Chatham’s Historic Red Brick Schoolhouse Museum Restoration Is Complete

CHATHAM, NJ - The restoration of Chatham Township's historic Mount Vernon School — better known as the Red Brick Schoolhouse Museum — is complete, following years of preservation work backed by more than $305,000 in Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund grants.

Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw recently visited the circa-1860 landmark at 24 Southern Blvd. to present a Morris County Historic Preservation plaque to Chatham Township Mayor Jen Rowland and the Chatham Township Historical Society in recognition of the project's completion.

The visit came on the heels of the county's annual Pathways of History weekend May 2-3, when the museum welcomed visitors from across the region.

"Preserving our history is always a priority in Morris County, and this year it carries even greater significance as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary," Shaw said. "The Mount Vernon School is a wonderful example of the historic places we are proud to protect for future generations."

Originally constructed around 1860, the building served as a local school and Sunday school until 1928 before housing community organizations and later Chatham Township Hall. It has operated as a local history museum since 1991 under the direction of the Chatham Township Historical Society.

Since 2019, $305,450 in county grants have funded a National Register nomination, a preservation plan, construction documents, and extensive exterior restoration. Work supported by 2022 and 2023 grants included repairs to deteriorated brick and mortar, reconstruction of the northwest vestibule corner, restoration of stone window lintels and sills, and installation of interior storm windows.

"We're so grateful for all the support and all the funding," Rowland said. "The Red Brick Schoolhouse is a beloved site in town — not only because it holds so much history for us and our residents — but it is the destination for field trips for our students. This is a field trip that they remember and they continue to come back with their grandparents and parents."

"Morris County has been with us since the beginning of the process," said Martha Wells, president of the Chatham Township Historical Society. "From the preservation plan and National Register nomination to the construction documents and restoration work, we could not have completed this project without the county's support."

Since 2003, the Morris County Board of County Commissioners has approved more than $56 million in Historic Preservation Trust Fund grants to help preserve and restore 136 historic sites across the county.

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