Jockey Hollow

The Wick House--headquarters of Major General Arthur St. Clair during the "Hard Winter" of 1779-1780.

NPS

Wick House - Henry Wick built this Cape Cod Style house around 1750. His 1,400 acre farm, most of which was covered by forest, made him the largest landowner in Morristown. Henry Wick's trees attracted Washington's army to the area as a winter encampment site because they needed logs to build cabins for shelter and wood to burn for heating and cooking. During the winter of 1779-1780 the army chopped down over 600 acres of his trees on Mr. Wick's property and more on his neighbor's properties. Additionally, Major General Arthur St. Clair, commander of 2,000 Pennsylvania soldiers, made his quarters in Mr. Wick's home for the winter.

Today the house is furnished to portray its use as a general's headquarters. Tours of the Wick House are offered periodically.

 

Jockey Hollow Visitor Center - This mid-1970's building features a large mural illustrating the winter encampment of 1779-1780, a full-scale model of a soldier's log cabin and a short movie. A gift shop, restrooms and an information desk staffed by a park ranger will also be found in the Visitor Center.

 

Grand Parade - Originally the Grand Parade was an open field 400 yards long and 100 yards wide. A two-room log cabin located there served as the camp administrative center from which orders were issued and court-martials were held. Two cannon stationed here served as alarm guns to alert the camp of attack. Guards assembled daily on the Grand Parade for inspections and to receive their orders. The Grand Parade also served as a place for military executions; two soldiers were hanged and buried here.

 

The Guerin House

Guerin House -
Joshua Guerin, his wife and 8 children lived in a small house on an average size farm of 76 acres. Guerin served as a sergeant in the Morris County militia and occasionally hauled supplies in his wagon for the army. He allowed the army to graze horses in his pasture and sold hay and firewood to the army. Soldiers were even briefly quartered in his house. Like many of his neighbors Guerin's property also suffered damages from the army's encampment. Soldiers stole potatoes, rye, sheep, tools and even some of his wife's clothing. Additionally, soldiers burned his fences and let horses loose in his wheat field resulting in the loss of half his crop. The house currently is used by park staff as a residence and is not open to the public.