Grant Helps Fund Restoration of Morristown’s Historic Civil War Monument and Garden

September 08, 2021

Garden Club of Morristown Assists with Planting Native Perennials

Thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Committee (NJC) of The Garden Club of America (GCA), the Garden Club of Morristown (GCM) helped fund the renovation of a 150-year-old Civil War Monument Garden in Morristown Green, Morristown, N.J. With a budget of $15,000, over half the funds came from the NJC to plant new perennials, add irrigation, and install four spotlights. A local landscape architect donated her time to select viable native plants that would have grown during the Civil War.

In addition to the grant, GCM members assisted with the removal of invasive English ivy and the planting of historically accurate, hearty, native, medicinal perennials. The historic plants include Ceanothus americanus, commonly known as New Jersey Tea. This native shrub’s name was coined during the American Revolution because its leaves were used as a substitute for imported tea. Additional perennials include hyssop, coneflower, aster, and beebalm.  

The monument is a fifty foot tall obelisk with an eight foot statue of a Union soldier atop dedicated to the soldiers from Morris County who perished during the Civil War. In addition to the work in the garden, the monument has undergone a major cleaning and restoration. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Green was established as a public common over 200 years ago. Initially the headquarters of General Washington in 1777, it has been the site of countless rallies, celebrations, and even public hangings. Today it is a restful oasis in the center of a small, busy city. 

The GCA has four Area Committees: Boston, New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. They were formed to combine the resources and talents of member clubs in a concentrated geographic area to accomplish major community projects that could not easily be carried out by a single club. The Area Committees are comprised of representatives of GCA member clubs and may include representatives from other related organizations who share the mission of the member clubs.

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