| Morristown Library | |
|---|---|
 The Morristown Library, pictured in 2022 | |
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| 40°47′37″N74°28′43″W / 40.79361°N 74.47861°W | |
| Location | 1 Miller Road, Morristown, New Jersey, 07960 |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
The Morristown and Morris Township Public Library is a joint free public library for the towns of Morristown and Morris Township, New Jersey.
In 1792, informal book trading occurred between Morristown residents, with 97 members and 96 books. [1]
In 1812, residents formed the Morristown Library Association to grow the effort. This was officially incorporated in 1866 as the Morristown Library and Lyceum organization.
In 1875, the library moved to South Street, between Park Place and Pine Street. By that time, at least 8,000 volumes were available to borrow. [1]
After growing to 30,000 volumes, a 1914 fire destroyed the lyceum and much of its contents. The library was temporarily housed "in the old YMCA building on South Street." Meanwhile, the Trustees used insurance and savings to buy land at the corner of Miller Road and South Street with the intention of erecting a new library building.
In 1916, retired textile merchant Grinnell Willis paid the entire cost of a new, fireproof building. He did so in "grateful remembrance of the love and affection bestowed on his late wife by her friends and neighbors in Morristown."
On December 13, 1917, following Willis's donation, the Library opened to the public, featuring 8,000 volumes and 4 staff members. [1]
Its Modern Mondays Reading Club, an exclusive women's-only book club established in 1921, included prominent community members such as anthropologist Ethel Cutler Freeman; writer Dorothy Kunhardt; local farmer Caroline Rose Foster; [2] and Elinor Parker, manager of Scribner's Book Store. [3]
In 1965, the Morristown & Morris Township Library began to serve as a Joint Free Public Library.
The Dowling Wing was completed in 1987. This wing created a new front entrance on South Street and a magazine room. Also, part of the Dowling wing is the Children’s Room and the Treasure Room. [1] In 2006 it was enlarged to create the Anne and Kenneth Croy Media Center, which moved the Children’s Room to the second floor. The first floor kept the Reading Room and added North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. [4] Their Library of things was able to grow with a grant from the John Bickford Foundation. [5]
In 1991, a federal district court in Newark ruled that the library's policies on homelessness were overbroad, vague, in violation of the First amendment and that they violated the due process of Richard Kreimer, a homeless man who had been kicked out for annoying patrons with an allegedly offensive odor. [6] In 1992, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia reversed the decision but the library's insurance company had already paid the man $80,000. [7] Kreimer also won a settlement for $150,000 after suing the Morristown Police Department for harassment. [8] [9] [10]
The large golden eagle in the reference room is the only surviving item from the Morristown Armory, which was destroyed in a 1920 fire. [1]
American blacksmith Samuel Yellin contributed two works for the museum. In 1931, he designed a custom fire screen incorporating the letters 'M' (for Morristown) and 'W' (for contributor Grinnell Willis). He also constructed the guard rail in the room's balcony; its 25 brass panels name World War I soldiers from Morristown and Morris Township. [1]
Thomas Nast's 1867 caricature painting, Swinging Round the Circle, is displayed in the media center. Created for Nast's The Grand Caricaturama tour, each painting in the series was shown onstage in New York City and Boston accompanied by live entertainment, music, and commentary. It measures 7 by 11 feet and features several American political leaders[ who? ] riding a rudimentary carousel. [11] [1] [12]
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about 30 mi (48 km) west of New York City. According to the 2020 census, the county was the state's tenth-most populous county, with a population of 509,285, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 17,009 (+3.5%) from the 2010 census count of 492,276, which in turn reflected an increase of 22,064 (+11.6%) from the 470,212 counted in the 2000 census, Morris County is part of the New York metropolitan area and is divided into 39 municipalities, with many commuter towns but no large cities. Its county seat is Morristown, in the southeast. The most populous place was Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, with 56,162 residents at the time of the 2020 census, while Rockaway Township covered 45.55 square miles (118.0 km2), the largest total area of any municipality. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.
Chatham Borough is a suburban borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,212, an increase of 250 (+2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,962, which in turn reflected an increase of 502 (+5.9%) from the 8,460 counted in the 2000 census.
Hanover Township is a township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 14,677, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 965 (+7.0%) from the 13,712 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 814 (+6.3%) from the 12,898 counted in the 2000 census. The township comprises the unincorporated communities of Whippany and Cedar Knolls.
Mine Hill Township is a township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a residential community located just west of the center of Morris County, and northwest of the county seat Morristown.
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,974, an increase of 668 (+3.0%) from the 2010 census count of 22,306, which in turn reflected an increase of 510 (+2.3%) from the 21,796 counted in the 2000 census. The township was named for Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey.
Morris Plains is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,153, an increase of 621 (+11.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,532, which in turn reflected an increase of 296 (+5.7%) from the 5,236 counted in the 2000 census.
Morristown is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Morristown has been called "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain. Morristown's history is visible in a variety of locations that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park, the country's first National Historical Park.
The Morris School District is a comprehensive public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from three municipalities in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The communities in the district are Morristown and Morris Township, along with students from Morris Plains in grades 9-12 who attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Morris Plains Schools.
Morristown High School (MHS) is a four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Morris School District. The school serves students from Morristown and Morris Township, along with students from Morris Plains, who attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Morris Plains Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1952.
Chatham is a railway station in Chatham, New Jersey. A commuter rail station, Chatham receives rail service from statewide provider NJ Transit on its Morristown Line, a branch of the Morris & Essex Lines. Trains on the Morristown Line go to both Hoboken Terminal and New York Penn Station.
"The Chathams" is a term used in reference to shared services for two neighboring municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States – Chatham Borough and Chatham Township. The two are separate municipalities, though act much like one cohesive community. The first, a town that was settled in 1710 as a colonial English village in the Province of New Jersey, that in 1773 adopted a name change to "Chatham".
Morton Ira Greenberg was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on February 11, 1987 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 20, 1987. He assumed senior status on June 30, 2000.
The Traction Line Recreation Trail is a multi-use paved asphalt rail trail located in Morristown, New Jersey.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit civil rights organization in Newark, New Jersey, and an affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. According to the ACLU-NJ's stated mission, the ACLU-NJ operates through litigation on behalf of individuals, lobbying in state and local legislatures, and community education.
Morristown Green, most commonly referred to as the Green, is a historical park located in the center of Morristown, New Jersey, United States. It has an area of two and a half acres and has in the past served as a military base, a militia training ground, and an area for public executions. It is now a public park in which many community events are held. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, listed as a contributing property of the Morristown District, on October 30, 1973.
Grinnell Willis (1848-1930) was a textile merchant and philanthropist, and the son of noted poet Nathaniel Parker Willis. Willis founded and ran Grinnell Willis & Company. He also funded several civic projects in the Morristown, New Jersey area.
The Morris County Park Commission (MCPC) is a board of commissioners that manages parks, facilities, and historic sites in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
The Morristown District, also known as the Morristown Historic District, is a historic district in the town of Morristown in Morris County, New Jersey. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 30, 1973, for its significance in architecture, communications, education, military, politics, religion, social history, and transportation.
Julia Keese Nelson Colles (1840–1913) was an American historian, lecturer, and writer who lived in and studied Morristown, New Jersey.
Jacob Arnold's Tavern, also known as the OldArnold Tavern and the Duncan House, was a "famous" historic tavern established by Samuel Arnold circa 1740. Until 1886, it was located in Morristown Green in Morristown, New Jersey. In 1777 it served as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War, and it was the site of Benedict Arnold's first trial in 1780. The National Park Service claims "Much of [Morris]town's social, political, and business life was conducted at Arnold's Tavern" during the Revolutionary era.