The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-02-28

- moval and it was
! obliged to give way
notwithstanding the many memories
!! that clustered around it II was known
in it's earlier history as the Kinney
Hotel, but more familiarly through
out the days Of the Revolutionary
War, and until the present time az
the Arnold Tavern. In 1888. Ben
jamin Freeman was licensed to keep
this hotel, and he became the proprie-
tor In 1891. In 1911 it passed into the
possession Of Lewis Hayden, who con-
tinued as its proprietor until 1884,
when James Wood and Col. Joseph
Lowell became the owners. From 1865
to 1868 it was kept by Capt William
Duncan, SO that successive genera
tions have known it AS The Arnold, :,
Freeman, Hayden, and Dun
can House. " 1t is described in 1884,
as Of two parts, The front part 40
feet along the street, 25 feet deep
and three stories high; the back part
"a wing) So feet long, 10 feet wide,
and three stories in height also.
Bancroft, in his history Of the United
States, speaks Of it as the Freeman
House. Z Another author speaks Of
it as the Free Mason House. ''Tho
Marquis de Chastellux. in his sTra-
wells in North America" refers to it,
in describing his travels through New
Jersey in 1850 as follows: e Intended
stopping at Morristown only to bait
my horses, for it was but half past
two, but in entering the inn of Mr..
Arnold, saw a dining room adorned
with looking glasses and handsome
mahogany furniture, and table
spread for twelve persons I learnt
that all this preparation was for me,
and what affected me more nearly
was to see dinner corresponding
with appearances ready to serve up.
| was indebted for this to General
Washington, and the precautions Of
Colonel Maryland, who had sent before
to acquaint them Of my arrival. II
would have been very ungracious Of
us to have accepted this dinner at the
expense Of Mr.. Arnold, who is an
honest man, and who has not parti-
Gle in common with Benedict Arnold.
1t would have been still more awk-
ward to have paid for the banquet
without eating it. | therefore i'm
stantly determined to dine in the
comfortable inn. Mrs. COLES, in her
Historic Morrristown" speaks OF
Washington's stay at the ARNOLD Ta-
vern as follows: Washington first
came to Morristown with his stag
and army, three days after the battle
of Princeton, viz: on the 5th of Jam
nary ,1777, and remained until May
7th. of that year. He made his head
quarters at the Arnold Tavern then
kept by Colonel Jacob Arnold, q
famous officer of the Light Horse
Guards, whose descendants are stila
residents of Morristown and vicinity,
1892. This historic building stood
on the north side Of the Green, where
now large brick building has been
erected on it's site. The old building
with its many associations was about
to be destroyed when it was rescued
at the suggestion of the author of this
book. and restored, on its present site,
on the COLES estate, on Mt. Kemble
avenue, the Old Basking Ridge road
of the Revolution. 1t has recently
been purchased, -1892--and occupied
by the All Souls Hospital Associa-
tion. -" Though extended and en-
larged. it is still the same building,
retains many of the distinctive fea-
lures tnat characterized it when it
was the residence of Washington.
Here is still the bedroom which Wash
ington occupied, the parlor, dining
room and the ball room, where he re-
ceived his generals, Green, Knox,
Schuyler, Gates, Lee. DeKalb. Steuhen,
Wayne, Winds. Putnam, Sullivan and
others, besides distinguished visitors
and one of our own authors, the Mar
cuis de Chastellux In one Of the bod
rooms of the sold House. +" has been
seen, within few years, between
the floor and ceiling below, long
case for guns, above which was paint-
led on tho floor in large squares, .
checker board. about which ia an
emergency. evidently the soldiers ex-
! pected TO sit, and SO conceal frolnaths
! enemy, the trap door, Of their arsen-
al. About this ancient building many
traditions linger, and from it have
gone forth, Washington commands,
aud some III his important letters,
! (see Historic Morristown by MrG.
, Ejulia X. Colles). The chief interest,"
connected with this building cenfers
on that period OF our national history
when the patriob army was encaulped
on the hills, and in the valleys about
I Morristown. Washington fought tlre
battle Of Trenton, began his retreal
: with nasterly strategy, from before
uornwallis, engaged the British al
Princeton.
r M ~, 49,, tt,,S,sa95 ,soS,{ SiySt,f