Past Events

Join us for a free virtual program, on January 17th at 7:00pm, for “Garden State: Living Off the Land in 19th Century New Jersey.”

Explore the agricultural history of New Jersey and its profound influence on farming today. This program will use the museum’s extensive collection of farming-related tools to bring to life this key aspect of New Jersey’s history. It also looks at what it was like to live and work on a 19th-century New Jersey farm.

Our presenter, Danielle Crigler, is a 21st-century educator with 8 years of social studies experience in urban and suburban schools. She has her master’s in Curriculum Development and has been the Curator of Education with the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts since 2021.

Sign up here to register and receive links to the program.

Long before Borough Hall, the State Archives or even Facebook gathered details on people’s daily lives, one’s church might be the only place making note of your birth, death, and milestones in between. The history held by these churches is a treasure, but a buried one. These houses of worship were designed to serve their congregants and a religious purpose, not the needs of academics and others searching for illumination of the past. Five years ago, Carol Smith and the Christ Church Preservation Trust undertook to unearth these treasures, hold them up to the light and place them where all could see it. She’ll recount these efforts and some of the stories discovered in her upcoming talk: “Preserving the Past: Stories from the Records of Philadelphia’s Historic Congregations.”

Philadelphia is especially rich in this history. Pennsylvania’s early principles of religious tolerance made it a welcome home to some of the oldest and most diverse congregations in the United States.  Christ Church, St. George’s Methodist Church, Gloria Dei, Mikveh Israel, African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Episcopal Dioceses Archives, Presbyterian Historical Society, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and American Baptist Historical Society all participated in “Digitizing the Records of Philadelphia’s Historic Congregations: Providing Documentation for the Political, Social and Cultural Developments in Philadelphia.” After countless hours of digitizing and transcribing, the 18^th and 19^th Century records from these institutions and more are in a form that is easily accessible and preserved. The stories revealed are often more than just basic facts. There are hints to financial and social status of members, and church histories of missionary work give clues to indigenous cultures that might otherwise have never been recorded.

Carol is familiar to many in the Historical Society. After arriving in Haddonfield in 1990, her particular set of skills was quickly enlisted to assist the Society as Vice President and President, and she now chairs the Development Committee. She received a BA in American Civilization and a Masters in Material Culture from the University of Pennsylvania. An independent curator and certified Archivist, in 2005 she began her work with the archives at historic Christ Church. That led to this ambitious project in conjunction with the Philadelphia Athenaeum, and in 2022 she received the Sister M. Claude Lane award from the Society of American Archivists for her work.

November 2 at 11 am

Join us for a special tour of the Library Company of Philadelphia and the exhibit “Hearing Voices: Memoir of the Margins of Mental Health”

“Hearing Voices is a story of mental health in America – one told by those who lived it, and in their own words.” “Join us for a private curator-led tour of the Hearing Voices exhibit, as well as an overview of the Library Company’s rich history, on Wednesday, November 2 from 11 am – 12 pm. Tour limited to 15 people. Several drawings by Abigail A. Peacock are highlighted in the exhibit. Curated by Rachel D’Agostino and Sophia Dahab.

Abbie Peacock (1864-1927), was an art student at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women from 1880-1884, the same time that she created the three drawings in the LCP collection. They are inspired by her hometown of Haddonfield, New Jersey. Sometime between 1895 and 1900, Abbie became a patient at the Friends Asylum in Philadelphia, and by 1905 she was a patient at the Camden County Hospital for the Insane in Gloucester. Census records indicate that she remained there until her death in 1927. This tour is limited to 15 people. Please sign up here.

For information contact the office at [email protected] or (856) 429-7375.

A local favorite, we will once again conduct several Haunted Haddonfield walking tours in October. Dates are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 & 29. Groups will meet at 7:00 PM at Greenfield Hall.  The tours are based off of the stories in the Haunted Haddonfield books I & II written by Bill Meehan.  Bill was an accomplished researcher, writer and public speaker with several published books and magazine articles.

Sadly, Bill Meehan passed away in December 2021 after a long illness. With the blessing of his family, we are continuing with the Haunted Walking Tours that he led for over 20 years. Bill donated all proceeds from his walking tours to the Historical Society and the Haddonfield Public Library. We are forever grateful for his generosity. Both of Bill’s books are available at HSH to purchase in the office or via our website.

Tickets: $15 adults and $10 kids (12 and under). BUY HERE We suggest participants bring flashlights and wear comfortable shoes. All tickets must be purchased online through our website www.haddonfieldhistory.org. We can hold a few private tours if you schedule far enough in advance.  Please call (856) 429-7375 or email the office at [email protected] with any questions.