Category Archives: Morris County NJ “Pathways to History” Tour

I visited the Henry Doremus House during the Morris County Pathways Tour in May of 2026 and it is good look at the early farming communities of New Jersey under the Dutch and then the English. The house was used by General George Washington while he was passing through this section of New Jersey during the Revolutionary War.

The sign for the Henry Doremus House

The historic sign for the house

Montville Township Historical Society:

(from the Museum website)

Established in 1963, the Montville Township Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of Montville Township. Our unwavering commitment to meticulous archival work, interactive educational programs, and community outreach initiatives is aimed safeguarding the rich history of our town. Our ultimate objective is to ensure that the stories and traditions of Montville Township are cherished and celebrated for years to come.

The farm and harvest equipment

General Washington’s payment to the Doremus family for use of their home during the Revolutionary War

The farming equipment

The farm and household equipment room

The farm equipment from the time of the Revolutionary War

Henry Doremus House History:

(from the Museum’s website)

The Henry Doremus House is a Dutch American stone farmhouse that has been remarkably preserved since the time the first portion was built, circa 1760. The house has never been modernized with heating, plumbing, electricity, or wiring, and is one of only seven left in New Jersey without modern electricity. What is now Route 202 was one of the main military routes during the Revolutionary War through Montville and Towaco, (then part of Pequannock Township). The Henry Doremus house was located in a small community often referred to as Doremus Town.

The main room of the original house during the tour

The kitchen and cooking equipment by the open hearth fireplace

The open hearth fireplace for cooking and heat for the home

Cooking items

(from the Henry Doremus website)

General George Washington and his troops often traveled this route between Morristown and West Point. In June of 1780, Washington’s troops (2000 soldiers and 40 aides) were in Whippany and traveled to Doremus Town after the retreat of the Battle of Springfield. General Washington and his aides (which General George Washington at age 45 about the time he stayed at the Henry Doremus House (Mount Vernon) included Alexander Hamilton) stayed two and a half days in the Doremus House as General Andre Rochambeau (NIAHD Journals) documented by Washington’s expense account and letters. A payment of $40 was made to Mrs. Doremus at Pequannock on June 25th, to house General George Washington and his soldiers after the Battle of Springfield. French General Rochambeau stayed in the orchards around the house with over 5000 of his men, women, and camp followers on his way to the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

The items for processing wool and flack for clothing

A closer look at the equipment

Household equipment

The house addition towards the back had a spinning wheel and demonstration on how to make cloth.

The Henry Doremus House was placed, in 1972, on both the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. It was also listed on the Montville Township Local Register in 1987, as well as the Crossroads of American Revolution Greenway. In addition, the preservation and protection of the Henry Doremus House won the New Jersey Historic House Preservation Award in 2009.

The demonstrations on spinning yarn and making clothing in the back of the house

When I toured the house, the docents described how the household functioned and how the farm worked during the season. Men and women had different roles to make the household function. There was not much buying things for the house so clothes were made, foods were preserved and pickled for the Winter and then meals had to be prepared while the men worked out in the field. Men had to grow, tend to and then pick all the fruits and vegetables. Then there was tending to the animals, sheering animals and just working on tending the farm with repairs and working through the seasons. It was a lot of physical work through all the seasons.

Household equipment and furnishings plus another open hearth for heating the house

The front of the house facing the street with twin Dutch doors and entrance to the root cellar

The Doremus House is open mostly during the Pathways tour in May and October. The Montville Historical Society also runs the Montville Historical Society Schoolhouse Museum in Montville.

Harding Township Historical Society/Tunis-Ellicks House 16 Village Road New Vernon, NJ 07976

May 18, 2026"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Historic Morris County, NJ, Exploring Historic Towns in New Jersey, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New Vernon NJ, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, Morris County NJ "Pathways to History" Tour, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Pathways Tour of Morris County, Small museums in New Jersey, Smile! Your Visiting New Jersey!, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New Jersey, Visiting Farms and Farm Stands of New JerseyAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, art, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, europe, Exploring Historic Morris County, NJ, Exploring New Vernon NJ, Harding Township Historical Society, history, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Morris County's "Pathways to History" Tour of Historical Sites, MywalkinManhattan.com, Pathways Tour of Morris County NJ, travel, Tunis-Ellicks House, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watrel, writingjwatrel

Harding Township Historical Society/Tunis-Ellicks House

16 Village Road

New Vernon, NJ 07976

(973) 272-3661

https://www.hths.org/museum

Open: Special Events and Pathways Tours

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46670-d24085125-r1058924664-Tunis_ellicks_House_Museum-New_Vernon_Morris_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

I visited the Tunis-Ellicks House on the Morris County ‘Pathways’ tour of historical sites throughout the County and enjoyed the self-guided tour of this well maintained and displayed home. Unlike many sites I have visited over the years where things are left out and jumbled on tables, the Tunis-Ellicks House offers a look at small family farms from before the Civil War. The displays depict and discuss the life of a farming family in Central New Jersey.

The Tunis-Ellicks House in New Vernon, NJ

The house sign

The house is located in the New Vernon Historic District

The house was located in one of the oldest sections of the community, facing other structures in the historical district of New Vernon, NJ.

The house and front garden from the road

The vegetable garden in the front of house

In front of the house was a large vegetable and fruit garden with a grape arbor for spirits on the side of the house. These items would be jarred and pickled for the winter months or sold at market.

Mission Statement:

(From the Museum website)

The Harding Township Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1977 to stimulate interest in the history of Harding Township. The Society shall support, assist in and seek to achieve the preservation of documents, buildings and sites related to Harding Township. It shall also collect, preserve, maintain and interpret original cultural material, which illuminates this history. In addition, The Society is responsible for preserving and maintaining the Tunis-Ellicks House and environs. Through use of its historic site, collections and programs, the society endeavors to document and illustrate the history of Harding Township for present and future generations (Tunis-Ellicks website).

You enter the museum from the back of the house. In the backyard of the home, there were all sorts of activities going on while you could start a self-guided tour of the house.

The back of the Tunis-Ellick’s House

The beautiful view from the back door of the home

The inside of the main part of the museum

The main part of the museum was the newer extension of the home where the living room and dining rooms were located. There were displays on the walls discussing farm life in New Jersey during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.

The Dining Room section of the house

The workings of the Dining Room

The story of ‘Country Life’ and the gentleman farmer

Pieces of the decor on display

The kitchen area of the older part of the home offers a homey fireplace for cooking and summer storage for jarred and pickled food stuffs for the winter.

The kitchen and storage areas of the home

Pottery collection in the museum

The pottery collection

The kitchen dining and cooking area of the home

The fireplace for cooking, roasting and stewing of foods

The oven for baking breads, cookies and pies and the baking equipment

The Summer storage area for canned and jarred provisions for the winter months and for cooking.

The bathrooms were on the second floor of the home/museum and I got a quick tour of the upstairs bedrooms.

Bedroom One

Bedroom Two

These were not part of the self-guided tour but I was able to see them and how they were decorated.

History of the Harding Township Historical Society:

(From the Museum website)

The Harding Township Historical Society was formed in 1977 to save the circa 1795 Tunis-Ellicks House and restore it as it appeared in the early 19th century. The society discovered an original 18th century hearth and Federal-style mantel and a water-fed cooling room besides the well. Areas of the house were left exposed to showcase the post-and-beam construction. A permanent exhibit on 19th century farming was created as well as space for temporary exhibits.

The Society saved a circa 1870 Tramp House from destruction when the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was created by having the building moved the Tunis-Ellicks House property. The Harding Township Historical Society maintains an extensive archive containing records, maps, and objects since the colonial era pertaining to the town. The archive is open to researchers, genealogists and the public. Each year we provide an award to a student at the Harding Township School that excels in the subject of history. The Society produces exhibits, lectures, tours, and interactive events to bring history to the public.

I then joined many of the other visitors to hear an historical reading on the patio of the home from a descendant of a Colonial family. He was discussing life in Colonial New Jersey.

The Colonial talks

They also had a table set up for arts and crafts. The volunteers were making corn husk dolls with some of the visitors.

They also had corn husk doll making as an activity

Then I was able to tour the grounds and visit the ‘Tramp House’ that was used for workers of these farms. This had been moved from the ‘Great Swamp’ to this location. It showed the living conditions of workers on the farm.

Walking on the grounds of the farm

The Wine Arbor on the side of the house

History of the Tunis-Ellicks House:

(From the Museum website)

The Tunis-Ellicks House was built in 1795 when George Mitchell bought it from Michael Pearce, a Minuteman in the Revolutionary War. The deed for 7 acres of land is dated April 22, 1795. Interestingly, the ledgers of Daniel Tunis, who lived down Millbrook Rd and had a store, show that, beginning May 9, 1795, Mitchell bought items consistent with building a house: a load of timber and half a bushel of hair (used for plaster).

In 1838, a local farmer named Silas Tunis bought the farm and his descendants owned the house until 1923. Eva and Lee Ellicks sold the house to the township in 1968. In 1977, the Harding Township Historical Society began to restore the home as it would have appeared in the early 19th century. The house is a post-and-beam East Jersey cottage complete with a cooling room fed by the well outside. The museum features a permanent exhibit entitled A Country Life about the workings of 18th-century farms.

The ‘Tramp House’ for farm workers

The historic sign

The inside of the small living quarters

The farm equipment used in processing crops

History of the Tramp House:

(from the Museum website)

The Tramp House is a simple stone building built about 1870 by the Morris Overseer of the Poor as a place to stay for wandering Civil War veterans searching the countryside for work. By providing a place to stay, farmers protected their barns from accidental fires by the men trying to cook or keep warm. The men would work on the farms in exchange for a safe and warm place to sleep

The house was located in one of the oldest sections of the community, facing other structures in the historical district.

The house and front garden from the road

I really enjoyed visiting the site and got a good view how life on a New Jersey farm was before the Civil War. The museum was very nicely organized and the displays were engaging. The volunteers and docents could not have been nicer and it was a fun afternoon.

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Three My new tourism project “Smile! You’re Visiting New Jersey” January 1st, 2026

My new logo for this blog project:

My logo for “Smile! You’re Visiting New Jersey!” created my very creative nephew, Artist Kyle McFarlane

I have found that the way we market the State of New Jersey boring. Most of the tourism books created by the state tourism board and the local county tourism boards just don’t capture all the wonderful things to do and see in the State of New Jersey. From our quirky beach communities to our unique small downtown based towns, each section of the state is so different.

When most tourists think of New Jersey, they think of the opening scene of “The Soprano’s”, with the glimpses of Newark Bay and the skyline of lower Manhattan or the more urban sections of the state that have their share of problems. What we miss about our great state is that every part of the state has so much to offer. We even run into the paradox of North and South Jersey, where part of our state roots for New York teams and the other for Philadelphia teams and never the two should meet (except over the summer when I was in Cape May when Philly played the Mets to a very mixed crowd of fans).

We range from big cities, university towns and commuter townships to historical small towns and Revolutionary War era villages that rival anything in Vermont or New Hampshire with their town squares and “Greens” to the 18th century architecture with signs that read “Washington Slept here”. Don’t write off communities such as Newark or Paterson, which have a host of great things to do and experience. We have so much to offer.

So from this point, I have created this site to mirror the work I am doing on blog “MywalkinManhattan.com, which is walking every inch of the Island of Manhattan and surrounding parts of New York City, to creating this site to do the same with every corner of the State of New Jersey.

I have recategorized all my New Jersey based blogs from museums and cultural sites to festivals and special events that I have experienced and walking tours that I have enjoyed that I want to share with readers. This also includes great restaurants, delis and bakeries that dot our great state. If you have not been to New Jersey then you are missing a lot.

So join me as we explore the great State of New Jersey and say “Smile! You’re Visiting New Jersey!”

I thought this was an interesting video to describe the state. I hope you enjoy it.

Montville Township Museum/Montville Historical Society 6 Taylortown Road Montville, NJ 07045

October 21, 2025"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Boonton, NJ, Exploring Historic Morris County, NJ, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Montville, NJ, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, Morris County NJ "Pathways to History" Tour, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Pathways Tour of Morris County, Smile! Your Visiting New Jersey!, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New JerseyAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, architecture, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, europe, Exploring Historic Morris County NJ, Exploring Montville, NJ, featured, history, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Montville Township Museum, Morris County's "Pathways to History" Event, MywalkinManhattan.com, travel, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Montville Township Museum/Montville Historical Society

6 Taylortown Road

Montville, NJ 07045

https://montvillenj.org/426/Montville-Museum

https://www.montvilletwphistoricalsociety.com/museums

https://www.montvilletwphistoricalsociety.com/

Open: The third Sunday of each month 1:00pm-4:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46639-d27079954-Reviews-Montville_Township_Museum-Montville_Morris_County_New_Jersey.html

The front of the Montville Township Museum at 6 Taylortown Road

The front sign

I stopped at the Morris Township Museum on a busy Sunday afternoon. The museum, housed in a building that once served the community as a school, post office and a government center.

Each of the cases holds all sorts of artifacts that reflects the towns developments and growth. The first case line is filled with fossils found in the area and small artifacts from the Lenape Indians.

The next case was filled with accessories from Victorian objects from jewelry to household items. Lining the walls are objects from the high school, personal family records for people to search on their loved one’s genealogy. The docents are hand from the Historical Society to answer any questions about the museum.

The History of the Building:

(from the museum website)

The building was originally “Old Schoolhouse #10”. It was built in 1867 and occupies the site of a former 1837 school. One of the early superintendents of Morris Canal, Mr. William Hickson , was its builder.

Located at 6 Taylortown Road just down the street from Route 202 is a red brick building with a sign out front proclaiming it the “Montville Township Historical Museum”. Within its walls are articles, pictures, tapes, and memories that will carry you back through the years to times long past.

The front of the museum

About the Building: The building was constructed following the Civil War, in the year 1867. It was one of the first one-room schools in the area. The land was donated by the eastern district superintendent of the then-thriving Morris Canal, one of the many waterways then in existence to help promote trade and travel in America. William Hixson gave the land to the town for public purposes, with the stipulation that it could be reclaimed if used for a purpose with which his family disagreed.

The historic sign of the school

Reconstruction: The building began serving Montville as a one-room school heated by a potbellied stove. It also served as an auxiliary to the local Methodist Church. It became the gathering place for the local temperance league in the 1890s, and was the scene of many temperance meetings in the town.

The gardens of the front the museum

The historical collection of the museum

The history of the property:

(from the Museum website)

Entrance: Today, as you enter the museum, you walk into an entrance foyer. Probably once used to hold the boots and coats of school children, it is now an entrance hallway. The door to the main room is straight ahead, and upon entering, you step into history.

Building Uses: Forty-four years after being erected, it changed from a school to the center of political activities as the town hall. It was the town hall until 1939, when it became the town’s post office. It served as such until 1961, when a post office was constructed close by (Taylortown Road and Route 202).

Making it a Museum: After the postmen moved out of the building, the township considered selling the property to a business concern but the original Hixson agreement was recalled, and the building remained unused – until the celebration of New Jersey’s 300th Anniversary.

At that time, a Tercentenary committee was founded in the Township to help celebrate the anniversary and the Committee decided to make the establishment of a museum its main project. Armed with donations from local residents, committee members renovated the building and reopened it in 1963 as a museum.

The inside of the museum

The part of the canal that exists around the museum

Around the corner from the museum is the corner from where the Morris Canal lock was located which was on display at the museum.$

The area around where the Morris Canal was located

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Canal

https://www.morriscanalgreenway.org/

Morris Canal

I traveled further down the road to see what is left as the canal that has since grown over. Before railroads and cars, the canal system is where goods and services from the interior of the state to the cities such as New York City and Newark.

The sign marking the site of the canal and the lock system

The lock location

The grown over canal system

It is an interesting museum whose artifacts represent the three communities in Montville township.

Denville Museum Diamond Spring Road Denville, NJ 07834

June 3, 2025"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Denville, NJ, Exploring Historic Morris County, NJ, Exploring Historic Towns in New Jersey, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, Morris County NJ "Pathways to History" Tour, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Pathways Tour of Morris County, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New Jersey, Walking Downtown Denville, NJAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, Denville Museum, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Exploring Denville, NJ, Exploring Historical Morris County NJ, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Morris County's "Pathways to History" Event, MywalkinManhattan.com, Pathways Tour of Morris County NJ, Small Historical Societies in New Jersey, Small museums of New Jersey, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Denville Museum Diamond Spring Road Denville, NJ 07834

The front of the Denville Museum at Diamond Spring Road

The front sign for the Denville Museum

The beautiful stained glass sign outside

The front sign of the museum

The front gallery of the museum

The back part of the front gallery of the museum

The Denville Museum is an interesting and beautifully organized museum in Downtown Denville, NJ that tells the history of Denville and the surrounding communities. The collection starts with a collection of Native American artifacts and Revolutionary era household objects.

The early foundation of the Denville community is displayed in the front case

Dover Area Historical Society/Dr. Condict House 55 West Blackwell Street Dover, NJ 07801

May 26, 2025"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Bakeries for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Dover NJ, Exploring Historic Morris County, NJ, Exploring Historic Towns in New Jersey, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, Morris County NJ "Pathways to History" Tour, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Pathways Tour of Morris County, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New Jersey, Walking Downtown Dover, NJAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Dover Area Historical Society, Exploring Dover NJ, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Morris County's "Pathways to History" Event, MywalkinManhattan.com, Pathways Tour of Morris County NJ, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walking Downtown Dover, NJ, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Dover Area Historical Society/Dr. Condict House 55 West Blackwell Street Dover, NJ 07801

The Dover Area Historical Society at 55 West Blackwell Street in Dover, NJ.

The front of the Historical Society

The 1740 Miller-Kingsland House-Boonton Historical Society 445 Vreeland Avenue Boonton, NJ 07005

May 8, 2025"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Boonton, NJ, Exploring Historic Morris County, NJ, Exploring Historic Towns in New Jersey, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, Morris County NJ "Pathways to History" Tour, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New JerseyAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, Boonton Historical Society, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Exploring Boonton, NJ, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Miller-Kingsland House, Morris County's "Pathways to History" Event, MywalkinManhattan.com, Pathways Tour of Morris County NJ, Small Historical Societies in New Jersey, Small museums of New Jersey, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

The 1740 Miller-Kingsland House-Boonton Historical Society 445 Vreeland Avenue Boonton, NJ 07005

The front of the Miller-Kingsland Homestead during the Pathways tour

I went to visit the Miller-Kingsland Homestead, which is part of the Boonton Historical Society, during the Morris County’s Pathway’s tour and discovered a beautiful little historical home situated on picturesque piece of property. I saw by the signs that the grounds were maintained by the local Garden Club, who did a wonderful job landscaping the grounds.

The Living Room in the extension on the house

The portraits of Mr. & Mrs. Kingsland

The Dining Room in the old section of the home

The historic home is filled with period furnishings and decorations, none it seems local to the home. Still you can see how the home has changed over the years with additions and renovations. The older part of the home is now part of the Dining Room.