Annual Haunted Mansion Event Scheduled for Wednesday October 30

The Historical Society will host our annual Haunted Mansion at Greenfield Hall on Wednesday October 30 after the town Halloween parade, approximately 6:30-8:30 pm.

The cost is $3 for kids and $5 for adults. Tickets will be sold at the door (cash only).

For those who haven’t visited our Haunted Mansion event before, we aim to make this event appropriate for elementary school aged kids, roughly second to fifth grades. We add seasonal decorations to the first floor of Greenfield Hall and offer lights-out spooky tours. Light refreshments will be available outside in the garden while supplies last.

For the third year, we’ll also be offering a Halloween story time in the garden for younger visitors who aren’t sure about taking the inside tour.

A huge thank-you to our 2019 sponsor: Lisa Wolschina and Associates from Keller Williams Real Estate.

Tickets On Sale Now for 2019 Haunted Haddonfield Walking Tours

Local favorite Bill Meehan will once again conduct Haunted Haddonfield walking tours in October leading up to the annual “Haunted Mansion” at the Historical Society of Haddonfield on October 30.

The walking tours will begin at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield. This year’s tours will be held on the following dates:

Friday Oct. 18, 2019 – 7 pm starting at Greenfield Hall
Saturday Oct. 19, 2019 – 7 pm starting at Greenfield Hall
Friday Oct. 25, 2019 – 7 pm starting at Greenfield Hall
Saturday Oct. 26, 2019 – 7 pm starting at Greenfield Hall

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

Tickets may be purchased at the door (CASH ONLY) or purchased in advance at the Historical Society, the Haddonfield Information Center, or the Haddonfield Public Library. The tours benefit the Historical Society and the Haddonfield Public Library.

Other frequently asked questions:

* Yes, the tour is child friendly generally speaking, but of course it also depends on the child.

* The walk is approximately 1 mile with several stops. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and includes uneven sidewalks, brick paths, and some unpaved paths though a cemetery. Feel free to call the Historical Society’s office at 856-429-7375 to discuss more specifics.

* Please bring a flashlight!

Other questions? Contact the Historical Society at 856-429-7375 or info@haddonfieldhistory.org.

Book Club To Discuss “American Eden” on November 19

The Historical Society of Haddonfield’s Book Club will meet on Tuesday November 19 to discuss American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic, by Victoria Johnson.

We’ll meet at 7 pm at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield.

David Hosack is today best known as the doctor present at the duel of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, but he was also a noted botanist, scientist, and medical researcher who oversaw the first public botanical garden in the new Republic.

Victoria Johnson’s engaging biography of Hosack was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History, as well as a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award in Nonfiction. The Library Journal describes the work as “a brilliant evocation of a man and his time.”

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

October “First Sunday” to Feature Dinosaurs and the History of Paleontology in Haddonfield

SCHEDULE UPDATE: As part of our October 6 “First Sunday” open house, the Historical Society will be holding a dinosaur-themed story hour from 12-1 pm for kids and their grownups. Kids 10 and under will also be able to “dig” for a small toy dinosaur, while supplies last. See you Sunday!

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The Historical Society of Haddonfield will be creating a new pop-up display about dinosaurs and the history of paleontology in Haddonfield for our next “First Sunday” hours on October 6.

We are offering extended hours, 12-4 pm, as part of Camden County History Month, organized by the Camden County History Alliance.

For this new display, we will be pulling out a sampling of archival materials related to the Hadrosaurus and paleontologists like Edward Drinker Cope (1840-1897), who moved to Haddonfield in 1863. The pop-up display will be on view in the first floor of Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield.

As with other “First Sundays,” the Historical Society will be offering our usual tours of Greenfield Hall, and the Archives Center can be opened for researchers upon request.

The pop-up display will continue through October 16 and be available for viewing during Greenfield Hall’s public hours (Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-4 pm) or by special appointment at another time.

Free, but donations welcome.

Questions? Contact the Historical Society at info@haddonfieldhistory.org or 856-429-7375.

September Membership Meeting to Explore Architect Samuel Sloan’s Work in Haddonfield

Our next general membership meeting will be held on Wednesday September 25 at 7:30 pm in Greenfield Hall, and will feature a presentation by Melinda McGough on noted architect Samuel Sloan (1815-1884) and his work in Haddonfield.

Based in Philadelphia, Sloan was highly in demand during the mid-nineteenth century. He designed the octagonal Longwood mansion near Natchez, Mississippi, the Asa Packer mansion in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, and the town plan for Riverton, New Jersey. However, much of Sloan’s work remains a puzzle because all of his papers were destroyed.

McGough’s graduate research in the 1970s showed that Sloan also designed three houses in Haddonfield: one on Warwick Road and two on Washington Avenue. In fact, these are the first identified examples of Sloan using the then-popular “stick style” of architecture.

We hope you’ll join us at Greenfield Hall on September 25 at 7:30 pm to learn more about Sloan’s life and work. Members are free, with a suggested donation of $5 for nonmembers.