Dec. 7 Book Launch Planned for Jan Twitchell’s New Autobiography

The Historical Society is co-hosting a book launch for Jan Twitchell’s new book, A Fortunate Life. The event will be held on Thursday Dec. 7 at 3 pm at Brandywine Living, 132 Warwick Rd, Haddonfield.

Jan began the book as an oral history for the Historical Society, before it turned into a more significant autobiography. She has been a very involved resident of Haddonfield for more than 70 years. Among other things, she served as co-chair of the Dinosaur Sculpture committee and president of Interfaith Caregivers, and was named Citizen of the Year in 2002.

The book is available for $20 at the Historical Society, at Inkwood Books, and online here. Copies will also be available at the book launch.

Proceeds from sales of A Fortunate Life are being generously donated by the Twitchell family to the Historical Society’s planned new Archives Center.

Collection Spotlight: Sock Stretchers

We continue with our occasional spotlight of objects, documents, photographs and other items you can find in the collections of the Historical Society of Haddonfield. Thanks again to summer 2017 volunteer Britni Dellinger for helping to compile these features. Next up:

SOCK STRETCHERS

1969.034, Gift of Mrs. Harry Bauer

These wooden sock stretchers were used for just the reason the name suggests: to prevent socks from shrinking after washing them. Although they are mostly forgotten now, sock stretchers were ubiquitous during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries until the development of synthetic fabrics. This pair is sized for a child’s tall stockings, or long hose, and they are undated. The stretchers were added to the Society’s collection in 1969 by Sylvia (Tatem) Bauer. Sylvia and her husband Harry Bauer were the previous owners of Greenfield Hall, which is now the headquarters of the Historical Society.

Book Club to Meet Tuesday November 28

Join us Tuesday November 28, 2017, for a lively Book Club discussion of Pure Heart: The Faith of a Father and Son in the War for a More Perfect Union, by William F. Quigley, Jr.

The book explores the Civil War with the help of a recently rediscovered collection of letters exchanged by a prominent Philadelphia minister and his soldier son.

One reviewer wrote, “Quigley’s narrative serves as a microcosm of the larger conflicts both within the Northern home front and across Southern battlefields . . . a superb scholarly work.”

We will meet at 7 pm at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield. Light refreshments will be served and all are welcome, even if you haven’t finished the book!

After this discussion, we will meet next on January 22, 2018 in a joint meeting with the Haddonfield Public Library book club. We’ll be discussing two books at that event: Diary of a World War I Nurse, by Rosaline Ready (email the Society for a PDF), and The Great Influenza, by John M. Barry. We will gather at the Public Library for that discussion.

Borough Issues Proclamation in Support of New Archives Center

The Borough of Haddonfield issued a proclamation last week declaring November 9, 2017 as “Historical Society of Haddonfield Archives Center Day” in support of the Society’s capital campaign for a new archives building.

Borough Clerk Deanna Bennett presented the proclamation on Thursday at our press conference announcing a major gift from the Haddonfield Library Company. You can read the full proclamation from the Borough below, and read more about the Haddonfield Library Company’s gift here.

Borough Clerk Deanna Bennett (right), with Society President Carol Smith and Haddonfield Library Company President John Reisner

Historical Society Receives $100,000 Gift For New Archives Building

The Historical Society of Haddonfield launched the final phase of its capital campaign for a new archives building with an announcement that the 214-year-old private Haddonfield Library Company has given $100,000 for the new building.

To date, the Historical Society has raised more than $605,400 toward the new building, leaving it more than two-thirds of the way toward its fundraising goal of $900,000. The Society already has a significant restricted endowment that allows the Society to employ a professional archivist and covers other expenses of the archives center as well.

“We are so grateful for this show of support from the Haddonfield Library Company,” said Carol W. Smith, President of the Historical Society of Haddonfield. “This gift brings together two venerable old institutions to jointly preserve the collective memory of our community.”

“The Historical Society’s planned new building will significantly improve preservation and access for the archival collections in its care, including the Library Company’s own records dating back more than 200 years,” said John Reisner, president of the Haddonfield Library Company. “We are delighted to be able to support this important project.”

The Historical Society of Haddonfield was founded in 1914 and is committed to collecting and preserving the unique artifacts, documents, photographs, and other collection materials that help tell the history of Haddonfield and its environs in South Jersey.

The Haddonfield Library Company was founded in 1803 as a private subscription library. Though it transferred its books in 1909 to the newly formed public library, the Haddonfield Library Company remains a separate incorporated entity that aims “to extend the benefit of learning and to promote a spirit of literacy.”