 gubernatorial election, Democrat Phil Murphy received 65.6% of the vote (3,126 votes), ahead of Republican Jack Ciattarelli with 33.7% (1,611 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (46 votes), among the 4,854 ballots cast by the town's 12,836 voters, for a turnout of 37.8%. In the 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2017 gubernatorial election, Democrat Phil Murphy received 68.44% of the vote (2,758 votes), ahead of Republican Kim Guadagno with 29.6% (1,194 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (78 votes), among the 4,164 ballots cast by the town's 10,901 voters, for a turnout of 38.2%. In the New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013, 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 52.7% of the vote (1,871 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 45.2% (1,602 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (75 votes), among the 3,780 ballots cast by the town's 10,124 registered voters (232 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 37.3%.

Education

The Morris School District is a regional public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from the communities of Morristown and Morris Township, and high school students (grades 9–12) from Morris Plains, New Jersey, Morris Plains who attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Morris Plains Schools. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Lafayette Learning Center (with 108 students in grade PreK), Alexander Hamilton School (248; 3–5), Hillcrest School (268; K–2), Thomas Jefferson School (305; 3–5), Normandy Park School (361; K–5), Sussex Avenue School (336; 3–5), Alfred Vail School (334; K–2), Woodland School (293; K–2), Frelinghuysen Middle School (1,026; 6–8) and Morristown High School (1,856; 9–12). The nine elected seats on the district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four seats assigned to Morristown. In addition to a public school system, Morristown has several private schools. Primary and elementary schools include The Red Oaks School, an independent private school founded in 1965 and serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, that offers both Montessori education, Montessori and International Baccalaureate programs. Assumption Roman Catholic is a grade school (K–8) that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson and was one of 11 schools in the state recognized in 2014 by the United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. The Peck School, a private day school which serves approximately 300 students in kindergarten through grade eight, dates back to 1893 when it was originally established as Miss Sutphen's School. Delbarton School is an all-boys Roman Catholic school with approximately 540 students in grades seven through twelve, that began serving resident students in 1939 after having previously served as a seminary. The Morristown-Beard School, a private co-ed school formed from the merger of two previously existing institutions, Morristown Preparatory School and Miss Beard's School, serves grades 6 through 12. In addition, Villa Walsh Academy, a private Roman Catholic Church, Catholic college preparatory school conducted by the Religious Teachers Filippini, is located in Morristown. The Academy of Saint Elizabeth was founded at Morristown in 1860 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Sisters of Charity, however when municipal boundaries were redrawn in 1895, the academy found itself in the Convent Station, New Jersey, Convent Station section of the adjacent Morris Township. The Rabbinical College of America, one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic Judaism, Chasidic yeshivas in the world is located in Morristown. The Rabbinical College of America has a Baal Teshuva yeshiva for students of diverse Jewish backgrounds, named Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim. The New Jersey Regional Headquarters for the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement is located on the campus.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Interstate 287 is the main highway providing access to Morristown. Two interchanges, Exit 35 and Exit 36, are located within the town. Other significant roads serving Morristown include U.S. Route 202 in New Jersey, U.S. Route 202, New Jersey Route 124 and County Route 510 (New Jersey), County Route 510.

Public transportation

Morristown has attempted to implement transit-oriented development. Morristown was designated in 1999 as of one of New Jersey's first five "transit villages". In 1999, Morristown changed its zoning code to designate the area around the train station as a "Transit Village Core" for mixed-use. The designation was at least partly responsible for development plans for several mixed-use condominium developments. NJ Transit offers rail service at the Morristown station which offers service on the Morristown Line to Newark Broad Street, Secaucus Junction, Pennsylvania Station (New York), New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal. The town benefited from shortened commuting times to New York City due to the "Midtown Direct" service New Jersey Transit instituted in the 1990s. NJ Transit local bus service is offered from the Morristown rail station, Morristown Medical Center and Headquarters Plaza on the 871 (New Jersey bus), 871, 872 (New Jersey bus), 872, 873 (New Jersey bus), 873, 874 (New Jersey bus), 874, 875 (New Jersey bus), 875 and 880 (New Jersey bus), 880 bus routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM1 (New Jersey bus), MCM1, MCM2 (New Jersey bus), MCM2, MCM3 (New Jersey bus), MCM3, MCM4 (New Jersey bus), MCM4, MCM8 (New Jersey bus), MCM8 and MCM10 (New Jersey bus), MCM10 routes until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts. Community Coach provides daily service between New York City and Morristown on bus route 77. The town's Department of Public Works operates "Colonial Coach", which provides free transportation within Morristown. The Whippany Line of the Morristown and Erie Railway, a small freight line, traverses the township. Established in 1895, the line runs from Morristown and runs through East Hanover Township, New Jersey, East Hanover Township and Hanover Township, New Jersey, Hanover Township to Roseland, New Jersey, Roseland.

Aviation

Morristown Municipal Airport is the closest public airport. While owned by the town, the airport is physically located in nearby Hanover Township, New Jersey, Hanover Township, 3 miles east of Morristown proper. Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth is the closest airport with scheduled passenger service. It is approximately 20 minutes away via New Jersey Route 24, Route 24 and Interstate 78 in New Jersey, Interstate 78.

Media

With its proximity to New York City and Newark, daily newspapers serving the community are ''The New York Times'', ''The Wall Street Journal'', and ''The Star-Ledger''. The Daily Record (New Jersey), Morristown ''Daily Record'' was published locally, before being renamed the ''Daily Record'' and moving to a near-by location. The ''New Jersey Monthly'' magazine is published locally. WMTR (AM), WMTR is an AM radio station at 1250 kHz is licensed to Morristown. The station features an oldies format. WJSV radio (90.5 FM) is the nonprofit radio station of Morristown High School, which also has a television show, ''Colonial Corner''. ''Hometown Tales'', a public-access television show and podcast chronicling stories and urban legends from around the world, is loosely based in Morristown.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Morristown include: * Peter Gelderloos (born 1981 or 1982), anarchist and writer. * Frank D. Abell (1878–1964), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1925 and 1926 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1926 to 1931 * Kenny Agostino (born 1992), professional ice hockey player for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League * Jack Alexy (born 2003), Olympic swimmer * Mary Belle Allen (1922–1973), botanist, born in Morristown * Joseph Bushnell Ames (1878–1928), novelist * Kristina Apgar (born 1985), actress best known for her portrayal of Lily Smith on the The CW Television Network, CW's drama ''Privileged (TV series), Privileged'' * Michael Ashkin (born 1955), artist known for sculptures, videos, photographs and installations depicting marginalized, desolate landscapes * William O. Baker (1915–2005), scientist who headed Bell Labs * Bonnie Lee Bakley (1956–2001), murdered wife of Robert Blake (actor), Robert Blake; born in Morristown * James Berardinelli (born 1967), film critic * Vincenzo Bernardo (born 1990), soccer player and founder of Morris Elite SC * Faire Binney (1900–1957), stage actress, stage and film actress who starred in films during the silent era after making her debut in the 1918 film ''Sporting Life (1918 film), Sporting Life'' alongside her sister Constance Binney * Anna Campbell Bliss (1925–2015), visual artist and architect * Scott Blumstein (born 1992), poker player who won the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event for $8,150,000 * Warren Bobrow (born ), mixologist, chef and writer known as the "Cocktail Whisperer" * Rinker Buck (born 1950), author best known for his 1997 memoir ''Flight of Passage'' * Tez Cadey (born 1993), French-American DJ, record producer and songwriter * Jabez Campfield (1737–1821), doctor who served as a surgeon in the

during the American Revolutionary War * Lincoln Child (born 1957), author of techno-thriller and horror novels * George T. Cobb (1813–1870), politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district from 1861 to 1863 and was Mayor of Morristown from 1865 to 1869 * Herbert Coddington (born 1959), murderer and suspected serial killer who murdered two elderly women following the kidnapping of two teenage models in 1987 * Lewis Condict (1772–1862), physician and member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey * Silas Condict (1738–1801), farmer, surveyor and landowner, who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey * Donald Cresitello, Mayor of Morristown from 2006 to 2010 * Augustus W. Cutler (1827–1897), member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey * Jean Dalrymple (1902–1998), theater producer, manager, publicist and playwright, who was instrumental in the founding of New York City Center * Joe Dante (born 1946), film director * Edith Kunhardt Davis (1937–2020), author of more than 70 children's books * Alex DeCroce (1936–2012), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the New Jersey's 26th legislative district, 26th Legislative District from 1989 until his death * Dorothy Harrison Eustis (1886–1946), dog breeder, philanthropist, founder of

guide dog school * Caroline C. Fillmore (1813–1881), wife of President of the United States, President Millard Fillmore; born in Morristown * Nic Fink (born 1993), Olympic Games, Olympic swimming (sport), swimmer who specializes in breaststroke events * Chris Fletcher (born 1948), former safety, played in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, 1970–1976 * Steve Forbes (born 1947), editor-in-chief of ''Forbes'' and two-time Republican candidate for President of the United States * Caroline Rose Foster (1877–1979), farmer and founder of Fosterfields, a working historical farm * Justin Fox (born 1964), financial journalist, commentator and writer * Adam Gardner (born 1973), singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band Guster * Samuel Hazard Gillespie Jr. (1910–2011), former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York * Justin Gimelstob (born 1977), professional tennis player * Anna Harrison (1775–1864), First Lady of the United States, wife of President William Henry Harrison and grandmother of President Benjamin Harrison * Tobin Heath (born 1988), United States national soccer team player, World Cup Champion and Olympian * Alexander Hedge (born 1997), Rowing (sport), rower, who has represented the United States in competitions and won two gold medals at the 2023 Pan American Games * Markus Howard (born 1999), player for the Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team * Linda Hunt (born 1945), Academy Award-winning actress * Julia Hurlbut (1882–1962), suffragist who served as the vice chairman of the New Jersey branch of the National Woman's Party * I. Stanford Jolley (1900–1978), film and television actor who starred in the 1946 Serial film, serial film ''The Crimson Ghost'' *

(1867–1934), German-born banker, investor, philanthropist and Rutgers University trustee maintained a home in Morristown * Roger Wolfe Kahn (1907–1962), bandleader, composer, nightclub owner, aviator; Otto Kahn's son; born in Morristown * Nolan Kasper (born 1989), FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, World Cup Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer who competes in the technical events and specializes in the Slalom skiing, slalom * Ann Klein (1923–1986), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and was the first woman to run for

* Anthony W. Knapp (born 1941), mathematician at the Stony Brook University working on representation theory who classified the tempered representations of a semisimple Lie group * Ted Koffman (born 1944), politician who served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 *

(1841–1918), banker who built an estate in Morristown in the late 1880s * Samuel Krimm (born 1925), physicist with a research focus in biophysics *

(1901–1979), children's-book author, best known for the baby book ''Pat the Bunny.'' * Connor Lade (born 1989), soccer player for New York Red Bulls * Antoine le Blanc (–1833), murderer * Fran Lebowitz (born 1950), author, columnist and actor * David Hunter McAlpin (1816–1901), prominent industrialist and real estate owner in New York City * Dimitri Minakakis (born 1977), former singer for mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan * Dave Moore (tight end), Dave Moore (born 1969), former NFL tight end * Troy Murphy (born 1980), professional basketball player * Walter Naegle (born 1949), artist, photography and civil rights activist born in Morristown. Partner of Bayard Rustin. * Thomas Nast (1840–1902), caricaturist and editorial cartoonist; lived in Morristown for more than 20 years * Craig Newmark (born 1952), founder of Craigslist; born in Morristown and attended Morristown High School * Neil O'Donnell (born 1966), former NFL quarterback, most notably for the Pittsburgh Steelers * John Panelli (1926–2012), American football, football player who played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Cardinals * Sister Parish (1910–1994), interior decorator and socialite, most notably as the first interior designer brought in to decorate the John F. Kennedy, Kennedy White House * Doug Payne (born 1981, class of 2000), American equestrian who was selected to compete for the United States in the delayed 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo * Mahlon Pitney (1858–1924), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court * Johanna Poethig (born 1956), Bay Area visual, public and performance artistHerbert, Susan. "Muralist Johanna Poethig," ''San Francisco Independent'', January 19, 1989, p. 13. * Debra Ponzek, chef, owner of Aux Délices restaurants in Connecticut * Rick Porcello (born 1988), starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox * Andrew Prendeville (born 1981), professional automobile racer * Sarah Price (author), Sarah Price (born 1969), author * Dan Quinn (American football), Dan Quinn (born 1970), American football, football coach * Robert Randolph (guitarist), Robert Randolph, guitarist, of Robert Randolph & the Family Band * Rocky Rees (born 1949), head football coach at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, 1990–2010 * Garrett Reisman (born 1968), NASA astronaut, first American to be on board the International Space Station * Rick Rescorla (1939–2001), head of Morgan Stanley World Trade Center (1973-2001), World Trade Center security during the September 11 terrorist attacks * Moshe Reuven, Hasidic rabbi, rapper, singer-songwriter * Jordan Riak (1935–2016), activist against corporal punishment * William P. Richardson (law school dean), William P. Richardson (1864–1945), co-founder and first Dean of Brooklyn Law School * Suzanne Scott (born 1965/66), CEO of Fox News * Tony Scott (musician), Tony Scott (1921–2007), bebop clarinetist, arranger, New World music innovator * Gene Shalit (born 1926), film critic on NBC's ''Today (NBC program), The Today Show'' * Alexander Slobodyanik (1941–2008), classical pianist * Leila Clement Spaulding (1878–1973), classicist and archaeologist * Lexington Steele (born 1969), pornographic actor, director and owner of Mercenary Motion Pictures and Black Viking Pictures * W. Scott Stornetta (born 1959), physicist and Scientific method, scientific researcher * John Cleves Symmes (1742–1814), delegate to the Continental Congress; pioneer responsible for the Symmes Purchase; father-in-law of President of the United States, President William Henry Harrison * Kathryn Tappen (born 1981), sportscaster who works on NBC Sports Group's coverage of hockey and football * Jahmar Thorpe (born 1984), professional basketball player for the Iwate Big Bulls in Japan * Jyles Tucker (born 1983), linebacker for the San Diego Chargers * Bayard Tuckerman Jr. (1889–1974), jockey, businessman and politician * MJ Tyson (born 1986), jewelry designer *

(1807–1859), inventor of Morse code * Frederick T. van Beuren Jr. (1876–1943), physician and surgeon who was president of Morristown Medical Center, Morristown Memorial Hospital from 1933 until his death * Tom Verlaine (born 1949), songwriter, guitarist and lead singer for the New York rock band Television (band), Television * Daniel Spader Voorhees (1852–1935), New Jersey Department of the Treasury, New Jersey State Treasurer, 1907–1913 * John Beam Vreeland (1852–1923), attorney and politician who served in the New Jersey Senate and as the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, United States Attorney for the district of New Jersey * Silas A. Wade (1797–1869), politician who served in the Michigan House of Representatives * Joshua Weinstein (director), Joshua Weinstein (born 1983), independent filmmaker who directed the A24 film ''Menashe (film), Menashe'' (2017) and the feature documentaries ''Drivers Wanted (2012 film), Driver's Wanted'' (2012) and ''Flying on One Engine'' (2008) * George Theodore Werts (1846–1910), List of Governors of New Jersey, 28th

, 1893–1896; Mayor of Morristown 1886–1892 * Nancy Zeltsman (born 1958), jazz vibraphonistBiography
, Nancy Zeltsman. Accessed November 23, 2008. * Liv Morgan (born 1994), professional wrestler and multi-time champion in the WWE.

References

External links

Official website

"Where the People Live"

The Morristown & Morris Township Public Library
* {{Authority control Morristown, New Jersey, 1865 establishments in New Jersey County seats in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Populated places established in 1865 Towns in New Jersey Towns in Morris County, New Jersey