NEWS
A short drive leads to trip back in time
I visited one of my favorite little communities this past week.
news source "The Times Leader"
On Wednesday afternoon, I took an impromptu drive through Morristown. Although I was actually looking for a large group of law enforcement officers who had been called to handle an incident I knew almost nothing about at that point, I couldn’t help but notice a few changes in the village.
Morristown was platted 220 years ago, and it was named for settler and innkeeper Duncan Morrison. It was established by Jonathan Zane and William Chaplin along the path of the developing National Road — the highway to the West throughout the first half of the 19th century.
Morristown Featured in Old House Journal Magazine
Morristown has been on the National Register of Historic Places for over 30 years and been recognized many times as one of the best preserved examples of a National Road community, yet the latest recognition may bring it to the attention of its largest audience yet.
Morristown is a featured community in the December 2016 issue of Old House Journal, a national publication with an audience of 3.6 million readers that is considered the preeminent restoration source by homeowners and design professionals.
NEW BANNERS ADORN MAIN STREET
Main Street in Morristown is now adorned with full-color banners depicting the village's place in history "on the road."
Beautiful and educational, the series of banners shows the evolution of transportation corridors through the village - from a wilderness path known as Zane's Trace to the National Road and US Route 40.
The banner project was spearheaded by the Morristown Historic Preservation Association (MHPA) and funded by a grant from the Belmont County Tourism Council.
MHPA came up with the banner concept and worked withTiffany Schmidt of SilverLake Graphics in Barnesville to create the design. Ed Tacosik and the LogoTek Team in Bethesda printed and installed the large, vinyl banners.
The "on the road" theme was chosen because Morristown is an original Pike town and all the highways are still visible in Morristown.
The National Road was the nation's first federally-funded highway, built between 1811 and 1834, and Morristown is one of the best preserved examples of a National Road community. The road became part of US 40 as a coast-to-coast highway in 1926.
MHPA extends its appreciation to Ohio History Connection for use of the Zane's Trace image and to AEP for granting permission for the banners to be placed on its electric poles.
The Times Leader
December 4, 2013
Group receives ONRA Award
MORRISTOWN Efforts to preserve a storied piece of local history have earned recognition on the state level for a local non-profit group.
The Morristown Historic Preservation Association received the 2013 Milestone Historic Preservation Award from the Ohio National Road Association (ONRA) for mounting a successful effort to purchase and restore the Black Horse Inn, one of the last remaining National Road inns and taverns.
The Milestone Award was presented at the ONRA Annual Meeting which was held at the Florentine Restaurant in Columbus on Nov. 22.