A Visit to Macculloch Hall

Last week I visited Macculloch Hall in Morristown, NJ. It houses a beautiful collection of 18th and early 19th century American and English furniture and decorative arts.

The museum is housed in a Federal-style brick mansion built by George Macculloch, a Scotsman who was born in India and emigrated to America in 1806. He was a businessman and visionary who is known as the "Father of the Morris Canal," which was known at the time as an international engineering marvel.

Five generations of the family lived in the home. It was purchased by W. Parsons Todd, a local philanthropist, in 1949. He embarked upon a restoration of the house to contain his collection of furniture, decorative and fine arts from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

As you can see from the photos, the rooms are decorated to appear as a nineteenth-century home. While the furnishings are grand and elegant, they are combined with lamps, dishes, glassware and even toys from the period to create a feeling of casual family life.

The rooms are large, light-filled and airy. There are ten period rooms, including this beautiful yellow bedroom (above).

The formal dining room contains a fine collection of porcelain, crystal and silver, including several settings of American presidential china housed in this corner cabinet.

The central hall is graced by this beautiful chandelier (above), and a gracious curving staircase.

Here is another photo from the dining room (above), with beautiful hurricane lamps on the lovely formal mantel.

The beautiful parlor (above) is decorated as a gathering place for gracious nineteenth century entertaining, with comfortable chairs and musical instruments including a harp and a harpsichord.

The fine china collection at Macculloch Hall includes examples of French, German, English and Chinese export porcelain from about 1750 to 1850.

For more information about Macculloch Hall, visit their website.