From Benedict Arnold To Today: New Morris Co. Exhibit Explores Local Legal History

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Visitors can now take a self-guided journey through more than 270 years of Morris County's legal history at a new exhibit inside the historic Morris County Courthouse, celebrating America's 250th anniversary while kicking off preparations for the courthouse's own bicentennial next year.

The Morris/Sussex Vicinage of the New Jersey Courts recently unveiled the exhibit in the Morris County Courthouse and adjoining Administration and Records Building. The display commemorates the nation's semiquincentennial and launches the celebration of the courthouse's 200th anniversary. Built in 1827, the courthouse has served Morris County for nearly two centuries.

Created in conjunction with Morris County's "Light to Unite" campaign and the county's July 8 public reading of the Declaration of Independence, the exhibit traces the evolution of Morris County's court system from its first log courthouse in 1755 to the present day through historic photographs, artifacts and interactive displays.

Among the exhibit's highlights is the story of Benedict Arnold's court-martial, one of the Revolutionary War's most significant legal proceedings. Arnold was tried by a military court in Morristown between December 1779 and January 1780 during the Continental Army's second winter encampment.

The exhibit also explores the 1887 blasphemy trial of Charles B. Reynolds, a landmark New Jersey case involving freedom of speech and religious liberty. Argued by famed orator Robert G. Ingersoll, the case became an early chapter in the nation's evolving debate over free expression.

Additional displays examine the history of the Morris County Sheriff's Office, showcase the courthouse's Federal-style architecture and allow visitors to step inside the historic courtroom, which has remained in continuous use for nearly 200 years. Guests can also pick up a complimentary pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, provided by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.

The exhibit is open to the public during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Visitors should begin on the second floor of the Administration & Records Building, located at 10 Court St. in Morristown, before crossing the enclosed pedestrian bridge into the historic courthouse to view exhibits on landmark trials, notable figures and Morris County's legal history. Displays on the Morris County Sheriff's Office are located on the courthouse's first floor.

Accessible viewing is available by entering the Administration & Records Building and the courthouse separately. Visitors needing accommodations should notify a sheriff's officer upon arrival.