Welcome
Morristown National Historic Park's library, museum artifacts and archives focus not just on the period of George Washington's encampment with the Continental Army in Morristown, New Jersey, but greatly extends beyond that period.
The collection represents highlights which reflect the aspirations, achievements, and failures of seminal events over the past five-hundred years. The voyages of exploration are chronicled in the archives, research studying the causes and implications of revolutions are available in the library, and the museum collection allows us to marvel at the ingenuity of our shared American heritage.
This collection of artifacts, archives and books would not be possible without the persistent collecting and love of history of Lloyd W. Smith and The Washington Association. The Lloyd W. Smith's collection consists of some 12,000 printed works and more than 300,000 manuscripts that is not limited to letters from all the founding fathers, manuscripts illuminating New Jersey history, documents and maps from European explorers of the Western hemisphere and letters from some of the most well known people in history.
The Washington Association's collection consists of artifacts that they had accumulated in its 60 years of ownership, turned partnership with the National Park Service. The majority of the objects The Washington Association contributed consist of more than 40,000 objects in fine decor and utilitarian pieces that were made or used in the 18th century in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Morristown National Historic Park also has 10,000 excavated artifacts that were recovered during archaeological investigations in a span of several years. These investigations uncovered military and civilian life when The Continental Army stayed in Jockey Hollow and when George Washington lived with the Fords during the encampment of 1779-80.
Library and Archives
The Morristown NHP Library and Archives represent in large measure the convergence of two separate collections. With the founding of the park in 1933, it acquired the collection of the Washington Association of New Jersey. Twenty-two years later the park was again the beneficiary of another significant contribution when Lloyd W. Smith bequeathed his substantial archival and book collection to the park. Mr. Smith, an investment banker from Florham Park, NJ, spent nearly half a century collecting and bringing together representative samples of virtually every aspect of our western European cultural heritage. In addition to the library holdings donated by the Washington Association of New Jersey, Mr. Smith’s bequest in 1955 enables the park today to boast a library collection of nearly 50,000 volumes and an archive of nearly 350,000 manuscripts—journals, diaries, account books, letter books, military orderly books, inspection returns, muster lists—and other documents.
Lloyd W. Smith
Facilities and Services
The Morristown National Historical Park Library is an active research institution. Researchers may contact us and arrange to use research materials.
The park library's book and manuscript collections have been cataloged and indexed in card catalogs available on-site. Librarians and archivists have compiled additional finding aids to assist researchers, including printed guides to the Lloyd W. Smith, Park, Ford and Lidgerwood Hessian collections. Additionally, the library's manuscript holdings are listed in the National Union Catalog of Manuscripts.
Location
Read more about our other park sites, Jockey Hollow and Fort Nonsense, here.
The park library's book and manuscript collections have been cataloged and indexed in card catalogs available on-site. Librarians and archivists have compiled additional finding aids to assist researchers, including printed guides to the Lloyd W. Smith, Park, Ford and Lidgerwood Hessian collections. Additionally, the library's manuscript holdings are listed in the National Union Catalog of Manuscripts.
Location
Please note that the Morristown National Historical Park
Museum/Washington's Headquarters location is comprised of two buildings:
the museum building and the Ford Mansion. The museum features exhibits
and houses our library and special collections. The historic Ford
Mansion is available for interpretive tours. Make sure to visit both to
get the complete story of this fascinating site.
Morristown NHP Museum
30 Washington Place
Morristown, NJ 07960-4299
fax 973-539-8361
Morristown NHP Museum
30 Washington Place
Morristown, NJ 07960-4299
fax 973-539-8361
Read more about our other park sites, Jockey Hollow and Fort Nonsense, here.
