Part of The Growth of Nassau Street.

Although considered a contemporary of the Beatty House and the Archibald Alexander House, this house slightly pre-dates the post-Revolution development boom on Nassau Street. The smaller, original section was built on the property of Robert Stockton, who likely rented it out to a number of tenants until Zebulon and Mary Morford purchased the house in 1786. To accommodate their still-growing family, they built the larger addition in the year or so after their purchase.

Morford was a shoemaker, and his apprentice David Sunderland also lived in the house. Sunderland, described as “pretty stout made, long black hair and wears it tied,” ran from here in 1794, at about age twenty. An apprentice may have had any number of reasons for running away. Eighteenth century apprentices were bound to legal contracts for a set period of time, during which they worked without pay to learn a trade, all the while subject to a master’s commands. Apprentices were generally restricted in their use of free time and often needed permission to leave the master’s property.

Later Name: Mershon House, for the Mershon family who purchased the property in 1925.

Original Sections: eastern section of the house with the main entrance

Present Use: private residence