Acorn Hall
Built in 1853 for Dr. John P. Schermerhorn and his wife, Louise, Acorn Hall was originally a Foursquare known as Schermerhorn Place. Purchased along with its nine-acre property in 1857 by Augustus and Mary Crane of NYC, the Hall became home to four generations of the Crane-Hone family until it was donated to MCHS by their great-granddaughter, Mary Crane Hone, in 1971.
In 1860, the Cranes expanded Acorn Hall to the Italianate residence it is today, and their “country home” has remained largely unaltered since their lifetime. The only significant update came in 1935 when a later generation installed electricity, steam heat, and indoor plumbing. Today, it is one of the best-preserved historic house museums in NJ and headquarters of Morris County Historical Society, an independent nonprofit. Tours of Acorn Hall include galleries on the second floor where MCHS displays temporary exhibits on Morris County history.
