Commentary: History vs. the runaway train of development in Morristown

'Patriot's Farewell' and the pending M Station project.
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By James Ward

It is an early March morning and I am sitting on a bench, enjoying Morristown’s historic Green. The temperature has risen to a sunny 57 degrees in a sneak preview of Spring. My laptop and phone are stored away in my backpack, the phone in airplane mode and zippered tight into the least accessible pocket. I want my senses to have free reign.

Winter has daubed the Green with a starkness, but soon leaves will ornament the trees and Coleus plantings will blossom in a celebration of color – red, yellow, pink, purple. The long-standing trees cause me to ponder all the history they have witnessed, not just the memorialized events, but the everyday struggles and triumphs of lives now long forgotten. It is a reminder of the ephemerality of my own cares and concerns.

James Ward

I entered at the Patriots’ Farewell Fountain. I am always drawn to its figures – the militiaman and his wife, their baby and young son, the militiaman’s horse and the family’s dog.

I contrast their human proportions to the gargantuan war monuments that one sees in totalitarian societies. We don’t need the exaggeration. We know who fought for and won our freedom and it was people much like us.

The granite Civil War monument, dedicated to the martyrs who fell for Union and Liberty, demands attention. As it should. It is too easy to forget those who sacrificed so much and too easy to forget their glorious cause.

On days like this, people animate the Green. On a nearby bench is a young woman, absorbed in a book. She is a slow page turner and a note taker – a practitioner of the fading art of a close reading.

A father and mother and their young daughter and son stand by The Alliance, the life-size bronze sculptures commemorating the meeting of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton with the Marquis de Lafayette in 1780.

The boy is on his tiptoes, measuring himself against Hamilton. The autodidactic genius is a good man to try and measure up to, and I hope the boy goes on to study where Hamilton came from, what he overcame, and what he contributed.

A boy of about 10 dropkicks a soccer ball and it ricochets off a tree and rolls to my bench. The boy’s father conveys an apology that is not needed.

“Como estas?” I say, to the boy.

“I’m good,” he responds, in perfect, unaccented English.

I can tell he’s a little peeved that I spoke to him in Spanish. He assumes that I assumed he couldn’t speak English and he’s proud that he can. I tell him, in my rudimentary Spanish, that I’m learning and need the practice. He smiles at the explanation and all is well except that he now speaks to me in Spanish that is too fast for me to comprehend.

I see pride in his father’s face, that this little guy can operate so fluently in both English and Spanish, perhaps even better in English. I think about the boy and his youthful potential. Louis Armstrong’s rendition of A Wonderful World comes to me. They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know. That’s the mood that sitting on the Green on an evocative March morning fosters in me.

I remember a book I read over 40 years ago and how I read it closely and marked it up. The City in History still commands a spot on my bookshelves. The author is Lewis Mumford. Mumford (1895-1990) was an American philosopher of technology.

An old history professor of mine, Norman F. Weaver, assigned Mumford’s book to my college night class back in the early ’70s. Doc Weaver was a great teacher but also a taskmaster who seemed perpetually frustrated with his blue-collar, would-be scholars. I still remember his stated rationale for assigning Mumford’s 600-page book: “Because everyone should read at least one good book in their lifetime.”

The book was good enough that I read it twice. Mumford’s main point is that cities and towns exist primarily for people. He believed in the importance of green spaces and that technology and progress should never become a runaway train. The book is a classic and I can still recommend it.

It is important, even more so during periods of prosperity and rapid growth, that we consider Mumford’s advice. We are lucky to live in a place that attracts capital. Growth and progress are important. But there are limits and there is balance.

When planning and building — even when the cash flow analyses sum positive — it is important that we consider the civilizing and democratizing benefits of green spaces. It can’t be all about numbers.

I’ll sum up my meditative morning on the Green with a favorite Mumford quote, from his book, The Condition of Man (Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1944).

A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search for the truth and perfection is a poverty stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.

James Ward is a novelist and short story writer. He lives in Morristown, New Jersey. His novel titled ‘Every Commandment but the Fifth’ takes place in a town very similar to Morristown.

MORE ESSAYS BY JAMES WARD

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Very good commentary. It helps to see other points of view.
    History , the past , and the elements that remind us of our humamity are important.
    I have seen Morristown transcend over time.i was born and raised there. I have roots and history there, I always will!
    Only time itself will tell if there has been positive development or just unrestricted building.
    What is important? What are the priorities ? Exactly who’s vision should be employed, and why?
    I am also a real estate agent. I’m not a developer.
    So many people , jobs,(income which of course is money) are related to development.
    As population grows there will be changes.
    Change is also life’s characteristic.
    Many do not like that but we all have to accept it.
    One thing we do have some control over is who governs us ,and who decides what will be build where, when ,and by whom.
    If people are wise they will demand leaders who listen closely , and those who will approve development that is logical ,reasonable and that benifits the entire community.
    Right now in this place and time so much of what is going on seems to be driven by profits and short term thinking. I come to that conclusion based one what I see going on in town , my research, what I read in the newspapers and online, as well as in my business dealings.
    One question I do have is with all of the big projects , how come property taxes have not gone down?”
    They are even going up.
    Who is asking that question? What answers would be given?
    The elected officials in there right now rarely appear to question anything , and that is not good. Why are they up there making major decisions? What is their motivation?
    Many people say” if the person has the money they should be able to do whatever they want!” Others say” How come the town is turning into a city?”
    Still others say “ We can’t be dictated by the past , we are living today.”
    Points of view. Which ones matter the most?
    Somebody decides.

    Just one persons point of view.

    Have a blessed day out there.
    Love one another , in spite of any and all differences.

    Ted France

  2. What a beautifully written article – thank you Mr. Ward, for sharing with us this timely and thought-provoking piece. I grew up in Savannah, Ga and had the great luxury of living in the historic district comprised of 24 squares or greens. The human to green space ratio was in balance. But in the 1960/70’s – developmental pressure tipped the scales – however, strong historic preservation ordinances were put in place to protect the largest historic district in America. It was not an easy fight but as a result – Savannah is one of the most beautiful cities in the US and has a booming heritage tourism industry. Morristown needs to embrace and protect its historic legacy and buildings before all we have left are monuments to the past and nothing else.

  3. None of the development in Morristown has affected the historical sites at all. The revitalization of downtown is terrific and I hope it continues. With headlines like this one might think they want to to replace the Green with a 25 story building. The changes are hardly a “runaway train.”

  4. How refreshing to read these words of wisdom by James Ward, reminding us that views of person like Lewis Mumford are worth remembering. Reminds me of a popular saying by an unknown author at that time, “He who only looks back has one blind eye but he who only looks forward, s two blind eyes”.

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