MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris/Sussex Vicinage of the New Jersey Courts has opened a new exhibit inside the historic Morris County Courthouse and the adjoining Administration and Records Building, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and launching a celebration leading up to the courthouse’s own bicentennial in 2027, marking 200 years since the building was constructed in 1827.
The exhibit was launched in conjunction with Morris County’s “Light to Unite” campaign and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence held on July 8. The self-guided display traces more than 270 years of Morris County’s legal and civic history, beginning with the county’s first log courthouse in 1755 and continuing through the present-day courthouse.
Through historic photographs, artifacts and interpretive displays, visitors can see how the courthouse evolved alongside Morris County and the nation over the past 200 years, reflecting the enduring principles of justice, liberty and the rule of law.
Among the exhibit’s highlights is the court-martial of Benedict Arnold. One of the most significant legal proceedings of the Revolutionary War took place in Morristown during the Continental Army’s second winter encampment. From December 23, 1779, through January 1780, Major General Benedict Arnold was tried by a military court at Dickerson’s Tavern on Spring Street. The proceedings resumed a case first opened at Middlebrook earlier that year but postponed because of military operations.
The exhibit also examines the 1887 blasphemy trial of Charles B. Reynolds, one of New Jersey’s earliest legal challenges involving freedom of speech and religious liberty. The widely publicized case was argued by orator and Civil War veteran Robert G. Ingersoll and became part of the nation’s evolving conversation about free expression and religious freedom.
Additional displays highlight notable Morris County court cases, the history of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the courthouse’s Federal-style architecture, considered one of the finest surviving examples of its kind in New Jersey. Visitors also may step inside the historic courtroom, which has remained in continuous use for nearly two centuries.
As a keepsake, visitors may pick up a complimentary copy of “Founding Documents of the United States,” a pocket pamphlet containing the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, courtesy of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.
Self-Guided Tour
The exhibit is open to the public during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors can explore the self-guided exhibit at their own pace by following directional signage throughout the historic courthouse.
- Begin on the second floor of the Administration and Records Building, 10 Court Street in Morristown. Access the second floor using the lobby elevator after passing through security screening.
- Cross the enclosed pedestrian bridge into the historic Morris County Courthouse, where the exhibit begins with the history and evolution of the county’s courthouses.
- Continue through displays featuring landmark trials, historic artifacts, digital presentations and notable figures in Morris County’s legal history.
- Proceed to the first floor to explore exhibits on the history of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
- Before departing, pick up a complimentary pocket Constitution.
Visitors requiring accessible access may view both the first-floor and second-floor exhibits by entering the Administration and Records Building and the historic Morris County Courthouse separately. Upon arrival at either building, visitors should notify a sheriff’s officer that they would like to view the 250th anniversary exhibit and require accessible access.
