Morris County Launches Historic Preservation Driving Tour

Published on June 24, 2025

Online Guide Highlights County Sites Supported by More Than $1 Million in Trust Grants

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Deputy Commissioner Stephen Shaw address a crowd at the Ayres/Knuth farmhouse The Morris County Board of County Commissioners, the County Office of Planning and Preservation and the Township of Denville joined the history and preservation community today for the Morris County Historical Society’s launch of a new driving tour of historic sites.

The new online guide, now live at morriscountyhistory.org, features 18 historic sites, each of which has received more than $1 million in preservation funding through the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund. It marks the first in a planned series of themed, self-guided tours in development by the Morris County Historical Society (MCHS) to promote the county’s vast historical assets.

The kick-off was announced during a press conference held at historic Ayres/Knuth Farm in Denville. The launch of the driving tour aligns with preparations in Morris County for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

Several of the featured sites are directly connected to the Revolutionary War, supporting both national and local Semiquincentennial commemorations.

“This tour not only highlights key landmarks in our preservation efforts but also tells the story of our communities and their contributions to our nation’s history,” said Amy Curry, MCHS Executive Director. “We’re proud to offer this digital guide as an invitation to explore, learn and connect with Morris County’s past in a meaningful way.”

View More Photos from the Event

The county Office of Planning and Preservation plays a major role in coordinating the Historic Preservation Trust Fund, including managing the annual review and funding process for preservation applications. As part of the fund’s 20th anniversary in 2022, the office also developed the Morris County Historic Preservation StoryMap, an interactive ArcGIS platform available on the county website that provides a detailed overview of all 129 preservation projects supported by the trust.

“Since the Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by voter referendum in 2002, Morris County has invested more than $54 million in 129 historic sites across 35 municipalities,” said Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw. “The new StoryMap and the driving tour launched by MCHS make that investment more accessible to the public than ever before.”

A digital map of the historic sites The highlighted sites include the Ford-Faesch House in Rockaway Township, home to John Jacob Faesch who operated the Mt. Hope Iron Furnace and supplied iron to the Continental Army, and Acorn Hall in Morristown, an Italianate Victorian home with ties to Revolutionary-era land use.  Also include are the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, located in a community that twice served as headquarters for the Continental Army; the Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, which sits within the town’s historic Revolutionary core, and Denville’s Ayres/Knuth Farm, an agricultural site with 18th-century origins that reflect early land use patterns.

The farm is a leading example of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund’s impact. Since 2003, the agricultural complex has received more than $1 million in historic preservation grants to support the restoration of the circa 1885 farmhouse, the Tenant House and the circa 1920 garage.

The farm’s preservation began in the early 1990s, when Sue Schmidt, working with Howard Smolin and Hank Muller, led a grassroots effort to save the property and established the Ayres/ Knuth Farm Foundation. In 1994, the site received a $725,000 grant through the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund -- one of the first and largest grants issued through that program. Denville Township acquired the 53-acre site in 1996, marking the first parcel purchased using Denville’s own Open Space Trust Fund. Two years later, the property was listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

In addition to the Revolutionary-era sites, the 13 additional sites featured in the Morris County Historic Preservation Driving Tour include:

  • Boonton Holmes Public Library (Town of Boonton)
  • L’Ecole, Kinnelon Museum (Kinnelon)
  • Museum of Early Trades & Crafts and Hartley Dodge Memorial (Madison)
  • Community of St. John Baptist (Mendham)
  • The Woman’s Club of Morristown (Morristown)
  • Seward House and Mt. Olive Baptist Church (Mount Olive)
  • The Growing Stage -- The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey (Netcong)
  • The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms (Parsippany-Troy Hills)
  • Martin Berry House (Pequannock)
  • The Glenburn Estate (Riverdale)
  • Lake Hopatcong Train Station (Roxbury)

Today’s kick-off included a guided tour of Ayres/Knuth Farm, a before-and-after restoration photo exhibit, and previews of future themed tours highlighting Morris County’s history in agriculture, industry, cemeteries and schoolhouses.

In support of America’s 250th anniversary, the Commissioners have committed $200,000 over the past two years to support celebratory planning efforts through the Morris County Economic Development Alliance and the Tourism Bureau.

For more information about the Historic Preservation Driving Tour, visit https://morriscountyhistory.org/drive/. To explore the Historic Preservation StoryMap and learn about all projects funded by the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund, visit morriscountynj.gov.

For updates on Morris County’s 250th Anniversary events, visit morriscounty250.org.

Ayres-Knuth farmhouse

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Photo 1: Deputy Commissioner Stephen Shaw addresses the crowd at the launching of the driving tour at the Ayres/Knuth farmhouse in Denville.

Photo 2: A map of the driving tour available at https://morriscountyhistory.org/drive/

Photo 3: The Ayres/Knuth farmhouse

 

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