73 Kahdena Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
(973) 326-7645 -- 631-5343 (groups)
Internet: www.morrisparks.net
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, situated one mile west of the Morristown Green, in Morris County, N.J., has been under cultivation since the eighteenth century. As part of the Morris County Park Commission, the 200-acre farm offers educational activities and demonstrations of turn-of-the-century - 1920s farming methods and life. Visitors are encouraged to participate in various farm-related activities whenever appropriate at this National Register Site. They can churn butter, crack corn and feed it to the chickens, and tend the garden. Staff are dressed in period attire and interpret the lives and roles of Foster family members, domestics, and farm laborers. They perform a daily regimen of farming and domestic chores and raise livestock and crops by historical methods.
The farm, in addition, contains two dwellings that visitors may tour to compare and contrast architectural style and contents. One home is the elegant Gothic Revival mansion, The Willows, built in 1854 by Gen. Joseph W. Revere, the grandson of the famous American patriot Paul Revere and home for Caroline Foster from 1881 – 1979. The other dwelling is the farmhouse, the first floor of which was restored to the period of 1918 – 1927 when Mr. Edward Woods, the farm manager, lived in it. This home opened to the public for the first time in July 2002.
Charles Foster, a wealthy commodities broker who bought the farm in 1881 following the death the year before of Gen. Revere, was especially interested in importing and raising Jersey cows. Visitors can see not only Jersey cows, but also pigs, sheep, draft (work) horses, and chickens. Milking at 4 p.m. is part of the daily schedule.
Farming activities follow the same schedule noted in Charles Foster’s journal which he maintained daily for forty years! Seasonal events showcase the draft horses, carriage driving, planting and harvesting. An introductory film about Fosterfields gives visitors an overview of the farm. A museum gallery will introduce visitors to several of the farm workers from 100 years past and some of the early implements used to accomplish farm chores.
Caroline Foster, Charles Foster’s daughter, wanted visitors to learn and share in the rich agricultural and cultural heritage of her farm. Therefore, she donated the entire property to the park commission for all to enjoy: part of it in the early 1970s and the remainder at the time of her death in 1979.
We hope that visitors will have a fascinating and memorable experience as they step back in time to recapture the sights and sounds of this vibrant historical farm.
A variety of School Programs are available for students up to grade 12. Call for information.
Hours: Open April thru October, Wednesday -
Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12 - 5pm. Also open Memorial Day
and Labor Day.
School Programs available Thursdays and
Fridays, late morning and early afternoon.
Admission: Adults $5.00, Seniors $4.00, Children 4-16 $3.00. Children under are free. Admission for special events (Sheep Dog Trials and Civil War Weekend) Adults $7.00, Seniors $6.00 and Children 4-16 $5.00. Children under 3 are free.
Group Reservations: At least 10 weeks in advance.
Lunch: Picnic in park about 2 miles away. Call (973) 326-7631 for group reservations.
Handicapped: Accessible.
Directions:
From Interstate 287
Traveling NORTH on I-287, take the Madison Avenue Exit 35 and turn LEFT onto South Street. Turn RIGHT onto South Street (Rt. 124 WEST). Proceed into the center of Morristown to The Green. Continue around 3 SIDES of The Green (square). Turn RIGHT onto Washington Street. (Rt. 510 WEST). Travel west about 1 mile and make a RIGHT to Kahdena Road. Make LEFT about ¼ mile up the hill into the parking lot. Proceed to the Visitor Center.
Traveling SOUTH on I-287, take the Madison Avenue Exit 35 and bear RIGHT onto Rt. 124 WEST, to center of Morristown to The Green. Continue around 3 SIDES of The Green (square). Turn RIGHT onto Washington Street. (Rt. 510 WEST). Travel west about 1 mile and make a RIGHT to Kahdena Road. Make LEFT about ¼ mile up the hill into the parking lot. Proceed to the Visitor Center.
Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes from George Washington Bridge.
Nearby: Raptor Trust , Environmental Education Center , Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge , Reeves-Reed Arboretum , Leonard J. Buck Garden .