Morristown Green turns 300
If you live in Morris County, you’ve heard of the Morristown Green — but what you may not know is just how historically significant it actually is. That’s where the Morris County Tourism Bureau (MCTB) comes in.
The MCTB will host a special walking tour entitled The Morristown Green Turns 300 10 a.m. Saturday. Participants will meet at the center of the Green at the stone bench.
The historic Morristown Green began appearing on maps of the area beginning in 1715, and the tour was designed to serve as a way to commemorate its unofficial 300th anniversary.
“We’re very excited about this tour, and thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate the Morristown Green’s birthday,” said Carol Barkin, local historian and docent for the MCTB. The tour has been given twice in the past, but this is the first time it’s being offered in six years.
Often considered the “jewel” of Morristown, the Morristown Green serves as the town’s most important real estate and has been at the center of life in Morristown since its founding. From its earliest beginnings, the Morristown Green served as a pasture where residents kept their livestock.
“It’s one of only two ‘greens’ in New Jersey that has survived to the 21st Century,” Barkin said. The other is the six-acre Military Park in Newark.
On the tour, participants will learn about the activities that have taken place on the Green through the centuries, as well as explore the landscape’s features and discuss its major renovation in 2007.
“The Morristown Green really is the heart of Morristown,” Barkin said.
Barkin will lead participants on a tour of the 2.5-acre Morristown Green while discussing all of its features along with sharing historical context and little-known facts.
“During the Revolutionary War, Morristown was a military playground; George Washington lived in Arnold’s Tavern and could watch over his troops on the Green during the winter of 1777,” she said. “In 1833, thousands of people came to the hanging of triple-murderer Antoine LeBlanc right here on the Green.”
Today, it’s owned by The Trustees of the Morristown Green, and it will always remain a park for the enjoyment of people of Morristown, she said.
“From the concerts and circuses and minstrel shows that took place here during the Victorian Era and Gilded Age to the political speeches of the 20th Century to our annual Christmas Festival on the Green, there is so much historical and cultural significance surrounding the Morristown Green,” she said.
This Saturday kicks off the MCTB’s annual summer tour series. This year, the MCTB will offer new tours, including Historic Speedwell Gets a Makeover on Saturday, July 25 at 10 a.m., which takes participants on a customized behind-the-ropes tour of the Vail Homestead.
On Saturday, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m., Researching Local History and the Morris Township at 275 Exhibit is another new tour exploring a new exhibit at the library that commemorates the founding of Morris Township. The new Morristown National Historical Park’s Curator’s Tour will be held on Sat., Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. and provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the public to explore the National Park’s archives, which span the years 15,000 B.C. to the 20th century and include some 500,000 objects.
“I think sometimes people take local sites like the Morristown Green for granted, but everyone seems to really enjoy learning about all of the things that have happened right here in their own backyard,” she said.
MORRISTOWN GREEN TURNS 300
WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18
WHERE: Morristown Green
COST: $15
INFORMATION: 973-631-5151 or www.morristourism.org