Thomas Nast Home

The Thomas Nast Home is a Second Empire residence with two and a half stories, a mansard roof, and wooden clapboard siding located on MacCulloch Avenue in Morristown. The property contains a major collection of his original drawings, sketches, watercolors, and paintings.

Political cartoonist Thomas Nast made this his home starting in 1871 and worked here until his death in 1902. Many of his most influential political illustrations were created in an upstairs bedroom that served as his personal studio.

The home shows how a prominent political artist of the 1800s lived and worked, with rooms that still reflect his creative practice. Visitors can see the spaces where he developed his ideas and how his residence doubled as his studio.

The property sits at the corner of MacCulloch Avenue and Miller Street, making it easy to locate and approach from different directions. The gardens are accessible daily from dawn to dusk, and the interior spaces are arranged to allow visitors to move through the rooms at their own pace.

While working in this house, Thomas Nast created images that shaped American culture for generations. He originated the modern depictions of Santa Claus, the Democratic Donkey, and the Republican Elephant, symbols that remain central to how people visualize these figures today.