Ford Mansion

The Ford Mansion, also known as Washington's Headquarters, is a classic 18th century American home located at 30 Washington Place in Morristown, New Jersey that served as General George Washington's headquarters from December 1779 to June 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. The house was built in Georgian architectural style in 1774 by Jacob Ford Jr. It is now owned by the National Park Service. It was acquired by the Washington Association of New Jersey in 1873.

The house has a Georgian style exterior, but the interior kitchen and framing shows evidence of Dutch influence. According to Alan Gowan, "the boarding of the Ford Mansion was laid evenly painted and scored to look like a fine masonry with quoins at the corners". The mansion has a palladian window above the door and a stylish cornice. The fancy architecture was not created to look appealing, but to showcase the wealth of the family who owned the building. The grand hall and the parlor are what categorize the house as a mansion. The Ford Mansion used painted flush boards and clapboards for the exterior rather than brick, which was more common at the time.

George Washington and the Continental Army were obliged to set up an encampment in Morristown because of transportation problems. Washington liked Morristown's "defensible terrain, important communication routes, and access to critical resources.". The Ford family had businesses in iron mines and forges, a gristmill, a hemp mill, and a gunpowder mill that were all stationed near the house. These businesses were useful to the army in getting resources. The surrounding community was made up of 250 residents and 70 buildings. In 1777, many high ranking officials rented these houses. Unfortunately, an epidemic of smallpox spread through the town from the soldiers, making the townspeople somewhat bitter to Washington's troops when they arrived in 1779. Washington's army was stationed at Jockey Hollow while Washington stayed in Ford Mansion. Jockey Hollow is five miles south of Washington's Headquarters.

The Ford Mansion was originally owned by Colonel Jacob Ford Jr. He was given the deed to the two hundred acres of land by his father in 1762, which was the same year he married Theodosia Johnes. Before serving in the war, Jacob Jr. and his father owned an iron forge in Whippany, New Jersey. Ford built the house just south of the Whippany River, making it easier to travel to work. Ford was the Eastern Battalion Commander of the Morris County Militia. He died from pneumonia on January 11, 1777 in the mansion house,

Ford and his soldiers captured a bronze six pounder field cannon from the British Army on January 3, 1777 at the victory in Princeton, New Jersey. According to Morristown National Historical Park, "with artillery and arms in short supply, the victory at Princeton not only boosted the morale of the Continental Army, but it bolstered their scant arsenal of weapons.". The cannon that was captured is on display at the museum on the property of the Ford Mansion, along with other field guns of the era.

After Ford's death, Mrs. Theodosia Ford gained ownership of the mansion. According to Pfister, "Mrs. Ford held the family together and kept the farm and family business a profitable endeavor". Prior to Washington's arrival, the house was considered a "great human tragedy for the Ford family" because it was rented in 1777 to Continental Army troops that developed smallpox. When Washington arrived, he asked permission from the widow if he could stay in the mansion and paid her rent. General Washington, Martha Washington, five aides de camp, and 18 servants stayed in the mansion.

Washington arrived at Ford mansion in December 1779. The location was perfect for him because the American capital was in Philadelphia and the British Army capital was in Manhattan. It allowed Washington to keep a close eye on the British and enabled him to send letters successfully to the Continental Congress. Washington wrote many letters to Congress explaining the poor predicament that his troops were in during his stay at the Ford Mansion. His place of work was in the private study, which was located on the first floor of the house. Washington's aides de camp worked in the parlor, which became the military office. These included Alexander Hamilton, Robert H. Harrison, Tench Tilghman, Richard Meade, and James McHenry. The only record of Washington's stay at the mansion was a letter from Richard Meade to Mrs. Ford, dated July 26, 1780:

Madam: I have received your favour by Captain Tomas Pry. I communicated its contents to His Excellency and am directed to transmit you the inclosed certificate. I have the honour and I certify that the commander in Chief took up his quarters at Mrs. Fords at Morris Town the first day of December 1779, that he left them the 23d of June 1780, and that he occupied two rooms below; all the upper floor, Kitchen, Cellar and Stable. The Stable was built and the two Rooms above Stairs finished at the public expence, and a well, which was intirely useless and filled up before, put in thorough repair by walling & c. Head Quarters near Passaick July 26th. 1780.

The Washington Association of New Jersey was founded to preserve the Ford Mansion and its history in Morristown. It purchased the mansion in 1873 and began restoration. A caretaker's cottage was built nearby in 1886. The mansion and grounds were transferred to the National Park Service in 1933.