Morris County courthouse exhibit celebrates 250 years of justice, American independence
MORRISTOWN, N.J. (Morris County) — A new self-guided exhibit highlighting more than 270 years of Morris County’s legal and civic history is now open at the historic Morris County Courthouse as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration and in advance of the courthouse’s bicentennial next year.
The Morris/Sussex Vicinage of the New Jersey Courts recently unveiled the exhibit inside the Morris County Courthouse and the adjoining Administration and Records Building. The exhibit commemorates America’s semiquincentennial while launching a celebration of the courthouse’s 200th anniversary. The Federal-style courthouse was built in 1827.
The exhibit debuted in conjunction with Morris County’s “Light to Unite” campaign and the public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8.
Through historic photographs, artifacts and interpretive displays, visitors can explore the evolution of Morris County’s courthouses, beginning with the county’s first log courthouse in 1755 and continuing through the present day. The exhibit also examines how the county’s legal system developed alongside the nation while reflecting the enduring principles of justice, liberty and the rule of law.
Among the featured exhibits is the court-martial of Benedict Arnold, one of the most significant legal proceedings of the Revolutionary War. Arnold was tried by a military court at Dickerson’s Tavern on Spring Street in Morristown between December 1779 and January 1780 during the Continental Army’s second winter encampment.
The exhibit also explores the 1887 blasphemy trial of Charles B. Reynolds, a widely publicized case involving freedom of speech and religious liberty that was argued by renowned orator and Civil War veteran Robert G. Ingersoll.
Additional displays highlight notable Morris County court cases, the history of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and the courthouse’s architecture. Visitors also have the opportunity to step inside the courthouse’s historic courtroom, which has remained in continuous use for nearly 200 years.
Visitors may also receive a complimentary copy of Founding Documents of the United States, a pocket-sized booklet containing the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, courtesy of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.
The exhibit is open to the public during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The self-guided tour begins on the second floor of the Administration & Records Building at 10 Court St. in Morristown after visitors pass through security screening. The exhibit continues into the historic courthouse via the enclosed pedestrian bridge and concludes with displays on the first floor highlighting the history of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
Visitors requiring accessible access may enter the Administration & Records Building and the historic courthouse separately and should notify a sheriff’s officer upon arrival that they wish to view the exhibit.
