Ford Cottage
Birthplace of the Telegraph
The Ford Cottage was built in the early 18th century by Gabriel Ford Jr., the grandson of Col. Jacob Ford Sr., Ironmaster, tavern owner and one of Morristown’s wealthiest citizens. Jacob Ford, Jr., was the builder of the mansion used by Washington’s as his headquarters during the winter of 1779-1780. The Ford Mansion is now the centerpiece of Morristown National Historical Park.
Gabriel Ford, Jr. served in the army and was stationed in Morristown at the time of the winter encampment. After the war, he built a small framed farm house just south of the family mansion. Later in life he went on to become an important citizen, serving as a judge and as one of the original incorporates of the Morris Aqueduct, Morristown’s first public water supply. Like the Ford Mansion, his house survived substantially unaltered until it was moved to the grounds of Historic Speedwell in 1969.
Ford Cottage
The Cottage originally stood on the southern slope of the hill just below the Ford Mansion in Morristown. A fine example of the vernacular architecture of the early 1800’s, it retains its original configuration with small paned windows and untapered clapboard siding. When the construction of Interstate 287 threatened the house with demolition, local residents purchased it for $25 from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The building was then moved in two pieces and reassembled at Historic Speedwell.
Marker can be reached from Speedwell Avenue (U.S. 202), on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
