6-20-2025 10:23am

Morris County to Debut Self-Guided Driving Tour of Million-Dollar Historic Landmarks

New online guide maps 18 preservation-funded sites and will launch at a June 24 press conference at Denville’s Ayres Knuth Farm.

MORRISTOWN, NJ - The Morris County Board of County Commissioners will roll out an online “Historic Preservation Driving Tour” at a noon press conference on Tuesday, June 24, at Ayres Knuth Farm in Denville. The free event opens a web guide that maps 18 landmark properties—each the recipient of at least $1 million from the county’s Historic Preservation Trust—and invites residents to explore them at their own pace.

Key details

Who & what: County commissioners and the Morris County Historical Society will introduce a series of webpages on morriscountyhistory.org that bundle directions, photographs, and back-stories for 18 preserved sites.
When & where: Tuesday, June 24, 12 p.m., Ayres Knuth Farm, 25 Cooper Road, Denville.
Why it matters: Officials say the guide showcases how local tax dollars have safeguarded irreplaceable architecture and landscapes while giving the public a ready-made cultural day trip.
Public access: Admission, parking, light refreshments, and guided tours of Ayres Knuth Farm are all free. RSVPs are requested at MCHSAcornHall@gmail.com or 973-267-3465.

A primer on the Trust Fund

Morris County voters authorized the Historic Preservation Trust Fund in 2002; since granting began in 2003, the program has distributed roughly $50 million through more than 530 grants, benefiting more than 120 sites in 34 towns. In 2024 alone, the commissioners approved $3.6 million for 20 additional projects.

Spotlight on the host site

Ayres Knuth Farm—continuously worked since 1793—sits on 52 acres and contains ten original buildings, including an 1825 smokehouse and an 1895 tenant house. The farm is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places and is considered one of the county’s most intact 19th-century agricultural complexes.

What the tour covers

The inaugural route spans 13 municipalities, from the Darress Theatre in Boonton to the Pompton Plains Railroad Station in Pequannock. Future web tours will focus on themes such as industry, agriculture, cemeteries, and one-room schoolhouses, according to the county announcement.

How to participate

Residents can attend the June 24 launch, then access the driving-tour pages at any time to build individual itineraries. For those unable to travel, the site will feature a photo-and-video gallery that threads together the county’s preservation story virtually.

Bottom line: The new guide distills two decades of taxpayer investment into a user-friendly road trip, marrying heritage tourism with ongoing stewardship of Morris County’s historic fabric.