Our Mission
Morris County Historical Society preserves and promotes the history of
Morris County, New Jersey.
A leading organization for preservation, interpretation, and advocacy of Morris County’s heritage since 1946, MCHS has been headquartered in Acorn Hall since 1971. Within the house museum, we steward an extensive collection and archives that speak to our County’s history and, more broadly, to state and national history. Received through generous donations, the thousands of artifacts, photographs, and documents we hold in the public trust are utilized to produce exhibitions, programs, and online content.
As the stewards of one of the best-preserved historic houses in NJ, MCHS’s dedication to the preservation of Acorn Hall is one of the most significant ways we embody our mission. In 2012, we embarked on the comprehensive restoration of the entire property, including Acorn Hall, its carriage house, the icehouse foundation, and the associated landscape. Now nearing completion, and funded by millions of dollars in grants and donations, we return to the community a property that truly reflects the cultural history of pre-Civil War Morristown.
Since 2020, MCHS has increasingly tackled significant, multiyear local history initiatives such as our Morris County Survey of African American History & Historic Sites and Morris County Architectural Study Collection, as well as coordination of the annual, county-wide Pathways of History weekend.
A self-sufficient, member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit, MCHS receives generous support from state and local organizations and private foundations through the competitive granting process. Our greatest support comes from independent donors, our active and growing membership, as well as the strong partnerships we have developed with sponsors and colleagues throughout Morris County.
MCHS Staff
-
Amy E. Curry
Executive Director -
Anne Motto
F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections -
Erin Feith
Coordinator of Research & Visitor Engagement -
Gary Rintz
Facilities Manager -
Noel Grabow
Collections Assistant -
Patricia Goodfriend
Membership Coordinator
Amy E. Curry
Executive Director
A Massachusetts native, Amy received her bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University, where she was a full-scholarship athlete, and her master’s degree from Millersville University of PA. Following successful tenures with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and National Park Service, Amy came to NJ in 2012 as Morris County Historical Society’s Executive Director.
Since then, Amy has successfully grant-funded and managed projects ranging from the recovery of Acorn Hall’s six-acre cultural landscape to the complete exterior restoration of both Acorn Hall and its carriage house. In addition to these restoration projects, Amy has overseen the exponential growth, organization, and diversification of MCHS.
Anne Motto
F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections
Anne joined MCHS in March 2019. A native of Randolph, she graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Anthropology. Since then, she has worked at several local museums as both a curator and educator, most recently at the Morris Museum and Macculloch Hall Historical Museum.
Erin Feith
Coordinator of Research & Visitor Engagement
Erin started as an intern at MCHS in 2020. She studied at Drew University and graduated with a degree in History and double minors in English Literature and Humanities. Familiar with archival research, she used primary texts to complete her undergraduate honors thesis, through which she earned Specialized Honors in History.
Gary Rintz
Facilities Manager
Born and raised in Budd Lake, Gary attended Morris County Vo-Tech for the electrical trades. After living in Florida and California, Gary moved back to his native NJ and opened a landscape and masonry business, which he ran successfully for eight years. Gary joined MCHS in 2014 and has completed some of MCHS’s most recent interior restoration projects, including the butler’s pantry, servant staircase, and gallery gift shop.
Noel Grabow
Collections Assistant
A lifelong sewer with a special interest in historical sewing machines and sewing techniques, Noel’s academic background is in English Literature and Education. Noel started volunteering with MCHS in 2015 and was hired as collections assistant in 2017. Her professional experiences include teaching, bookkeeping, and working as a system administrator for an IT company.
Patricia Goodfriend
Membership Coordinator
Board Officers
Ryan G. Dawson
President
Elizabeth Gray Kogen
Vice President
Steven Weinerman
Treasurer
Caroline Kolb
Secretary
Amy E. Curry
Executive Director
Board Members
- Gail Boertzel
- Ryan G. Dawson
- Elizabeth Gray Kogen
- Caroline Kolb
- Kathleen O. Margiotta
- Caryl Anne McBride
- Ariadne Monfalcone
- Craig Schlosser
- Steven Weinerman
Grantor and Friends
Morris County Historical Society receives general operating support from the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, New Jersey Historical Commission, F.M. Kirby Foundation, Mimi Washington Starrett Foundation, and Campbell Family Foundation. MCHS receives project support from the New Jersey Historic Trust, Morris County Historic Preservation Trust, New Jersey Cultural Trust, Rodney & Virginia Frelinghuysen Charitable Trust, and Hyde & Watson Foundation.
MCHS also thanks our friends for their support: The Honorable Rodney P. Frelinghuysen; Connolly & Hickey, Historic Architects; Lewis Graham, Inc.; Benjamin Moore; H. Coleman Smith; the Home Garden Club of Morristown; and Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program.