Orchard Street Cemetery joins interactive StoryMap
“Celebrated Past” Compendium Project Has First Anniversary
DOVER, NJ (Morris County) – In honor of Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation acknowledged last year’s launch of an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap© of Morris County cemeteries with a trip to the Orchard Street Cemetery and Gatehouse in Dover.
The Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse, built around 1875, is the latest historical site to benefit from the $3.6 million in grants that were allocated from Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund to help restore, preserve and further protect 21 historic sites in 16 towns across the county.
To learn more about the restoration work, the cemetery was toured recently by Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Shaw, Commissioner Tayfun Selen, Dover Mayor James Dodd, and Joseph Barilla, Director of the Office of Planning and Preservation. Leading the tour was former Dover Alderman R. Keith Titus, who is Vice President of the Orchard Street Gatehouse Historical Association, and Paul K. Wood, Gatehouse Historical Association Recording Secretary and Historian.
The Orchard Street Cemetery, like many other historic cemeteries in the state, has been targeted by senseless vandalism, with the latest incident occurring exactly three years ago from the day of the visit. Several tombstones and large markers were toppled.
“As liaison to the Office of Planning and Preservation, I’d like to highlight the support provided by the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund for cemetery restoration projects,” said Deputy Director Shaw, who also is liaison to the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund. “These include the John Hancock Cemetery in Florham Park, Old Union Cemetery in Washington Township, Whippany Burying Yard in Hanover Township, and now, the Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse.”
Founded in 1850 and certified by the New Jersey State Historical Preservation office in March, the Orchard Street Cemetery features remarkable headstones crafted by renowned masons like David J. “DJ” Howell. Howell’s legacy includes the headstone of William Pregnel, an early builder of the Morris Canal. The cemetery is also home to unique memorials, such as a bench dedicated to Joseph Kekuku, the inventor of the steel guitar.
“The master list of obituaries in the compendium allows for searches by name, date, and cemetery location, while the StoryMap provides deeper historical context,” said Barilla. “One notable figure highlighted is Benjamin Franklin Hathaway, the designer of Orchard Street Cemetery, who pioneered the rural cemetery movement. His vision transformed burial spaces into peaceful retreats, influencing the design of other local cemeteries, including Warwick and Laurel Grove.”
“We have 125 veterans buried here, and five date back to the War of 1812, two of which are brothers, Billy and James Ford” said Wood. “They are related to Colonel Jacob Ford of Morristown, from the Ford Mansion.”
The Ford Mansion, known as Washington’s Headquarters during the Revolutionary War, recently reopened to the public on Oct. 5, after nearly ten months of meticulous restoration work.
“My family has been in Dover for 250 years and I have ancestors buried here as well,” said Titus, who works almost daily on the restoration of the stones, many damaged by vandals or the elements.
“I have family buried here as well. It’s a peaceful place to work,” Titus said.
Morris County has awarded more than $50 Million to preservation efforts at 123 historic locations since 2003, when awards were first issued for protecting historic sites through Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund. The properties have benefited through 533 grants, with some properties receiving multiple grants over the years to conduct planning, acquisition and construction projects.
“It’s exciting to see these sites come back to life,” said Shaw. “This funding has been supported by our taxpayers for more than 20 years to preserve our county’s unique heritage which is directly tied to the founding of our country.”
As Morris County prepares to host the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s independence in 2026, many of the 123 funded historic sites will be on display for visitors to appreciate.
