This attractive little house is representative of a yeoman's way of
life in the 19th-century. It is believed to have been built in the
early 1800's by Gabriel Ford, Jr., the grandson of Colonel Jacob Ford,
Sr. 
It once stood near the Ford
Mansion, which served as Washington's Headquarters during the
Revolution. Its small paned windows are typical of the early period
when it was built.
The house, which was in the right-of-way of Interstate 287, was scheduled to be demolished. A few local residents considered it worthy of preservation and purchased it for $25 from the New Jersey Office of Transportation. The Trustees of Speedwell Village agreed to move it from its original site on Howell Place, Morristown, to its present site near the Factory.
To make room for this structure at Speedwell, a more modern farmhouse was demolished and the Ford cottage was placed on its foundations. During 1969 and early 1970, electricity and plumbing were installed in the cottage and other renovations were made. At the same time, its original features were preserved, and it still retains its "salt box" character.
