Everyone knows that George Washington slept here.
But Martha caught a few Z’s in Morristown, too.
Did she get a good night’s sleep? Find out on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, when George and Martha return for a rare joint appearance in Morristown.
They will speak (through re-enactors) at 3 pm at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum, at 30 Washington Place. Admission is free.
Here is more, from the Morristown National Historical Park:
George and Martha Washington Return to Morristown Feb. 22nd
Joint Program with the Jacobus Vanderveer House & Museum
3 pm, Sunday, February 22, 2015
3 pm, Sunday, February 22, 2015
Morristown, NJ – America’s founding couple, George and Martha Washington, will return to Morristown, New Jersey, 235 years after they spent the hard winter of 1779-1780 at the Theodosia Ford Mansion.
Re-enactors portraying George and Martha Washington will reminisce about that challenging time in American history during a presentation Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, from 3 pm – 4 pm at Morristown National Historical Park’s Washington’s Headquarters Museum, 30 Washington Place, Morristown.
The free program, hosted by Morristown National Historical Park in cooperation with the Jacobus Vanderveer House & Museum in Bedminster, is funded by a grant from the Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable and Educational Trust.
“It is widely acknowledged that George Washington slept just about everywhere during the Revolution. Most people don’t realize, however, that his wife, Martha, also spent many a night away from Mount Vernon with her husband at winter encampments,” observed Jude Pfister, D. Litt., chief of cultural resources, Morristown National Historical Park.
“That was, indeed, the case at the Morristown 1779-1780 encampment.”
George and Martha Washington will give attendees a first-hand account of the anxieties associated with the discomforts of that winter, as well as their much larger, shared task of keeping the spirits of the American ideal from falling victim to a winter which nearly stopped the Army in its tracks.
The program is free of charge, but registration is suggested. Register online at: www.jvanderveerhouse.org.
About The Jacobus Vanderveer House & Museum
The Jacobus Vanderveer House served as headquarters for General Henry Knox during the winter of 1778-79 and is the only known building still standing that was associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, believed to be the first installation in America to train officers in engineering and artillery. The Jacobus Vanderveer House interprets Dutch colonial life in America as well as the stay by General Knox and his family during the 1778-79 encampment. A National and New Jersey historic site, the Jacobus Vanderveer House is a true landmark that offers a vivid look into the history of our country and the lives of those who founded it.
The Jacobus Vanderveer House is located at 3055 River Road, Bedminster. For directions and more information about the Jacobus Vanderveer House, visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org.
The Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.
About the Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable and Educational Trust Grant
The Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House received a $15,000 grant from the Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable and Educational Trust to develop and support history programs targeted to K-12 students. The programs will be held either at the Jacobus Vanderveer House or taken directly into schools/classrooms. The grant also encourages the development of cooperative programming with peer historic sites, such as Morristown National Historical Park, to facilitate educational outreach.
About Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park (NHP) was established on March 2, 1933 as the nation’s first designated “National Historical Park.” The National Park Service at Morristown National Historical Park preserves, protects and maintains the landscapes, structures, features, archaeological resources and collections of the Continental Army winter encampments, the headquarters of General George Washington, and related Revolutionary War sites at Morristown for the benefit and inspiration of the public. The park interprets the history and subsequent commemoration of these encampments and the extraordinary fortitude of the officers and enlisted men under Washington’s leadership. For general information about Morristown NHP, visit www.nps.gov/morr or phone 973-539-2016 x 210.
-www.nps.gov-
