In 1933, the Washington Association of New Jersey (WANJ) conveyed the headquarters, Jockey Hollow and Fort Nonsense to the federal government, and Congress established the MNHP as the country’s first national historical park. John Russell Pope (architect of the National Gallery of Art and the Jefferson Memorial) was commissioned to design a museum building, which was erected in 1935. The WANJ is one of the oldest historic preservation organizations in the nation.

In 1933, the Washington Association of New Jersey (WANJ) conveyed the headquarters, Jockey Hollow and Fort Nonsense to the federal government, and Congress established the MNHP as the country’s first national historical park. John Russell Pope (architect of the National Gallery of Art and the Jefferson Memorial) was commissioned to design a museum building, which was erected in 1935. The WANJ is one of the oldest historic preservation organizations in the nation.