Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park
The Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park is where General George Washington stayed during the Continental Army’s encampment at Morristown during the winter of 1779-80. Entrance into the mansion is by guided tour only.
TOUR TIMES
Ford Mansion tour days and times vary based on the season. Call the (973) 539-2016 x 210 to get the latest schedule. Tours last about 45 minutes.
TICKETS
Entrance into the Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park is by guided tour only. Free tickets are obtained at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum, which is located a short walk from the mansion. While free, you still need a ticket to join a tour.
There is a limit of 10 people per tour, and you can only get tickets for the next tour that has available tickets. For example, you can’t come in first thing in the morning and ask for tickets to the 3 PM tour unless all tickets for tours prior to 3 PM have already been sold. The exception is if you have more people in your group than there are tickets remaining for the next tour, in which case you can get tickets for the tour after that.
I visited the park in late June and took two tours, one on a Sunday and one during the week. On Sunday I showed up about ten minutes before the 11 AM tour and had no problem getting a ticket—there were ten people in my group. However, tickets get harder to come by as the day wears on. The lady at the information desk told me that by 2 PM on weekends all of the tickets for the rest of the day are usually gone. Also, the busiest day is Saturday, and most tours sell out. During the week I had no problem getting a ticket.
MANSION HISTORY
The Ford Mansion was built by industrialist Jacob Ford between 1772 and 1774. A colonel in the Morris County Militia, Ford died in 1777 of pneumonia that he caught while on duty, so by the time the winter of 1779 rolled around, the house was owned by his widow, Theodosia. She allowed George and Martha Washington to stay at the house during the Continental Army’s winter encampment at Morristown from December 1779 until early June 1780. In addition to her four children, her six servants, and the Washingtons, the house was occupied by five of Washington’s aides (one was Alexander Hamilton) and eighteen of his servants (slaves included), not to mention visitors with their own staffs of servants who stayed for short durations throughout the winter. At times there were as many as one hundred people in the house, with up to 80 percent of them being servants.
High ranking officers, and not just George Washington, stayed in Morristown at private residences. At such homes they enjoyed a warm fire and quality food and drink. In the meantime, just five miles away at Jockey Hollow, lower ranking officers and enlisted men had to endure bitter cold and near starvation. Over one hundred men died from various causes by the time spring rolled around.
After the war, the Ford Family descendants lived in the house until selling it in 1870 to four men who converted it into a museum. Business went well until the Great Depression hit in 1929. When the men could no longer pay the bills, they donated the property to the National Park Service. In 1933, Morristown National Historical Park was created. It was the first Historical Park in the National Park system.
HOUSE TOUR
A tour of the Ford Mansion begins in the Washington’s Headquarters Museum. After a brief introduction, the guide will take visitors to the mansion. There are two floors in the house, and there is no elevator. Those in wheelchairs or those who have trouble climbing stairs will not be able to attend (the museum, however, is handicap accessible).
I went on the mansion tour twice because the first time around I forgot to load my camera with a working battery. I had two different guides, so I can say that the topics discussed depend on the guide. The first was a lady who focused on the Fords, the house itself, how the upper class society people spent the very cold winter, and how all of the different people in the house coped with each other. The second guide was a man who talked more about Washington’s use of the house, the conditions during the winter of 1779-80, and the war itself.
The tour begins in the first floor parlor where Washington’s staff members set up an office. Supposedly it was so cold in the room that even with the fireplace going the inks at the tables near the windows often froze. The tall secretary desk and the main table are original pieces that belonged to the Fords and were used by Washington and his men. The rest of the items in the room are authentic antiques from the 1700s.
Room at the Fort Mansion used by Washington’s staff as an office
Washington had his own office in a separate room nearby. None of the furnishings in this room are original.
George Washington’s office at the Ford Mansion, Morristown National Historical Park
Theodosia Ford gave up the master bedroom to George and Martha Washington. Most likely Washington had his own bed, for he was too tall to use standard beds of the time. The mirror on the wall, dresser, chair, and the small dressing table are original to the Fords and were most likely used by the Washingtons.
Room used by George and Martha Washington during their 1780 stay at the Ford Mansion in Morristown
Table owned by the Fords and very likely to have been used by the Washingtons
Two other bedrooms were used by Washington’s five aides. Three aides slept in one room and two in the other. They had their own camp beds similar to the ones on display. The bed near the fireplace with no covering is an authentic antique camp bed, while the others are reproductions. When moving, the beds could be folded up and packed into a wagon.
Camp beds similar to the ones used by Washington staff members such as Alexander Hamilton
The bedroom where Theodosia Ford stayed was the dining room under normal circumstances. It also served as the family room for her and the children since most of the other rooms in the house were taken by guests. The chair with the metal plaque on the back is an original Ford Family dining room chair.
Room used by the Fords as a bedroom during the winter of 1779-80 at the Ford Mansion
With so many people crammed into the house, every nook and cranny had to be used as a sleeping space, including the hallways. This is where the Ford boys slept.
Hallway accommodated the beds used by the Ford boys at the Ford Mansion in Morristown
The kitchen was extremely large for the time, which shows how wealthy the Fords were. Notice the oven built into the right side of the fireplace.
Kitchen in the Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park
The servants lived on the upper floor. The ceiling remained unfinished because there was no need to spend more money than necessary on the servants’ quarters.
Servant quarters in the Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park
There is one item in the house that actually belonged to George Washington: one of his travel chests. It is not known why he left it behind, but it remained in the house when the Ford’s lived there and when it was operated as a museum.
Chest owned by George Washington, Ford Mansion, Morristown National Historical Park
Next Stop: Fort Nonsense | Previous Stop: Washington’s Headquarters
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Last updated on June 28, 2022
