Shown is “Moven, 1959,” by Dudley Morris (1912-1966), from the Morven Collection, a gift of Bayard Stockton III by his children and grandchildren.

Morven Museum & Garden has played a unique role in the history of New Jersey and the nation. Home to five governors and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Morven will soon feature some behind the scenes and lesser known stories of the historic home and its residents.

“Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home” will open to visitors on April 26, and run through March 2, 2025. The exhibit celebrates Morbven’s 20th anniversary as a museum — a time to delve into the collections and commemorate its past. The exhibit will show rarely exhibited objects and newly discovered photographs.

Morven was built in the 1750s by Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, on property granted to his grandfather by Willaim Penn in 1701. There is evidence of Lenni-Lenape tool-making on Morven grounds as well. Richard’s wife, Annis Boudinot Stockton, is one of America’s earliest published female poets. Four more generations of Stocktons resided at Morven before the property was leased to Gen. Robert Wood Johnson, chairman of Johnson & Johnson from 1928 to 1944. He was followed by five New Jersey governors until 1981. After extensive restoration, Morven reopened as a museum in 2004.

What was it like to be a child in the home? How did different residents celebrate the holidays? What were the names of the family pets who lived at Morven? And how did it come to host the likes of George Washington, Grace Kelly, and Buzz Aldrin?

Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street. For more information, call (609) 924-8144 or visit morven.org.