Book Club To Discuss “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom” in September

UPDATE: We’ll be holding this discussion at the Historical Society of Haddonfield instead of the Haddonfield Public Library.

The Historical Society Book Club’s summer book selection is Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, by David Blight. We will meet to discuss the book on Monday September 23 at 7 pm at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield.

After escaping from slavery as a young man, Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) became a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement. He was also an advocate for women’s suffrage, and eventually served as the U.S. ambassador to Haiti, among many other accomplishments.

David Blight’s engaging biography of Douglass won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History. The Wall Street Journal describes it as “a brilliant book that speaks to our own time as well as Douglass’s.”

As always, all our welcome at the discussion, even if you haven’t read the book.

Historical Society Closed Friday July 5 through Sunday July 7

The Historical Society will be closed next Friday and skip our usual “First Sunday” hours due to the Independence Day holiday. We will be closed Thursday July 4 through Sunday July 7, and reopen to the public on Monday July 8.

Please feel free to call or email the office or the Archives Center to arrange an appointment for another time to visit. You can reach us at 856-429-7375 or by emailing info@haddonfieldhistory.org.

Looking further ahead, we will also close to the public for the month of August as usual. As in past years, we will skip our “First Sunday” hours in September due to the Labor Day holiday weekend. That means that our last summer hours for Greenfield Hall will be Wednesday July 31 from 1-4 pm, and our last summer research hours at the Archives Center will be Wednesday July 31 from 9:30-11:30 am.

If you miss us in July, you can still reach out by phone or email, but please be patient if we are slow to respond. We will return to regular public hours after Labor Day. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Time to Renew Your Membership in the Historical Society

If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to renew your Historical Society of Haddonfield membership today. You can send in your check or click on the “Donate” link in the right margin to renew today.

(And if you have already renewed, thank you so much!)

Your membership has enabled us to accomplish so much this year. We continue to work with local students and educators, providing tours of Greenfield Hall for second graders and hosting high school researchers as they explore primary source materials in our Archives Center. Our “First Sunday” pop-up displays featured the World Wars, weddings in Haddonfield, and a lovely exhibit of parasols. We continue our schedule of quarterly lectures, book club, and other special events.

We have exciting plans for the year ahead, but we need your continued support to help us preserve Haddonfield’s amazing history.

Would you renew your membership for $35, $55 or more today?

Your membership benefits include a subscription to THE BULLETIN newsletter, free admittance to our quarterly lectures, free tours of Greenfield Hall and the Don Wallace Tool Gallery, as well as discounts on events, rentals, and Society publications.

Please renew your membership today and help support our exciting year of activities. You can mail in a check, or donate via PayPal (just note in the “special instructions” that this is for your membership).

Thank you in advance for your continued support!

Summer Story Times Planned for June and July At Greenfield Hall

The Historical Society is pleased to be partnering for the second year with the Haddonfield Public Library to host three children’s story times at Greenfield Hall this summer.

Children ages 4 and up are invited to join us on Friday June 28, Friday July 12, and Friday July 26 from 1:30 – 2:30 pm for historical stories, a craft activity, and a viewing of historical artifacts. Haddonfield Public Library’s Eric Zino and Jordan Bilodeau will be leading these events at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield.

The story times are free, but reservations are requested because space is limited. You can RSVP at the following links:

• June 28
• July 12
• July 26

Questions? Contact the Historical Society at info@haddonfieldhistory.org or 856-429-7375, or email Ms. Jordan at the Haddonfield Public Library at jbilodeau@haddonfieldlibrary.org.

Book Club to Discuss “Tasting Freedom” on June 4

The Historical Society Book Club’s next meeting will be Tuesday June 4 at 7 pm at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield. We’ll be discussing Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America, by Daniel Biddle and Murray Dubin.

(You may recall that the Historical Society welcomed Biddle and Dubin for a general membership meeting presentation about Catto in September 2018.)

An educator in Philadelphia, Catto’s accomplishments included leading a successful effort to desegregate streetcars and to have Pennsylvania ratify the 15th Amendment, which granted black men the right to participate in elections. He was murdered in 1871 by a member of a white mob while on his way to vote.

The Philadelphia Inquirer called the book “a marvelous historical feast,” while historian Eric Foner said, “This dramatic book not only rescues the intrepid Octavius Catto from obscurity but reminds us that this struggle—and the violent opposition to it—long predated the modern civil rights era.”

As always, all our welcome at the discussion, even if you haven’t read the book. Light refreshments will be served.

Looking further ahead, the Book Club’s summer book selection will be Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, by David Blight. This is a joint book club selection with the Haddonfield Public Library, and the discussion will be held Monday September 23 at 7 pm at the public library, 60 N. Haddon Avenue, Haddonfield.