by Anne Motto, F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections
January 7, 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.
Whippany Burying Yard: Established in 1718, the burying yard is the earliest documented cemetery in Morris County. The land was donated by local schoolmaster John Richards for use as a church, burying yard, schoolhouse, and militia training grounds. As he sadly passed only three months later, he is believed to have been the first burial in the cemetery. The church served the community until 1755, and beginning in 1746, Rev. Jacob Green, a noted patriot and abolitionist became the third pastor. While it was dismantled and the exact location lost, the associated burying yard continued to be the final resting place of local residents for centuries, including Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans. Today it contains approximately 370 gravestones spanning the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries as well as many unmarked graves. In 1914, the Whippany Cemetery Association was formed to oversee the site. The town took ownership in 1976, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
The Tuttle House: Built in 1796 by Samuel Tuttle, the residence has retained many of its original features despite centuries of habitation. Upon Tuttle’s death in 1800, the home passed to his young son, Silas, later a NJ Assemblyman. The home sits next to the Whippany Burying Yard, and during Silas’s residency, it was revealed through surveys undertaken by the inhabitants of Whippany in the mid-19th century that the Tuttle property partially encroached on the cemetery. To settle the matter, Silas paid $75 for the land in 1859. The home remained in the family for over 140 years before it was purchased by another family who lived there for nearly a century. Purchased by the Township of Hanover in 2019, the residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Fordville: The gravel wall home was constructed in 1857-8 for local farmer Edwin Ford, replacing the colonial residence of one of his ancestors. It was constructed by Morristown builder Ira Lindsley, who not only lived next door to Acorn Hall, but also transformed the Hall into the Italianate residence it is today in 1860. Lindsley came from a family of builders (his father built the Morris County Courthouse) and was one of the builders of the Morris Female Institute (later Miss Dana’s School) in 1861. Not long after, he enlisted to fight in the Civil War and was killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Thus, today, Fordville and Acorn Hall are two of the only known structures built by Ira Lindsley still standing. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, Fordville remains a private residence.
For more historic sites, check out these blogs:
Mine Hill and Wharton
Madison, Part 1
Long Hill
Boonton, Part 1
Parsippany, Part 1
Chester Township
Mendham Township
Florham Park, Part 1
Dover, Part 1
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.
