Morris family films

Judge Hugh M. Morris was born in Greenwood, Sussex County, Delaware, in 1878. Morris attended the University of Delaware, graduating in 1898. After graduating from the University of Delaware, Morris taught school in Sussex County until 1900. Morris studied law under Senator Willard Saulsbury and later went into practice with Saulsbury. In 1908, Morris married Emma Carter Smith and in 1912, their only child, Mary Smith Morris, was born. In 1919, Morris was appointed judge of the U.S. District Court by President Woodrow Wilson. Morris retired from the federal bench in 1930 to set up Morris, Nichols, Arsht and Tunnell, a prominent law firm in Delaware.

An alumnus of the University of Delaware, Morris served on the Board of Trustees beginning in 1929. From 1939 to 1959, Morris served as president of the Board of Trustees. The University of Delaware dedicated its library to Morris in 1963– three years before Morris died in 1966. Morris left instructions in his will, giving his house and land to the University of Delaware upon his death. In 1998, the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation bought the property and made it a part of the White Clay Creek State Park.

Biographical information summarized from the Biographical Note in MSS 0196, Morris family papers, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware. "About." Emma's Pond at Judge Morris Estate. http://emmaspond.net/about/ (accessed August 2023).

The home that is featured in most of the Morris family films is the estate left to the university in Morris’s will. The Polly Drummond Hill Estate, now known as the Judge Morris Estate, was built before 1798 by John Barclay. The original house was a five-bay, 2 ½ story stone house and ell. A 1 ½ story wing was added in the 1820s and contained a kitchen with enslaved quarters above. Before being purchased in 1933 by Morris, the house belonged to Andrew Gray. After purchasing the house and a large parcel of land, Morris modified the interior of the house and added a modern kitchen wing to the north side of the main house. Another addition to the home was the pond, which his wife, Emma, was instrumental in having installed on the estate.

The estate is currently maintained by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation. There are noticeable differences between the estate in the videos and the current state of the Polly Drummond Hill Estate.

"About." Emma's Pond at Judge Morris Estate. http://emmaspond.net/about/ (accessed August 2023). "The Judge Morris Estate Marker." The Historical Marker Database. 2011. https://www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=141791 (accessed August 2023).