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VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN The Village of Morristown has been invited to apply for an AMLER grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Mineral Resources Management. As part of that process, we are seeking input via a Community Engagement Survey of every household in the corporation limits. 2024 COMMUNITY SURVEY Village Complaint Form Morristown Village Council meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Village offices. Volunteer Form VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN 201 W. Cross Street P.O. Box 241 Morristown, OH 43759 Phone: 740-782-1551 Fax: 740-782-1820 Mayor Heather Stitt mayor.morristown.ohio@gmail.com Fiscal Officer Tiffany Vcelka Village Administrator Brandon Taylor btaylor.morristown.villageadm@gmail.com VFD Fire Chief Doug Harris Council Members: Bradlee Gibson Doug Harris Pamela McCort Shawn Cline John Rataiczak Richard J. Wilhelm Morristown Park Commission Lynn-Hunkler Memorial Park Vicki Burghy vburghy@gmail.com Brenynn Mowery Louie Mudrak MORRISTOWN NEWSLETTER Morristown Newsletter 2022 Morristown Newsletter 2021 Morristown Newsletter 2017 Morristown Newsletter 2015 Morristown Newsletter 2013 Morristown Newsletter 2012 Morristown Newsletter 2010 VILLAGE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS 2024 Consumer Confidence Report Ordinance No. 2024-01 Golf Cart Ordi nance Record Request Canvassing & Soliciting Permit Canvassing & Soliciting Ordinance 14-3 Water & Sewer Connection or Transfer of Service Resolution 16-15 Budget Resolution 16-14 Transfer of Funds to Park District Resolution 16-3 Authorizing Sale of Fire Truck Sign Permit form Zoning Appeals Application Zoning Application Procedure Zoning Permit Form Application for Volunteer Service Approved Zoning Ordinance Zoning Districts Public Comment Sign-In Form Ordinance No. 13-3 Ordinance No. 12-5 GO TO TOP

Morristown Ohio was platted in 1802. The village was named for Duncan Morrison, a pioneer settler. A variant name was "Morris Town". A post office called Morristown has been in operation since 1807. Several blocks in downtown Morristown compose the Morristown Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Morristown Walking Tour State and Local Officials Tour Black Horse Inn, Learn More about Underground Railroad Project Learn more.. Director John Carey (center) of the Governor's Office of Appalachia, makes a comment during a tour of the Black Horse Inn at Morristown. Also pictured are John Mattox, President of the UGRR Museum Board; Commissioner Jerry Echemann; Pamela McCort of the Morristown Historic Association; Jennifer Brothers of the Belmont County Port Authority; Kristina Estle, Executive Director of the UGRR Museum; and Vicki King-Maple, Executive Director of OMEGA. Morristown 01 Morristown History Go To 02 The National Road Go To 03 Lynn-Hunkler Memorial Park Go To Morristown, Ohio AROUND MORRISTOWN 04 05 06 07 Village of Morristown Go To Preserving the Black Horse Inn Go To Preservation Association Go To Nearby Attractions Go To This website courtesy of the Morristown Historic Preservation Association Winner of the Ohio Historical Society’s Public Education and Awareness Award 1991 and 2003 Initial funding for this website provided by a grant from the Belmont County Tourism Council GO TO TOP

National Road Bicentennial 2006 National Road Bicentennial Celebration Vintage Base Ball Match a Hit The National Road Bicentennial Celebration at Morristown on July 29, 2006 featured activities for the whole family. One of those activities, a vintage base ball match, was a genuine hit with players and spectators alike. The game was a matchup between the Ohio Village Muffins from the Ohio Historical Society and the Morristown Nationals, a team of local players. The 9-inning game was played by the rules of 1860, including period clothing. The Muffins won the matchup 26-7. The vintage game was played on the baseball diamond at Union Local High School. Real Life Church sold hot dogs, Cracker Jacks and other refreshments at the game. The National Road Bicentennial Celebration was hosted by the Morristown Historic Preservation Association. VINTAGE BASE BALL MATCH A HIT WITH PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS Friendly Rivals - Morristown Nationals and Ohio Village Muffins WTOV-9 Meteorologist Jeff Oechslein and Morristown weather watcher Lois McDowell have a friendly chat before Jeff takes the field for the Morristown Nationals. Belmont County Commissioner Mark Thomas shows fine form as he sends the ball into left field. Morristown Mayor Robert Thomas (left) and umpire Richard "Always Right" Schuricht from Columbus look on as players warm-up before the base ball match. Standing in the background are Nationals' team members Darin Simms (left) and Chad Burghy. Belmont County Probate Judge Mark Costine rings the bell after he scores a run for the Nationals. An attentive group of Morristown players listens as the umpire explains how to play by the gentleman's rules of 1860. Mayor Robert Thomas connects with the ball as he hits one into center field. Team manager Tom McCort and captain Mark Thomas review the Nationals' batting order. GO TO TOP

Veterans Honored at CommUNITY Day Morristown veterans who served in armed conflicts around the world, especially World War II, will be honored at a dedication of the World War II Veterans Honor Board on June 8th . The dedication, part of CommUNITY Day, will take place at the Lynn-Hunkler Memorial Park at Morristown on Sunday, June 8th at 12:30 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Following the dedication, the National Pike Wagon Train, sponsored by the Belmont County Tourism Council, will arrive and the National Pike Pickers, a Wheeling-based bluegrass band, will perform from 1 until 4 p.m. There will also be inflatable amusements for children of all ages. Traditional picnic food will be served. Rev. Gene Miller of the Morristown Methodist Church and Pastor Curtis Hallstrom of the Morristown Christian Church will be the featured speakers at the dedication. Rev. Miller is a World War II veteran, having served in the Army and the Navy. Pastor Hallstrom is a former Naval Aviator. The Veterans Honor Board, a reproduction of the original Roll of Honor that stood in Morristown during the war, is a project of the Morristown Historic Preservation Association (MHPA). All events and activities of CommUNITY Day are free, courtesy of the Morristown Historic Preservation Association. In case of inclement weather, the dedication will be held, but the band and amusements will be cancelled. Morristown residents Barbara Shepherd (left) and Lois Talbott McDowell are two local residents who have family listed on the Veterans Honor Board shown in the background. A dedication of this World War II Roll of Honor will take place on Sunday, June 8th at 12:30 p.m. at the Morristown park. images GO TO TOP

2018 National Pike Wagon Train images GO TO TOP

MORRISTOWN WALKING TOUR GO TO TOP

NEWS $3.9 million awarded to Underground Railroad Museum News source The Times Leader T-L photo/GAGE VOTA The Morristown Historic Preservation Association Vice President Pamala McCourt (left) and Museum Director of the Underground Railroad Museum Kristine Estle (right) pictured together in front of the Black Horse Inn which is the future location of the Underground Railroad Museum. MORRISTOWN — The Underground Railroad Museum has received $3.9 million from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s Appalachian Community Grant Program. The program is part of a $154 million investment in Appalachian downtowns and destinations. The Underground Railroad Museum, while currently located at 121 E High St. in Flushing, is set to move to the historic Black Horse Inn in Morristown. The inn, built in 1807, is one of the last remaining inns and taverns on Old National Road. It is believed to have also been a stop on the Underground Railroad. A portion of the grant will go towards completely renovating the inn, which has sat vacant for several years, to make it acceptable to become the museum’s new permanent location. “There’s about a million dollars worth of renovations that need to be done first,” Museum Director Kristina Estle said. The Underground Railroad museum’s current site will continue to be open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. until the move is complete. The museum is donation-based. Due to it being fully funded through donations, museum officials recommend a $10-$20 donation. The cost of the project will be more than $2 million for construction, more than $300,000 for architectural and engineering work, $438,000 for site work and $1 million dollars for equipment. Due to the grant being funded through the Appalachian Community Grant, there are certain stipulations on when the project must be done. This project must be completed by 2026. Belmont County Tourism Council Executive Director Jackee Pugh said that after DeWine announced the creation of the Appalachian Community Grant Program, she presented the concept to the Belmont County Commissioners. “They were on board right away,” Pugh said. “I talked to my board of directors, the Underground Railroad Museum, and the Morristown Historic Preservation Association, and just got all the stakeholders really excited.” This project is a joint affair between the Underground Railroad Museum, The Belmont County Tourism Council and the Morristown Historic Preservation Association. The Morristown Historic Preservation owns the Black Horse Inn, but hasn’t had success with securing funding in the past. The Appalachian Community Grant Program approved the funding the joint initiative requested. “We are a nonprofit and so is the Underground Railroad Museum, so this a partnership and this is exactly what the Governor wanted to see,” Pamela McCort, Morristown Historic Preservation Association Vice President, said. Artifacts from the Underground Railroad will be curated and relocated to the Black Horse Inn once it is remodeled. The main floor of the inn will accommodate the Underground Railroad Museum, with the second floor to potentially serve as an Airbnb. The basement is planned to accommodate food service businesses. “Throughout this entire process, everyone we have talked to has been really supportive and excited and saw the potential that this could be for Belmont County,” said Pugh. GO TO TOP

Garden Tour 2002 images GO TO TOP

PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION The Morristown Historic Preservation Association was founded March 7, 1984 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The Morristown Historic Preservation Association was recognized with a Public Education and Awareness Award from the Ohio Historical Society (now Ohio History Connection) in 1991 and again in 2003. MHPA also received a 2013 Milestone Award from the Ohio National Road Association for its efforts to acquire and restore the Black Horse Inn, one of the last remaining National Road inns and taverns. For more information, email john.rataiczak@gmail.com or pamlico1@gmail.com MHPA MISSION STATEMENT To encourage restoration and improvement of the Village of Morristown as a National Historic District by disseminating information portraying early life in the Village and by aiding in the implementation of a district preservation plan. To foster the cooperation of public agencies and private industries to assist in the historic preservation work. To advance public education and interest in historic architecture and historic events as they relate to the district. To solicit, collect, receive, acquire, hold, and invest monies and property, real and personal, including grants, gifts, bequests, contributions, and otherwise; and to use these funds for purposes of the Association. To do all such other acts as are necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of the Association; and to have all the powers and authority conferred upon non-profit corporations in the State of Ohio. "A spot of local history is like an inn upon a highway; it is a stage upon a far journey; it is a place the national history has passed through. There mankind has stopped and lodged by the way. Local history is thus less than national history only as the part is less than the whole. Local history is subordinate to national history only in the sense in which each leaf of a book is subordinate to the volume itself." -Woodrow Wilson GO TO TOP

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. The presence of the road and all the traffic it carried led to growth, and hotels, stores, factories and mills grew up around it. Many of those buildings are still standing in Morristown, which is the best preserved example of a “Pike Town” in Eastern Ohio, according to morristownohio.org. In the 1850s, there were as many as 40 or 50 businesses in town, including blacksmiths, cigar factories, grocers, clothiers, Saddlers, wagonmakers and many others. Many of those buildings were abandoned in the decades that followed, as a new form of transportation — the railroad — bypassed Morristown and ran through communities to the south instead, passing from Zanesville to Barnesville and through Bethesda and Belmont on its way to Bellaire. Today, the remaining 19th century buildings in Morristown are largely occupied again, but they now serve as private homes. Of course, being from nearby Belmont myself, I know several of the people who occupy or work to preserve these historic structures. And, being a history buff, I also know that many of these buildings were built in the 1840s and ’50s. It’s amazing to see how they have stood the test of time! What’s also amazing to me is how much some of these structures have been improved. Driving along Main Street last week, I noticed some new roofs and siding, as well as equipment stationed at buildings that are being renovated. I was happy to see that all those improvements seem to be in keeping with the original appearance and historic colors of the original construction. There’s just something special about this little slice of a bygone era. No matter why I visit the village, I always appreciate its character and feel like I can see and hear the shadows of those who came there before me. So, if you have business to conduct in or around Morristown, take the time to notice just how much of the original community has been spared for posterity. Or, if you have a leisurely day to spend somewhere in the region, consider making an intentional visit. Buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are clearly marked with bits of their history on plaques near their entrances. A walking tour is also outlined on the website mentioned above. In addition to its historical significance, Morristown has a 73-acre park with ballfields, playground equipment, disc golf and more. And it is near many other attractions, such as Barkcamp State Park, Pike 40 restaurant, Valleyview Campgrounds where Blame My Roots Fest is held, and the Union Local schools campus. GO TO TOP

Village Complaint Form VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN OFFICE OF VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR NATURE OF COMPLAINT: (Please include all details and be as explicit as possible.) FINDINGS AND ACTIONS TAKEN: Your Signature Clear Submit Thank You! GO TO TOP

NEWS 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. The two-page, full color spread, which hits newsstands on November 1st, includes photos of six 19th century homes and the Black Horse Inn as well as a brief history of the village. Morristown Mayor Heather Stitt said she was elated to learn that the magazine had plans to feature Morristown. “Morristown is truly a link to the past,” Mayor Stitt said. “The future of Morristown looks bright and this is just the first step to show what our little village has to offer.” Morristown came to the attention of Old House Journal via Carolyn Bates, a nationally-recognized photographer from Vermont. Bates was making plans to photograph a cabin owned by the Dutton family near Flushing and asked Greg Dutton if there were any historic homes that she could visit. He connected her with John Rataiczak, Morristown homeowner and president of the Morristown Historic Preservation Association. "I was thrilled to learn of this interest as we have always felt that what we have here in Morristown is special and worthy of national recognition and attention," Rataiczak said. In May, John began sending Bates pictures of every home built in Morristown between 1800 and 1899. After months of emails and photos, Carolyn had what she needed to pitch the idea of a Morristown feature to the editors of Old House Journal. They reviewed the photos and agreed to send Carolyn to photograph the village for a regular feature in the magazine called “My Neighborhood.” Carolyn arrived in Morristown the third week in July. “I felt like I had stepped way back in time,” Carolyn remarked about her first impression of the small village. She stayed in the Brooks House, a guest of owner Troy Biery. She was the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by several homeowners on July 22. She spent the next several days walking around the community, taking photos and talking with residents. “I felt so welcome,” Carolyn said. “Within an hour I felt like I was with my family.” “It was a pleasure to share our community, our friendship, food and conversation with someone who appreciated all that makes Morristown a special place to live,” said Melissa Rataiczak. “Carolyn gave us another reason to come together for fellowship and laughter, a hallmark of living in this awesome village,” she added. Morristown has offered other opportunities for visitors, like Christmas Home Tours and National Pike Festivals. Morristown was also a stop on the 2016 Rubberneck Tour. Next up is the Fifth Annual Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving morning tradition in Morristown. All are welcome to participate in this fun 5K Run/Walk. “This is another opportunity for neighbors, family and friends to come together and create more Morristown memories,” Rataiczak said. Mayor Stitt hopes this recognition generates interest and enthusiasm for preserving old homes and buildings. So does newest resident, Gabe Hays, who purchased one of Morristown’s historic homes last year. “What I hope this will mean to Morristown is a continuum of stewardship awareness for this nationally-significant American historic place,” Hays said. “I pray that this will inspire others to invest in any of the current structures needing love.” GO TO TOP