Acorn Hall, the headquarters of the Morris County Historical Society, was built in 1853 as a modest private residence but was modified and enlarged by Augustus Crane between 1857 and 1860.  Acorn Hall passed through four generations of Crane and Crane-Hone families until it was donated, fully furnished, to MCHS in 1971.  Noted for its original 19th-century furniture, finishes, and fine and decorative arts, Acorn Hall is one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century cultural history in NJ.  Acorn Hall also houses two galleries where MCHS displays rotating exhibits on local and NJ history featuring the organization’s collections and archival holdings.

The Morris County Historical Society recently unpacked an artistic gem hiding in plain sight — a stained-glass window crafted by the New York studio that once rivaled Louis Comfort Tiffany’s.

Read about the history of this gem: Morris County Historical Society at Acorn Hall (njskylands.com)

The Gallery Gift Shop features books on Morris County and local history, reproductions of Morris County’s earliest maps and atlas prints, prints of local historic landmarks signed by Lucille Hobbie, and unique gift items.

The Morris County Historical Society regularly hosts cultural exhibits and special programming at Acorn Hall.

Of Special Note:

• Acorn Hall now reflects its 1860-1880 paint scheme in colors true to the Augustus Crane period
• Acorn Hall is on the NJ Women’s Heritage Trail honoring its last resident, preservationist Mary Crane Hone
• Acorn Hall was featured on the cover of Old House Journal magazine, as well as in the Tim Janis movie, Buttons
• Read historical tidbits about all 39 Morris County towns in our Towns blog