Register Now for the First Virtual “Haddonfield Frog Race”

The Historical Society is hosting a fun new virtual event this September – the Haddonfield Frog Race.

Inspired by an actual bicycle race that was held in Haddonfield in 1897, we are challenging you to complete 11 miles biking, running, walking, or even swimming before October 1. Frog costumes are optional!

Register now for this fundraising event. The cost is $25 for ages 13 and up, and $20 for ages 12 and under.

(Already completed your 11 miles? You can submit your activity log here.)

The first 100 registrants will get a free t-shirt with an image of the original frog-costumed bike rider, and all those who submit their completed race form before October 1 will be entered into a drawing to win an $80 gift certificate to the Philadelphia Zoo (i.e. 4 free tickets).

The 2020 version of the Haddonfield Frog Race is virtual, of course, and all participants must follow state and local COVID-19 and safety regulations.

You can complete your 11 miles inside or outside, in one outing or 100 outings, fast or slow. It’s up to you!

The original 1897 frog race was held on New Year’s Eve. A group of bicycle riders held a race through Haddonfield to try to catch a leader who happened to be wearing a large, inflatable frog costume. (We wrote about the race in the March 2017 issue of the Bulletin.)

Newspapers around the country ran articles about the 11-mile race, and we found mentions of the race in newspapers in Rochester and Syracuse, New York; Lawrence, Kansas; and Washington, D. C., among others.

The organizer of the 1897 race – and the rider wearing the frog costume – was Mr. G. L. Carr, of Haddonfield. According to the 1895 Haddonfield directory, Guy L. Carr was a clerk for the druggist, C. S. Braddock Jr., at 201 East Main Street (now Kings Highway). By 1900, the Haddonfield directories list him as a painter. He had disappeared from the directories by 1908 and no further information is known about Carr.

We hope the 2020 (virtual) Haddonfield Frog Race will be a fun, family-friendly diversion during this Haddonfield Virus Year.

You can learn more and register for the race by clicking here.

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

Virtual Event Planned for Aug. 26 to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage

The Historical Society of Haddonfield will be hosting a free virtual program on Wed. Aug. 26 starting at 11:40 am to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote. The 19th Amendment was adopted on August 26, 1920.

Our brief program is timed to coordinate with the national “Toast to Tenacity” virtual celebration. Starting at 11:40 am, we will welcome independent historian Lisa Hendrickson to learn more about the roles that South Jersey women played in the suffrage movement. Lisa is a board member at the Alice Paul Institute, and has performed extensive research in our archives and elsewhere to help tell the story of South Jersey suffragists.

Then, starting at 12 noon, our group will join the national “Toast to Tenacity” virtual celebration, which will include speakers, music from the Philadelphia Orchestra and others, and a nationwide toast at 1 pm to celebrate the suffragists who won voting rights for American women.

We hope you’ll join us for this mid-day celebration! The event is free, but donations are always welcomed.

Please RSVP to info@haddonfieldhistory.org and we’ll send you the Zoom link (and some basic instructions) the day of the chat.

Historical Society Partners with Markeim Arts Center on Virtual Art Exhibition

6/19/20 UPDATE: The virtual art exhibition is now available on Facebook!

(Anyone should be able to view the exhibition on Facebook, even if you are not a member of the social media platform.)

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As part of the Historical Society’s ongoing Haddonfield Virus Year project, we have partnered with the Markeim Arts Center on an upcoming virtual art exhibition: “Scenes from 2020.”

Digital submissions are due to Markeim by 12 noon on Friday June 12, and the exhibition will “open” on Markeim’s Facebook page on Friday June 19. The gallery will also be shared to the Historical Society’s Facebook page. The full call for submissions is available here.

All submitting artists are also encouraged to donate their entries to the Historical Society’s archives center by emailing a copy of their digital submission(s) to library@haddonfieldhistory.org. Artists don’t have to be a resident of Haddonfield to participate; anyone submitting an entry to this Haddonfield-based arts center is encouraged to contribute to the archives too.

Information Session and Training Planned for New Volunteer Docents

We’re starting to plan for our annual spring tours for Haddonfield elementary school students, and we’d love your help!

We’ll need both lead docents and helpers — all training will be provided! Volunteers should be willing to commit to at least two school tours of Greenfield Hall on weekday mornings in late April and early May.

We’ll be holding two training / information sessions for new and returning docents:
* Monday March 16 at 7 pm, or
* Friday March 20 at 11:30 am.

Please RSVP by contacting Jessica Lucas at education@haddonfieldhistory.org or by calling the Historical Society at 856-429-7375.

Of course, if you’re interested in volunteering but can’t attend either training session, please let us know that too. Questions? Contact the Historical Society at 856-429-7375.

Tickets On Sale Now For Spring Walking Tours

The Historical Society will be offering historic Haddonfield walking tours on three dates this spring in conjunction with our “First Sunday” hours and the “Skirmish on the Highway” sponsored by the Friends of the Indian King Tavern Museum.

You can purchase tickets for the walking tours online, or you can contact the Historical Society office at 856-429-7375 or info@haddonfieldhistory.org. All proceeds to benefit the Historical Society.

Here is a full list of the tours this spring:

Sunday April 5 — 1:30 pm — “Historic Haddonfield” walking tour — The tour departs from Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield. Participants are also welcome to visit Greenfield Hall either before or after the tour; the building will be open for visitors from 1-3 pm. Tickets for the walking tour are $15 per person, and space is limited to 20 participants. Buy tickets now.

Sunday May 3 — 1:30 pm — “Historic Haddonfield” walking tour — In conjunction with “Women in History” Heritage Trail day in Camden County, this tour will include a special focus on Haddonfield women. The tour departs from Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield. Participants are also welcome to visit Greenfield Hall either before or after the tour; the building will be open for visitors from 1-3 pm. Tickets for the walking tour are $15 per person, and space is limited to 20 participants. Buy tickets now.

Saturday June 6 — 10 am & 2 pm — “Colonial Haddonfield” walking tours — This is our third year offering these tours in conjunction with the “Skirmish on the Highway” sponsored by the Friends of the Indian King Tavern Museum. Each tour will depart from Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, and continue to Haddon Avenue and back. Participants will also have a chance to view the inside of the Guard House / Timothy Matlack house on Kings Highway, opposite the Indian King Tavern. Tickets for these special walking tours are $20 per person, and space is limited to 20 participants. All proceeds to benefit the Historical Society. Buy tickets now.

Any questions? Contact the Historical Society’s office at 856-429-7375 or at info@haddonfieldhistory.org.