Incorporated in 1865, Morristown is a little piece of New England in the New Jersey countryside. Its historic red-brick buildings and sidewalks hark back to the late nineteenth century, when it was claimed more millionaires lived within 1 mile of the Morristown Green than anywhere else in the world.

The Gilded Age certainly saw many New York millionaires build homes in and around Morristown, and their legacy is evident today in a Historic District that reflects the town’s reputation as a “City in the Wilderness,” with cultural aspirations and an urban sophistication in what is essentially a rural setting. Settled in 1710 as West Hanover and renamed in 1740 for Lewis Morris, the first governor of New Jersey, its centerpiece is the wonderful Village Green, once a part of the “meeting-house land” owned by the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown. At that time it was a rough, unkempt area covered with oak and walnut trees and with a depression called “the gully.” However, by the time of the Revolutionary War it was a meeting place where citizens spoke openly against the Crown, where bonfires would flare up and patriotic speeches were made.

In the bleak winter of 1777-78, General George Washington made his headquarters at Arnold’s Tavern on the northeastern side of the Green. He would have walked the dirt paths through the Green many times during those years. During the Civil War the surrender of Vicksburg and the capture of Richmond saw rejoicing on the Green and there was a salute of guns in 1865 to honor the amendment to the Constitution that abolished slavery. In 1908 the Green was laid out much as it is today, with paved walks and flower beds.

Cafès and restaurants line West Park Place, with the 15 blocks to the west of South Street containing some of the town’s largest homes including Macculloch Hall, a museum known for its collection of more than 2,000 Thomas Nast cartoons.

Nast, America’s leading political cartoonist of the nineteenth century, was credited with creating the modern-day depiction of Santa Claus as well as the symbols for the Republican and Democratic Parties: the elephant and the donkey. The Historic Morris Visitor Center has developed the official Morristown Walking Trail, which covers most of the important sites in the Historic District.

Just south of Morristown is Morristown National Historical Park, dedicated to preserving two encampments of General George Washington and the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Sites here include the Ford Mansion, built in 1772-74, Morris County’s most historic building and Washington’s Headquarters.

Other historic sites in this park include Fort Nonsense, built on a hill overlooking present-day Morristown in 1777 and ordered by George Washington to be fortified due to its strategic position. The earthworks became known as Fort Nonsense when a legend emerged that it had been constructed solely to keep the troops occupied.

The Wick House at Jockey Hollow was owned by Henry Wick and used as the headquarters of General Arthur St Clair during the winter of 1779-80. The Continental Army that camped at Jockey Hollow numbered some 10,000 men from all walks of life and every social class: farmers, tradesmen, and frontier hunters.

Lodgings in Morristown are plentiful, with choices ranging from budget chain motels to sumptuous B&Bs. Morristown is situated about 45 minutes west of Newark near the intersection of I-287 and US-24, and is on the PATH train line to Manhattan.

The nearest airport is Newark International Airport.