Assistance from Washington Association of New Jersey Reopens Fort Nonsense

Morristown, NJ – The National Park Service at Morristown National Historical Park (NHP) is pleased to announce that its Fort Nonsense area is now reopened due to assistance from the Washington Association of New Jersey. Fort Nonsense had been closed since the severe thunderstorm that hit the Morristown, New Jersey area on Thursday, July 14, 2016. The storm caused significant tree-damage at Fort Nonsense, including many fallen trees and limbs that made the area inaccessible and unsafe.

Morristown NHP’s staff immediately responded and worked days on tree cleanup and removal, but the amount of damage and size of the fallen trees required greater resources of manpower and equipment than the park has at its disposal.

The park’s legislated partner, the Washington Association of New Jersey (WANJ), stepped in and provided over $10,000 for this much-needed work through the Fort Nonsense Endowment Fund, which WANJ manages for the benefit of Fort Nonsense. Washington Association President Eileen Cameron explained, “The Washington Association Board of Directors recognized the scale of the disaster that hit Fort Nonsense and acted to help the park re-open the area as quickly as possible during the height of the visitor season. The partnership the Washington Association has with Morristown National Historical Park allows us to respond immediately with emergency financial support.”

Without these funds, cleanup efforts would have been significantly delayed and Fort Nonsense would have remained closed to the public until resources became available to make the park area safe.

Morristown NHP Superintendent Thomas Ross noted, “The close collaboration between Morristown NHP and the Washington Association of New Jersey has reopened Fort Nonsense for the use and enjoyment of the community and its visitors. It is during challenging times like this that prove just how vital partnerships are to the National Park Service, as is the unwavering support and dedication of the Washington Association to Morristown National Historical Park.”

Morristown NHP and the Washington Association of New Jersey invite the public to visit this historically significant site, learn about its role during the Revolutionary War, enjoy your lunch at the picnic tables, and gaze out across town and towards the New York skyline from the highest point in Morristown.

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Morristown National Historical Park preserves, protects, and commemorates the landscapes, structures, features, and museum collections of the Continental Army winter encampments, the headquarters of General George Washington, and related Revolutionary War sites at Morristown, New Jersey for the benefit and inspiration of the public. Morristown NHP also represents a continuum of our nation’s efforts to protect our common heritage: as the very first “national historical park”, the park was also established to commemorate, preserve, and memorialize American history and heritage.

For more information about the park, please call 973-539-2016 ext. 210 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/morr.

The Washington Association of New Jersey (WANJ), founded in 1874, is one of the oldest historic preservation organizations in the nation. In partnership with Morristown National Historical Park since 1933, WANJ supports the park in its preservation and interpretation goals, and honors the contributions of George Washington and his troops to the cause of American Independence.

For more information about the Washington Association of New Jersey, please call 973-292-1874 or visithttp://www.wanj.org/index.php.