Morris County History: Free July 4th Tour of Whippany Burying Yard

Published on June 27, 2018

Hanover Township Site Marks 300 Years

(JPG, 1MB) Don Kiddoo leads a tour.

Join the Hanover Township Landmark Commission on Wednesday, July 4 at 10 a.m. for a free tour of the historic Whippany Burying Yard.

Historian Don Kiddoo, dressed in period costume, will lead the tour, and with help from members of the Landmark Commission will share fascinating stories about the founders, veterans, and other prominent historical figures resting in the yard.

Parking is permitted in the JR Tobacco parking lot adjacent to the Burying Yard on Route 10 East in the Whippany section of Hanover. Light refreshments will be served.

The oldest colonial graveyard in Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties, the Burying Yard is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. This year, the Burying Yard turns 300 years old.

It was formed in September 1718, before the United States was created, before New Jersey was a state, before Morris County was founded €“ and even before Hanover Township existed. In total, the Burying Yard contains over 300 marked graves and countless unmarked ones.

The land also hosted the first church and the first school in what is now Morris County, and contains the earliest colonial artifact found in the county.

For more information on the Burying Yard, visit: http://www.hanovertownship.com/Portals/1/Landmark/BY_Tour.pdf. For more information on the tour, contact Joseph Giorgio at 973. 428.2466.

For more July 4th activities, visit https://morriscountynj.gov/2018/morristown-revolutionary-times-join-us-for-a-patriotic-july-4th/