The two-day gathering at Saint Elizabeth University drew about 400 attendees each day and connected preservation work with countywide semiquincentennial events.
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – Morris County hosted hundreds of historians, preservation professionals, educators, museum leaders, planners and volunteers last week as the 2026 New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference was held at Saint Elizabeth University in Florham Park during the nation’s 250th anniversary year.
The county said the two-day conference, held June 17-18, drew approximately 400 delegates each day. The annual gathering was hosted by the Friends of New Jersey Heritage and the New Jersey Historic Trust, bringing together professionals and volunteers involved in historic preservation, archaeology, museum management, heritage tourism and public history.
Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw welcomed attendees and said the county’s Revolutionary War history made it a fitting location for the statewide event.
“Few places played a greater role in that story than Morris County,” Shaw said.
The conference came as Morris County continues its yearlong semiquincentennial programming, including events tied to the county’s Revolutionary War sites, historic districts and public history organizations.
Morris County was represented at the conference by the Morris County Park Commission, Office of Planning and Preservation, Heritage Commission and Morris County Tourism Bureau. Amy Curry, executive director of the Morris County Historical Society, served on the conference planning committee.
The conference also included a presentation by PBS travel host Darley Newman, who returned to Morris County to discuss heritage tourism and storytelling connected to historic places.
According to the county, 136 historic sites have been restored and protected through the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund since 2003. County officials used the conference to direct visitors toward Revolutionary War landmarks, museums and historic districts across Morris County.
Upcoming Morris County 250th events include the Light to Unite campaign beginning July 2 and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at the historic Morris County Courthouse in Morristown on July 8.
The county is also directing residents and visitors to the Morris County 250th event calendar for additional semiquincentennial programs throughout the area.
