The following guide lists material that may be searched online, describes how to access physical collections onsite, and also includes general strategies on researching historic properties. Please keep in mind that the search process is tailored to each property and not every search yields results.

Online Collections

History staff dedicate considerable time and resources preserving and cataloging materials acquired for the collection. Items of significant interest are scanned and placed in our Digital Collections – you may enter a specific search term in the search box, or browse one of the specific collections listed below

• Photograph and Image Collection. Comprised of over 10,000 still images. This includes photos of many historic properties, such as private residences, storefronts, historic sites, as well as various organizations.
• Morris County History Site Surveys. Researched and published by Acroterion. Each municipal survey contains a brief outline of the town that also assesses the historic significance of the neighborhoods and buildings therein.
• Oral History Projects: Of particular interest are the African American and Irish American oral histories, which often detail people, places, and events not recorded elsewhere.
• Historical Maps of Greater Morris Area and 1868 Beers Atlas, 1887 Robinson Atlas, and 1910 Mueller Atlas. These maps contain detailed snapshots of properties within Morris County at different points in time. Morris County atlases frequently include difficult to locate structures or the names of property owners.
• New Jersey Postcard Collection. Created for sale to tourists and local residents alike, these color and black and white postcards capture impressions of various neighborhoods and events dating from the late 19^th through the 20^th centuries.

New scans are regularly added to the Digital Collections. Due to the costs associated with digitizing rare and fragile items and maintaining the database, only a small percentage of our records are online. Copyright restrictions also play a role, as does the limitations of our equipment to handle oversized articles. 

  

Onsite Sources

During normal operating hours, History Center staff are available to connect visitors to relevant collections and help them begin their research. All visitors are required to complete a registration form in which they agree to abide by the rules for using the special collections materials. Our items do not circulate and must be carefully used in the reading room.

Because of the individual nature of each inquiry, appointments are strongly encouraged. Please contact us and provide your topic and the types of records you are seeking. This will give our staff time to examine the collections and retrieve relevant material from storage.

The most commonly utilized onsite items are listed below. To request an item located in the catalog, simply contact us and provide its Call Number, Title, and Date and we will have it ready when you arrive.

• Historic Map collections. We maintain over 10,000 maps depicting land in Morristown and Morris Township, as well as parts of Morris County. This index is a good place to begin your search: maps are grouped according to municipality or location.
• Morristown City Directories list public information on the individuals, businesses, and organizations from many nearby towns for the years 1923-1982. We hold select directories for other New Jersey municipalities.
• Land Records include early surveys, deeds, mortgages, abstracts of title, and related paperwork. The Henry Pilch Collection contains extensive documentation of land ownership in Morris County (especially Chatham, Madison, and nearby towns) as well as some family histories for prominent New Jerseyans from the early 18th to late 20th century.
• Landscape and Architectural Drawings. We hold five decades of blueprints submitted to the Morristown Building and Construction Permit Division from 1909-1959, some of which depict new construction and alterations to existing homes and businesses. The Brinley and Holbrook and Ethelbert Furlong collections consist of landscape designs commissioned by hundreds of property owners during the late 19th through mid-20th centuries.
• Historic Newspapers. The Morris County newspaper collection dates back to 1791 and often include information on residents, businesses, and organizations that is not recorded elsewhere. Many but not all of our newspapers are indexed, and are accessible in the reading room on microfilm, electronically, or in print.
• Personal Papers; Church, School, & Government Records; Business Records; Clubs & Organizations; Deeds; and Historic Preservation Materials consist of unique records created or used in Northern New Jersey, especially Morris County. Detailed finding aids to these manuscript collections describe their historic significance and include an inventory of the papers.
• Personal scrapbooks often include newspaper clippings, photographs, and other ephemera related to specific subject matter that is often not recorded elsewhere.
• Additional genealogical sources, census records, periodicals, and other materials.

 

Remote Inquiries

For those unable to visit in person, a staff member may conduct up to one hour of research for a small fee. Due to the high volume of inquiries received we cannot respond to repeat requests, and the outcome of any search cannot be guaranteed.

 

Strategy Guides and General Sources

• How to Research the History of a House, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Historic Preservation Office
• How Do I research the History of My House? Library of Congress, Frequently Asked Questions
• Morris County Clerk. Property records, historic maps, marriage records, naturalization, birth and death records. A rich source of county land history.
• Historic Preservation Pathfinder. Links to Morris County and New Jersey historical commissions, preservation offices, as well as published sources available in our reading room.