How to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Morristown National Historical Park

Nine decades ago, President Herbert Hoover signed legislation designating that the country's first national historical park would be established in Morristown.

On Saturday, Morristown National Historical Park will kick off its 90th-anniversary year with a program focused on the establishment of the park and its place in the development of today’s National Park Service.

Here's what you need to know.

How to visit the park

Morristown National Historical Park is made up of three sites. On one side of Morristown are the museum and Ford Mansion, where Gen. George Washington and his Continental Army encamped during the "hard winter" of 1779-80. Fort Nonsense, a hilltop on the other side of town used by Washington for signal fires, today offers panoramic views of North Jersey and Manhattan. Nearby, Jockey Hollow, another encampment area, lures hikers with 27 miles of wooded trails.

At Jockey Hollow, which crosses the southern border of Morris County into Somerset County, the Visitor Center offers visitors an education about the history of the 1,200-acre property. It also hosts periodic battle reenactments. But the majority of visitors come to enjoy the hiking trails and a 3-mile bike path.

Jude Pfister, chief of cultural resources at Washington's Headquarters Museum, urged history buffs not to skip a visit to the mansion and museum, which was renovated and expanded in 2018.

"The museum really ties everything together in terms of the threads of the park's story, the park collection, and it's the best opportunity to really engage with park staff," Pfister said in an interview.

What is a historical park?

Pfister explained that while some national parks are designated as nature preserves or recreation areas, among other categories, only 63 of the 420 sites in the National Park System are designated as historical parks. Another 74 are designated as historic sites.

Pfister said that although some of the parks, such as Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, do not offer recreation options, Morristown has it all. The combination attracts about 275,000 visitors in an average year, he said.

"Historical parks are parks that are founded specifically with a historical focus," Pfister said. "That doesn't mean we don't have outdoor stuff. Some [Jockey Hollow visitors] have no idea it's a historical park"

On the anniversary

Formal anniversary events will begin with a talk by Pfister in the museum lecture hall on Saturday at 1 p.m. The museum also includes four feature galleries, all of which have been updated in the last decade.

Following Pfister's presentation, the public is invited to enjoy light refreshments including a celebratory cake. Visitors also will get to see the pen used by Hoover to create the park, an artifact rarely on display.

"I'll be between the people and the cake, so I won't have a lot of time," Pfister joked. "Basically, they are going to hear about how the park came into being."

A limited number of seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum, at 30 Washington Place, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Visit the park website — nps.gov/morr/index.htm — for more information.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com; Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: First in nation, Morristown national historic park celebrates 90 years