By Kevin Coughlin
It’s woven so deeply into the fabric of local life that you almost can’t help but take it for granted.
Yet when the Morristown Green is closed off — as it was a few years ago for renovations, and again this spring, for lawn re-seeding — the feeling of deprivation is acute.
“It really is the heart and soul of our community,” says Carol Barkin, who probably knows more about this 2.5-acre downtown square than she does about her own backyard.
On Saturday, July 18, 2015, Barkin will lead a 90-minute walking tour of the Green, kicking off a series of summer walks for the Morris County Tourism Bureau.
By the bureau’s estimate, this year marks the unofficial 300th anniversary of the Green.
“Of course, it’s been around since the Ice Age,” says Barkin. “But it began appearing on maps in 1715.”
The North Jersey History and Genealogy Center at the Morristown & Township Library pegs the year as 1779, when Col. Robert Erskine banged out a survey of the Green for Gen. George Washington.
Either way, the place enjoys a rich history, starting with its Colonial owner, the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, and continuing with Washington during the Revolution.
His troops paraded there; mutineers, horse thieves and counterfeiters were executed, too, according to Barkin, who serves on historic preservation commissions in Morristown and Morris Township.
In 1833, thousands came from as far as Philadelphia for the hanging of triple-murderer Antoine LeBlanc on the Green.
Next month, thousands are anticipated to return for the fifth annual Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival.
At one time, when it was about twice its current size, the Green housed a jail, and the county courthouse. Livestock grazed there.
For the last century or so, it has hosted Christmas festivities. Every December, an electric choo-choo circles the walking paths, with squealing kids in tow.
Vietnam War protests, the Olympic torch, Tea Party rallies …. the Green has seen many highs and lows.
“It’s at a high point now. For a lot of years, this was a place to be avoided,” Barkin says.
“Through the work of the Trustees of the Green, it’s now the most important real estate in Morristown, one of only two greens or commons to survive in New Jersey.” (Newark’s Military Park is the other one.)
Donations funded a 2007 facelift that made the Green airier, and friendlier for evening strolls.
But we’re just scratching the surface… Barkin’s tour will dig much deeper. She even knows where the time capsule is buried!
The walk starts at 10 am, at the stone bench at the Green’s center, and costs $15. Reserve your slot online or call 973-631-5151 for more details.
Video: Cool scenes for a hot Green
And add these Saturday morning tours to your summer calendar:
July 25: Historic Speedwell Gets a Makeover. Visit the birthplace of the telegraph, discover parts of the mansion never seen by the public, and see restoration plans for a home built two centuries ago. Cost: $15; includes all-day admission to site. Tour size limited to 25 people. At 333 Speedwell Ave., Morristown.
Aug. 1: Researching Local History and the Morris Township at 275 Exhibit. Morris Township was founded in 1740; an exhibit at the Morristown & Township Library showcases its history, its institutions and famous residents. Library staff will give a behind-the-scenes tour of archives at the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center, where visitors can learn how to trace their own family histories. Cost: $15. Tour size limited to 40 people. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
Aug. 8: Morristown’s Sacred Spaces: The Church Architecture Tour. Visit the towers and spires that make Morristown so visually appealing. The tour will include exteriors of the First Baptist Church, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, The Church of the Assumption, The Presbyterian Church of Morristown, the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, and the Morristown United Methodist Church. Some church interiors also will be open for viewing. Cost: $15. Tour size limited to 30 people. Meet at Tourism office, 6 Court St., Morristown.
Aug. 15, Morristown National Historical Park’s Curator’s Tour. Explore the National Park Service archives–which date to 15,000 B.C. and include half a million objects! Express your special interest to the Tourism Bureau by Aug. 8, and the curator will plumb the collection for pertinent items. Cost: $20, includes daylong park admission. Tour limited to 30 people. At 30 Washington Place, Morristown.
