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Morristown, New Jersey

Encyclopedia : M : MO : MOR : Morristown, New Jersey

Morristown is a Town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 18,544. Its estimated population in 2004 was 18,842. It is the county seat of Morris County[Geographic references#6GR6]. Morristown is not to be confused with Moorestown, a township further south in New Jersey, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Contents

History

18th Century

Morristown was settled around 1715 by English Presbyterians from Southold, New York on Long Island and New Haven, Connecticut as the village of New Hanover. The town became the seat of the new Morris County shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey.

By the mid-century the 250 people shared the village with two churches, a courthouse, two taverns, two schools, several stores, and numerous mills nearby.

George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped near Morristown from January to May 1777. Washington had his headquarters during that first encampment at Jacob Arnold's Tavern located at the Morristown Green. The churches were used for inoculations for smallpox. (That Headquarters, Arnold's Tavern, was eventually moved 1/2 mile south of the green to become All Souls Hospital in the late 1800's. It suffered a fire in 1918, and was demolished). [Whatever happened to Washington's 1777 HQ in Morristown?], accessed May 7, 2006

During the second encampment from December 1779 to June 1780 at Jockey Hollow. Washington's second headquarters, here, was located at the Ford Mansion, a large mansion near what was then the 'edge of town.' Ford's widow and children shared the space with Martha 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. During Washington's second stay, in March 1780, he declared St. Patrick's Day a holiday to honor his many Irish troops.[The "Hard" Winter of 1779—80], accessed March 17, 2006

Martha Washington traveled from Virginia and was present with George each winter throuout the war.

The Marquis de Lafayette brought news here in 1780 of aid from France.

The Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and Fort Nonsense are all preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park managed by the National Park Service.

During Washington's stay, Benedict Arnold was court-martialed at Dickenson's Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown, not for treason, but on lesser charges related to profiteering from military supplies at Philadelphia. His admonishment was made public, but Washington quietly promised the hero, Arnold, to make it up to him. He was later given control of West Point, New York, which he almost succeeded in giving to the British.

Alexander Hamilton courted and wed Betsy Schuyler at the residence used by Washington's personal physician. The home on Olyphant Place is owned and operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution as the Schuyler-Hamilton House.

19th Century

The Marquis de Lafayette returned to Morristown in July 1825 on his return tour of the United States, where a ball was held in his honor at the 1807 Sansay House on DeHart Street, which still stands.

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 Phoebe) on August 13, 1833. On September 6, 1833, Le Blanc became the last person hanged on the Morristown Green. The house where the murders were committed is today known as Jimmy's Haunt which is purported to be haunted by Phoebe's ghost since her murder never saw justice.

Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail built the first telegraph at the Speedwell Iron Works on January 6, 1838. The first telegraph message was "A patient waiter is no loser." The first public demonstration occurred eleven days later as the first step towards the information age we enjoy today.

Jacob Arnold's Tavern was purchased by the Colles family 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 1/2 mile 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 from Montreal into the first All Souls Hospital. George and Martha's 2nd floor ballroom became a chapel and the first floor tavern became a ward for patients. The building was lost to a fire in 1918. The organization, nurses, doctors and patients of All Souls Hospital were then moved across Mt. Kemble Avenue (U.S. Route 202) to the newly-built brick hospital building.

Historic images

Headquarters Plaza
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Headquarters Plaza

Morris Frank Statue
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Morris Frank Statue

Geography

Morristown is located at [40°47′56″N, 74°28′43″W] (40.798900,-74.478526)[Geographic references#1GR1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.8 km² (3.0 mi²). 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.00%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 18,544 people, 7,252 households, and 3,698 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,435.3/km² (6,303.9/mi²). There were 7,615 housing units at an average density of 1,000.1/km² (2,588.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 67.63% White, 16.95% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.15% of the population.

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 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 per capita income for the town was $30,086. About 7.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Morristown is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.

The Mayor of Morristown is Donald Cresitello (Democrat), elected in November 2005 to office for a 4-year term that ends December 31, 2009.

Members of the Morristown Town Council are:

Federal, state and county representation

Morristown is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th Legislative District.

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).

The 25th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony Bucco (R, Denville) and in the Assembly by Michael Patrick Carroll (R, Morristown) and Richard A. Merkt (R, Randolph). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Morris County's Freeholders are: Margaret Nordstrom (Freeholder Director), John Inglesino (Freeholder Deputy Director), Douglas R. Cabana, Frank J. Druetzler, Cecilia G. Laureys John J. Murphy and Jack Schrier.

Education

The Morris School District is a regional school district that serves the communities of Morristown and Morris Township (for grades K-12), along with students Morris Plains for grades 9-12 only, as part of a sending / receiving relationship. The district provides a supportive and challenging educational environment for a total student population of approximately 4,700. Within the District there are three primary schools (K-2), three intermediate schools (3-5), one multiage magnet school (K-5), one middle school (6-8), and one high school, Morristown High School.

The Peck School an independent day school, serving grades k-8, with an enrollment of approximately 300 students.

Transit-Oriented Development

"Smart Growth" in Morristown
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"Smart Growth" in Morristown

Morristown has been one of the leading New Jersey municipalities in terms of implementing transit-oriented development. The administration of Governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey embraced "smart growth" as a way of curing New Jersey’s ills caused by sprawling development. Morristown was one of the first five “transit villages” designated in New Jersey in 2000. In 1999, Morristown changed it’s zoning code to designate the area around the train station “Transit Village Core” for mixed-use. The designation was at least partly responsible for a development frenzy that includes plans for several mixed-use condominium developments with asking prices ranging from $600,000 to over $1,000,000 per unit. As a town located on New Jersey Transit rail service, it benefitted from shortened commuting times to New York City due to the "Midtown Direct" service New Jersey Transit instituted in the 1990's.

Interesting facts

Noted residents

Some noted current and former residents:

Points of interest

References

External links

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