National Register of Historic Places

Morristown Historic District

Morristown, Belmont County, Ohio
Listed
March 6, 1980
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80002943

About this property

The Morristown Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district embracing much of the village of Morristown, Ohio, United States. Founded along the National Road, Morristown prospered as long as the road was heavily travelled, but it stagnated after railroads became prominent. Because the community neither died nor prospered, it has retained its mid-nineteenth-century architecture into the present, making it one of the National Road's least-changed settlements. Settled in the early nineteenth century, Morristown prospered after the National Road became its main street in 1826. In its first decades, the village was heavily dependent on the road; during the 1850s, more than forty National Road-related businesses lined its streets. However, prosperity departed soon afterward: railroads were built through eastern Ohio in the 1850s, supplanting the National Road as the major mode of transportation, and because no railroad served Morristown, it lost most of its commerce. Buildings continued to be erected into the 1870s, but comparatively little construction occurred in later decades. Nevertheless, the village remained, and benign neglect contributed to Morristown's preservation: no other National Road community in eastern Ohio has experienced so few changes since the road's heyday. Part of its significance derives from construction methods. Most buildings are vernacular structures built of brick in Flemish bond, setting Morristown apart from surrounding communities, which possess few historic brick buildings. In early 1980, the Morristown Historic District was declared, with boundaries encompassing 42 acres (17 ha); seventy of the district's eighty-six buildings were rated as contributing properties, as was the village cemetery. Limited destruction and limited new construction has left Morristown with nearly all of its mid-19th century built environment, enabling the district to qualify for the Register both because of its place in area history and because of its historic architecture.

Location

Morristown, Belmont County, Ohio
40.06410, -81.07341

Categories

COMMERCETRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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This page lists Morristown Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Schooley, Dr. Lindley, House and Office
Industrial
2.9 mi
Belmont Historic District
Listed
3 mi
Brick Tavern House
Early Republic
4.8 mi
Great Western Schoolhouse
Industrial
4.9 mi
Friends Boarding School and Ohio Yearly Meetinghouse Historic District
Listed
6.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Morgan's Raid — Barnesville Skirmish
1863Civil War
7.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Morristown Historic District listed on the National Register?

Morristown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 6, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Morristown Historic District?

Morristown Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Morristown Historic District?

The period of significance for Morristown Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Morristown Historic District?

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