NPS Website
WHAT IS IT?George Washington led Continental Army encampment site during the winters of 1777 and 1779-80.
BEAUTY (4/10)
Ford Mansion (Washington’s Headquarters) is a stately house but not architecturally stunning. The Jockey Hollow portion of the Site is in a somewhat dense forest that is scattered with clearings and farmland. Nothing spectacular. There are approximately 27 miles of hiking trails around the encampment area and through the forest. We are sure that these hikes would be very nice in more hospitable weather. We were faced with 40 degrees and off and on showers.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (6/10)
The Continental Army spent two winters here, one of them rumored to be the coldest of the war. Not as historically significant as Valley Forge: fewer soldiers died here, fewer Generals paced through Washington’s quarters, which themselves were much more spacious than his digs in Valley Forge. But the Ford Mansion is so well preserved that it allows a peek into the daily living of Washington, his officers and their servants.
CROWDS (6/10)
We had the Ranger tour of the Ford Mansion all to ourselves. It was wonderful. We asked as many questions as we could come up with and traveled at our own slow pace. We also met a recently retired schoolteacher at the Jockey Hollow site who had an impressive collection of four National Park Passports filled with cancellations and stamps. Something to shoot for indeed.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (2/5)
Morristown NHP consists of four non-contiguous sites. Traveling to each of them is a hassle. You have two choices: a six mile stretch of Interstate 287 and then a few windy roads or the same six miles through the attractive, wealthy and very crowded small town of Morristown that seems to consist only of one-way streets meeting at absurd angles. Either way it’s no fun.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (2/5)
No food. Bookstore was adequate.
COSTS (2/5)
There was a $4 charge per adult to enter the park.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (4/5)
Again, we had the tour to ourselves, so things were great for us. When the season picks up, however, the ratio might not be so nice.
TOURS/CLASSES (8/10)Our tour of the Ford Mansion was spectacular. The Ranger had a casual manner and a wealth of knowledge that she shared in a conversational, rather than pedantic tone. She saw us as peers and treated us with respect. It felt as if we could ask her anything about any time period and she would know the answer, or better yet, not be shy about saying she didn’t. Michael wishes all his professors had been as good as this Ranger.
The 10 minute film at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center on soldier life during the harsh winter encampment at Morristown was informative if not extremely depressing.
You can tour the Wick House, St. Clair’s headquarters in Jockey Hollow, but be aware that it closes every day for lunch between noon and 1:30 pm.
FUN (6/10)
The tour of the Ford Mansion was educational and speaking with the Ranger enjoyable. It doesn’t rank up there as a barrel of fun. The scattered showers and U-turns needed to navigate from site to site probably affect this ranking.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (6/10)
If you have been to Valley Forge, some things may seem repetitive. The Ranger Tour of Ford Mansion is worth recommending. One takes place every hour when the park is open.
TOTAL 47/80
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