Historic Preservation Tour Launched

MORRISTOWN, NJ. – Join the Morris County Commissioners, state and local leaders, and members of the history and historic preservation communities on Tuesday, June 24, at noon at Ayres Knuth Farm in Denville to learn about Morris County’s Historic Preservation tour, the first of eight themed-based, self-guided tours to highlight our vast local history. A free event, open to the public, a photo exhibit of included sites, tours at Ayres Knuth Farm, and light refreshments will be available.

            Designed to encourage exploration and engagement in our rich and diverse history, website-based tours created by Morris County Historical Society, in partnership with Morris County’s history community, will highlight hundreds of historic sites all across Morris County under themes of Settlement, Industry, Agriculture, Schoolhouses, Revolutionary-Era, Cemeteries, and African American history. Local historians will also be on hand to highlight their work and research on upcoming tours such as Morris County & the Iron Industry and historic local schoolhouses. A multi-year endeavor led by MCHS and in partnership with Morris County’s history community, the goal is to make Morris County’s history available for all to enjoy.  

            “In every sense, this tour and its creation, is a community effort,” said Amy Curry, executive director of Morris County Historical Society. “The local history organizations, historians, and historic preservation professionals who’ve come together to create this, and all of the tours, are excited to provide a means to get people more engaged with the history around them and we look forward to previewing upcoming tours.”

Highlighting the 18 sites across Morris County that have received more than $1 million in taxpayer funds via the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust, the Historic Preservation tour recognizes the foresight of the Morris County Commissioners (then Freeholders) for establishing the Trust in 2002, thanks local taxpayers for funding the Trust, and recognizes the municipalities and non-profit organizations who steward these sites and buildings, making them available for the public to enjoy. These 18 sites are spread across Morris County, from Mount Olive, to Riverdale, to Madison, each with a unique story to tell.

MCHS at Acorn Hall is located at 68 Morris Ave., Morristown, and is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission, including exhibits and landscaped grounds, is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students, and is free for children under 12 and MCHS members. Visit MorrisCountyHistory.org. 

MCHS receives support from: NJ Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State; NJ Council for the Humanities with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); Morris County Board of County Commissioners; The F.M. Kirby Foundation; Mimi Washington Starrett Foundation; NJ Historic Trust; Morris County Historic Preservation Trust; Hyde & Watson Foundation; Campbell Family Foundation; and our generous members and friends.