Acorn Hall
Encyclopedia
Acorn Hall is an 1853 Victorian
Italianate mansion located in Morristown, New Jersey
, that is on the National Register of Historic Places
. It serves as the headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society, which operates Acorn Hall as a historic house museum.
Named for the two-centuries-old oak tree formerly standing on its property, Acorn Hall was built in 1853 by the Schermerhorn family as a simple four-room over four-room farmhouse. Following the death of Mrs. Schermerhorn in 1854, Dr. Schermerhorn put the house and its contents up for sale. It was purchased in 1857 by the Augustus Crane family of New York. The Cranes in 1860 had the house enlarged and remodeled in the then-fashionable Italianate Villa style. After being passed down through several generations, the house was gifted to the Historical Society in 1971 by Mary Crane Hone. Historians have recognized Acorn Hall for its authentic mid-Victorian era furnishings, primarily pieces from the Schermerhorn and Crane-Hone families, supplemented with significant objects from other prominent Morris County families of the 19th century. Carpeting, wall coverings, and decorative paint techniques remain as they were in the nineteenth century.
Acorn Hall also offers an exhibit gallery with changing exhibits highlighting various aspects of Morris County history and Victorian culture.
In addition to the National Register of Historic Places, Acorn Hall is on the New Jersey State Register, and is part of the NJ Women's History Trail, in recognition of the importance of the Crane and Hone women in both preservation and the women's suffrage
movement. The grounds are also connected to the Morris County Park Commission's Patriot's Path system of trails.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Italianate mansion located in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, that is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It serves as the headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society, which operates Acorn Hall as a historic house museum.
Named for the two-centuries-old oak tree formerly standing on its property, Acorn Hall was built in 1853 by the Schermerhorn family as a simple four-room over four-room farmhouse. Following the death of Mrs. Schermerhorn in 1854, Dr. Schermerhorn put the house and its contents up for sale. It was purchased in 1857 by the Augustus Crane family of New York. The Cranes in 1860 had the house enlarged and remodeled in the then-fashionable Italianate Villa style. After being passed down through several generations, the house was gifted to the Historical Society in 1971 by Mary Crane Hone. Historians have recognized Acorn Hall for its authentic mid-Victorian era furnishings, primarily pieces from the Schermerhorn and Crane-Hone families, supplemented with significant objects from other prominent Morris County families of the 19th century. Carpeting, wall coverings, and decorative paint techniques remain as they were in the nineteenth century.
Acorn Hall also offers an exhibit gallery with changing exhibits highlighting various aspects of Morris County history and Victorian culture.
In addition to the National Register of Historic Places, Acorn Hall is on the New Jersey State Register, and is part of the NJ Women's History Trail, in recognition of the importance of the Crane and Hone women in both preservation and the women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
movement. The grounds are also connected to the Morris County Park Commission's Patriot's Path system of trails.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Morris County, New Jersey
- List of museums in New Jersey