A while back, I introduced you to Gateway National Recreation Area and alluded to the fact that New Jersey is home to more national parks than one might initially think. Today, in observance of what seems like the winter that WILL NOT END and in light of the fact that some of our state has even more snow in the forecast in the near future, I’d like to introduce you to Morristown National Historical Park. Morristown is the Revolutionary War location where Continental troops endured a winter that makes the one that we are presently experiencing seem as though it is a brief frolic in a winter carnival.

Morristown National Historical Park is nationally significant as the site of the two winter encampments of the Continental Army under General George Washington, the first in early 1777 and the second during the winter of 1779-1780, also known as the Hard Winter. This historic New Jersey site is also the nation’s first National Historical Park, established in March of 1933 during the last days of Herbert Hoover’s presidency.

During the winter of 1777, weary soldiers trudged into Morristown, New Jersey. They were elated by their recent victories at Trenton and Princeton, but food and clothing were scarce and smallpox was decimating the ranks. General Washington made his headquarters in Jacob Arnold’s Tavern, while his 5000 soldiers sought shelter in Morristown’s public buildings, private homes, and even barns and sheds. General Washington used the town’s churches as centers for inoculation against smallpox as well as hospitals for the sick and dying.

The Hard Winter of 1779-1780 brought a different challenge. During the encampment at Morristown, Washington and his men endured the harshest winter of the 18th century with temperatures so cold that all of the harbors, bays and rivers north of North Carolina froze over. There were more than 2 dozen snowstorms during the Continental Army’s encampment at Morristown, and a foot of snow had already blanketed the town even before the arrival of the troops on December 1st. Again, the soldiers struggled with hunger and lack of clothing.

The brutality of the conditions endured by the troops sheltered in the soldiers huts at Morristown’s Jockey Hollow encampment is made excruciatingly clear in a letter written by Private Joseph Plumb Martin… “We are absolutely, literally starved. I do solemnly declare that I did not put a single morsel of victuals into my mouth for four days and as many nights, except for a little black birch bark which I gnawed off a stick of wood. I saw men roast their old shoes and eat them.” His uniform was “what laughingly could be called a uniform, and possessed a blanket thin enough to have straws shoot through it without discommoding the threads.”

While the troops sheltered at Jockey Hollow, General Washington made his headquarters in the home of Mrs. Jacob Ford, a widow with four small children. Here, he struggled to obtain supplies for his army and planned military strategy with our new allies, the French.
Today, Morristown National Historical Park stands as a monument to the spirit of patriotism and independence that carried the Continental troops through the Hard Winter and our nation to liberty.

A visit to Morristown NHP provides a moving glimpse into one of the most defining events in our nation’s history. The park is comprised of a number of historic buildings, natural landscapes and gardens, and Washington’s Headquarters Museum. On any given day, the park hosts ranger-led tours, talks, living history demonstrations and other events. In fact, on a recent visit, my family had the rare pleasure of watching approximately three dozen people from all over the globe take the oath to become citizens of the United States!

Morristown National Historical Park is also a fantastic place to enjoy outdoor recreational activities as well. The park contains 27 miles of well-marked hiking trails, 10 miles of horse trails, a 3 mile tour road for biking, and is a popular destination for bird watching. In the winter, this historic New Jersey park is an excellent destination for cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, and sledding. Picnic areas are available at Morristown’s Fort Nonsense location, as well as near the Jockey Hollow Encampment Area. Leashed dogs are welcome in the park, but are not permitted in park buildings (with the exception of service animals).

Morristown National Historical Park is located in Morris County, New Jersey, approximately 30 miles west of New York City. An entrance fee of $4 per person applies to Washington’s Headquarters Museum and the Ford Mansion (visitors 15 years old and younger are free). There is no entrance fee to the Jockey Hollow Encampment Area, the New Jersey Encampment Area, the Cross Estate Gardens, or Fort Nonsense. Operating hours of park facilities vary; visit Morristown National Historical Park online to learn more.

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