Mapping Historic Treasure

Leveraging the past to secure the future of Hanover’s Whippany Burying Yard

July 4th travelers on Route 10 in Whippany may have seen a stately gentleman appearing to have stepped out of colonial times. Garbed in period costume, Hanover Township’s Historian Emeritus,Don Kiddoo, was at the Whippany Burying Yard that day doing what he does best: bringing the stories of those who rest there to life for a sizeable crowd gathered for a tour of the oldest colonial graveyard in Morris County and north central New Jersey. Joining him in showcasing the lives of those who colored the pages of local, state, and national history was the Hanover Township Landmark Commission, who sponsored the event. Also attired in 1700s style, commission members discussed the artistry of the headstones and ongoing work to preserve these markers and other relics that lend luster to this historic jewel.

The July 4th tour is one of many ways the Landmark Com-mission has put the Whippany Burying Yard on the proverbial map. Since 1977 when the Landmark Commission was first established by ordinance, the members embarked on a mission and delivered a powerful message to the public about this 300-year-old resting place: These historic lives–and this site–matter.