Pennsylvania Line Encampment Site tour stop
The fifth stop on a tour of Morristown National Historical Park is the Pennsylvania Line Encampment Site. The Pennsylvania Line is the name given to the First and Second Pennsylvania Brigades. These brigades were an important component of the Continental Army and served in nearly all major battles during the American Revolution.
Nothing remains from the Pennsylvania Line’s stay except for a few stone hearths. In addition, the National Park Service has constructed five replica huts. The first were built when the park opened in 1933, but these were torn down and replaced with new ones in the 1960s (these are now being renovated). The exact dimensions are based on historical evidence and post holes that were found in the ground.
Replicas of huts used by soldiers
Original stone fireplace built by the soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line
Soldiers arrived in Morristown with nothing but a tent to live in until they were able to build their wooden huts. Hundreds of acres of forest was stripped for both construction materials and fuel. In many cases the land was privately owned, so with wood now scarce, the owners often tore down the huts once the men left because they needed wood themselves. Troops returned to Morristown in 1780-81 and reused some of the huts, but when they arrived for the third consecutive year they had to build entirely new huts, thus stripping more acres of forest.
Replica hut
Interior of a replica hut that was built around an original hearth
The soldier huts can be reached by taking a short walk (quarter mile, round trip) up a fairly steep hill from the parking lot or by hiking the Yellow Trail. When I arrived, young kids were running up and down the hill, but I heard one older lady say, “This is as much up hill as I want to tackle.” Huts were built on the hillsides so that when it rained they wouldn’t get flooded as they would if they were built at the bottom of the valley. This is what happened at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. Over a thousand men died that year.
View of the parking lot from the Soldier Hut exhibit
Even with better hut construction and sanitation practices, around 100 men died from cold, starvation, and disease in the winter of 1779-80 at Morristown. These men were buried in the field near the Pennsylvania Line tour stop. A stone memorial marking the general area of the cemetery was erected in 1932. There are no grave markers remaining.
Memorial for the Jockey Hollow Cemetery
Next Stop: Grand Parade | Previous Stop: Wick House
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Last updated on May 18, 2020
