The History of Morristown Field Club
Morristown Field Club was founded in 1881 and is the third oldest tennis club in New Jersey, pre-dated only by the Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club (1877) and the Orange Lawn Tennis Club (1880). Its first location was on South Street on a "lovely flat lawn" near the present Kings Supermarket. The club was originally called Morristown Lawn and Tennis Club and had two courts for men’s use only.
In 1893, the club reorganized as Morristown Field Club and offered baseball, football, and cricket in addition to tennis. In 1895 ladies became members and paid $5 dues. That same year a bowling alley and a five-hole golf course were built on the grounds. In 1899 a new, stylish, thatched-roof club house was built and the original club house was moved to the skating pond on James Street.
Morristown's Gilded Age was in full swing during the pre-World War I years, and sporting activities at Morristown Field Club were part of that fashionable lifestyle. A horse show, complete with grandstand and horse sheds, was held on the club grounds for ten years and was considered the highlight of Morristown’s social season. The club's renowned "Morristown Millionaires" ice hockey team dominated the sport in the North Jersey League all the way through the 1930s.
However, tennis was always at the forefront. In 1900, the club joined the New Jersey Lawn Tennis Association and in 1905 hosted the first open New Jersey State Tennis Tournament, an event held annually through 1916. That year, club rules were relaxed and tennis was permitted on Sunday afternoons. During World War I, all activities except tennis, hockey and skating were discontinued. In 1921, the club held a benefit tennis exhibition match for French War Relief starring the legendary Bill Tilden.
In 1941, Morristown Field Club moved to its present location initially purchasing a 5.2 acre tract on James Street and then a 4.4 acre tract in 1942 both from Mrs. Robert D. Foote. A new club house and six clay courts were built, and the club officially incorporated as a tennis club only, dropping all other sports. In 1943 the club patriotically helped the World War II effort by plowing up its lawns and planting a Victory garden of beans and potatoes. The post war years saw the return of Bill Tilden and Donald Budge in exhibition matches in 1946 and 1947, Saturday night dances at the club house, and annual dues of $20.
In 1950, the club house burned down, and it was replaced by what is the present club house. Expansion of the club facilities, resulting in the club as we know it today, dates from that time. Platform tennis, with two wooden courts, was introduced in 1955. In the 1970s, growing interest in this winter sport resulted in the construction of a new paddle complex, complete with four aluminum deck courts and a modern paddle hut. During this time, two all weather courts and four Har-Tru tennis courts were added, bringing the club's tennis courts to twelve. An automatic sprinkler system, installed in 1983, provided the latest technology in court maintenance. In 1987, the two all weather courts were converted to Har-Tru giving the club six clay and six Har-Tru courts. In 2018 lights and heaters for the platform courts were upgraded. In the past few years, the six red clay courts were replaced with Har-Tru hydro courts.
In 1950, the club joined the New Jersey Tennis League, and since then has successfully participated in interclub play. Today, the club fields men and women's teams in league play during the tennis season from April through September. In the winter, men and women's platform teams participate in league play.
