by Anne Motto, F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections
December 16, 2025
Morris County’s 39 municipalities are home to a fascinating tapestry of historic sites recognized on the state and national level for their significance. Some famous, some little known, together they preserve the story of the people, industries, and culture that shaped our community. In this blog series, MCHS highlights the sites to be found in each town and how they contributed to the diverse and multifaceted county we live in today.
Chester Hotel: By summer 1812, Zephaniah Drake, who operated a stage line between Easton, PA and NYC built a red brick hotel. Strategically located at a crossroads of the recently chartered Washington Turnpike (today Route 24), the establishment catered to travelers along the route, particularly passengers of his stagecoaches, which conveniently stopped in Chester. After Drake sold the hotel in 1821, it changed hands and mangers several times until 1854 when it was transformed into a school. By that time, Chester was no longer along a major route, with turnpikes replaced by the Morris Canal (1831) and railroads (1836). For eight years, the building was operated as the Chester Institute under William Rankin before returning to use as a hotel. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the establishment has been known by many names, including the Publick House, and is still in operation today as a restaurant and hotel. It’s early history is highlighted in our current exhibit, Fermenting a Communal Spirit: Morris County Taverns, Speakeasies & Social Clubs, on display through 2026.
First Congregational Church: Organized in 1740, the church is reputedly the oldest Congregational church west of the Hudson River. After its second building (c. 1803) fell into disrepair, the congregation erected its current Greek Revival building in 1856. This structure has remained largely unchanged apart from the addition of a chapel (1878) and cellar (1949), which provided meeting space. Stables also survive on the property, and the Chester Cemetery, the final resting place of many of the area’s earliest settlers, sits next door. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and continues as a house of worship.
Rockefeller Center: No, not that Rockefeller Center. Built on Chester’s Main Street between 1868 and 1886, the tiny, 280-sq.-ft. Carpenter Gothic building was constructed amidst the area’s brief iron boom. While listed as a barber shop on early maps, it was home to several local industries, such as “marble and cutting,” a post office, and private business. It came by its name from its 1955 to 1969 occupants: John Carlos and Gertrude Rockefeller, who ran a greeting card and bicycle shop there. The borough took ownership of the building in 1996, and it was moved to its current location at Municipal Field. In 2022, Chester Historical Society was awarded grant funds by the NJ Historic Trust and Morris County Historic Preservation Trust for both exterior and interior restoration.
For more historic sites, check out these blogs:
Pequannock, Part 1
Mine Hill and Wharton
Madison, Part 1
Long Hill
Boonton, Part 1
Parsippany, Part 1
Chester Township
Hanover Township, Part 1
Mendham Township
Florham Park, Part 1
Dover, Part 1
Morris Township, Part 1
Washington Township, Part 1
Boonton Township
Did you enjoy this blog? MCHS is an independent nonprofit. Please consider supporting our mission at morriscountyhistory.org/donate or become a member at morriscountyhistory.org/get-involved/ to help us continue to preserve and promote Morris County history through programs, exhibits, and blogs like this.
