Historical Society of Haddonfield
MARCH 2014 Volume 58, No. 1
“Dedicated to the study and preservation of Haddonfield History”
INSIDE: President’s Message from Lee Albright
2
Collections Update
2
HRH Research Library News
3
Moving Houses Around & About
4-6
Book Club News
7
Nominating Committee Report
7
Membership News
8
News from our Neighbors
9
Walking Through Haddonfield
9
Samuel N. Rhoads Children’s Book Project
10
From the Museum Cellars
11
Upcoming HSH Events Annual HSH Candlelight Dinner March 26th Tavistock C.C. 6 pm Cocktails General Membership Meeting “Lest We Forget”: The History of Memorial Day and the Way our Traditions Evolved featuring speaker Jane Peters Estes Wed., May 28th Greenfield Hall 7:30 pm
343 KINGS HIGHWAY EAST HADDONFIELD, NJ 08033 856-429-7375
The Bulletin Candlelight Dinner: March 26th
ONE HUNDRED YEARS - LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD The Historical Society Presents a Visual Tour By Carol Smith
T
he Historical Society of Haddonfield begins the celebration of its centennial with the Society’s annual Ca ndl eli ght Dinner at Tavistock Country Club on Wednesday, March 26, at 6 pm. A very special program highlighting the Society’s rich collections and history is the focus of this year’s program.
The program will be divided into four parts. HSH Board member Doug Rauschenberger will introduce the first segment, an assemblage of photographs from the mid-nineteenth century played to music. Included among these photographs are streetscapes, parks, businesses, and homes that have rarely been seen.
“Like kids in a candy store” is how Kim Custer and Cliff Brunker, creators of this year’s program, described their experience as they surveyed the vast collections of the Historical Society. With Greenfield Hall and the Mickle House bursting at the seams with one-of-a-kind textiles, tools, diaries, photographs and letters from 1713 to 2013, it was a difficult task for Kim and Cliff to narrow their selections. Narrow they did, however, and the result is a wonderful multi-media presentation including home movies of the Society chronicling the move of the Mickle House and candid behind-the-scenes photographs.
Ever wonder about the founding of HSH, or why the Haddonfield Public Library includes the words Historical Society above its doors? Come and see the visual representation of the Historical Society’s scrapbook, which will chronicle the history of the Society with newspaper clippings, publications, photos and archival film with introduction by our vice president Carol Smith. 2013 Citizen of the Year and Haddonfield’s most famous videographer, Bob Parsons, will produce a tour of Greenfield Hall narrated by our past president Dianne Snodgrass as she tells stories of the Society’s more unusual and lesser known items.
Cont’d on page 3
www.haddonfieldhistory.org
Page 2
The Bulletin
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Thank You Lee
B
elieve it or not, the light is at the end of the tunnel. No, I am not talking about the spring season finally arriving after the longest winter in recorded history. I am talking about the end of my second term as President of the Historical Society of Haddonfield. Our ByLaws set explicit term limits for this office and so they have been reached. I hope my efforts over the years have been a benefit to the Society. I have done my very best to help the Society fulfill its mission in every way possible. It has been my privilege to serve the Society as one in a long line of HSH presidents
COLLECTIONS UPDATE
A
dded to the Society’s collections since the previous update have been an interesting assortment of objects originally belonging to a Haddonfield chapter of the Sea Scouts from the 1940’s and a water color of our Samuel Mickle House circa 1970’s. This ring buoy from the Haddonfield chapter of the Sea Scouts circa 1940’s was one of several donations this month to our collections.
John Finley of Haddonfield whose mother, Margaret Finley, was the leader of this Haddonfield Sea Scout chapter, has given HSH a pair of oars, a World War II army medical stretcher and a ring buoy of painted canvas over cork. These objects are now housed in o ur c e llar c olle ct i on . D on Wallace, Curator of Tools and other objects, was very pleased to have these in our collections. Don was a Sea Scout! This painting depicts the Mickle House when it was still sided with white clapboard, probably in the early 1970’s.
E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
stretching back to 1914. I know I leave it in good hands. Speaking of 1914, this year we will be celebrating our 100th Anniversary. You would be amazed at the fascinating artifacts we have in our collections, many rarely seen. So our Candlelight Dinner on March 26 will be a very special treat for the town, featuring a program highlighting our 100 year old collections. Read more about it in the featured article on the front page. Reserve your tickets now either through the mail or on our website. Hope to see you there at the Dinner!
Lee Albright, President
By Dianne Snodgrass The Mickle House water color was painted by an H. K. Arning when the structure was still sided with white horizontal clapboard, probably in the early 1970’s. It appears the house was already in its present location next to Greenfield Hall. The framed work was given to HSH in November 2013 by Mr. and Mrs. Keith Bashaw, formerly of Haddonfield.
The Bulletin
Page 3
LIBRARY NEWS
By Kenneth Cleary
I
t’s a new year at the library and archives, and we couldn’t be more invigorated after all of our accomplishments in 2013. Our most exciting announcement is that after a great deal of planning, our Society has a completely new website for 2014 and beyond. The charge to upgrade our website was led by our own librarian and archivist, Kenneth Cleary, who spent many hours researching our needs, evaluating proposals, and consulting with the Board of Trustees. The address for the website has not changed, but it has been completely redesigned with the goal of better serving the society and the public. If you haven’t visited www.haddonfieldhistory.org recently, please give it a look and feel free to share any feedback you have. While it probably is not news to most readers of the Bulletin, we would be remiss not to mention the successful publication of Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh: 1680 1762: Building the Quaker Community of Haddonfield, New Jersey, 170 1 -17 6 2, written by Jeffery Dorwart and Elizabeth Lyons. The release of the book in December would not have been possible without the considerable efforts of Kathy Tassini and Doug Rauschenberger, in both editing and overseeing all aspects of publication.
While our hours may be limited, over the past year we still managed to assist with well over 100 reference requests, while simultaneously working on numerous projects. None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of our library volunteers. I would like to personally thank Kathy Tassini, Doug Rauschenberger, Kim Custer, Charlesanna Fallstick, Robert Hawkes, Helen Mountney, Jean Gutsmuth, Rich Cunliffe, and Nan Mattis, who have each contributed many hours of service to the library and archives.
This is the home page of our new, revamped website. If you haven’t taken a look lately, check out www.haddonfieldhistory.org and let us know what you think!
ONE HUNDRED YEARS from page 1 Finally, our new library director and archivist, Kenneth Cleary, will talk about ongoing projects including our oral history project, new research projects and publications. Help us kick off this beginning of the Historical Society of Haddonfield’s 100th anniversary, and help us launch the Society into its second century of operation!
Tickets must be purchased in advance, and cost $45/pp for members, $50/pp for nonmembers. They can be purchased via the reservation form included in this Bulletin, or by PayPal through our website www.haddonfieldhistory.org. Any questions, call Nina Wallace at the Historical Society (856) 429-7375.
www.haddonfieldhistory.org
Page 4
The Bulletin
Moving Houses Around and About - XXII
MOVES ON THE WEST SIDE By Helen Mountney
A
bout 1836, John A. Swinker purchased a 2 -1/2 story Federal style, frame house, which was on the south side of Main Street (now Kings Highway West), east of Mansion Avenue (now Warwick Road). The lot is now numbered 20 K i n g s Highway West. He purchased this property several years after he m a r r i e d Sarah Willis, who was born October 3, 1795, and was daughter of Silas and S a r a h Willis. They were married Swinker houses at 18 and 22 Kings Highway West in 1826 in in the late 1860’s. Philadelphia, by Rev. John Sisty, well remembered by members of the Haddonfield Baptist Church. Rev. Sisty had been asked to preach for the Baptist group then meeting in the Grove School before they were formally organized in 1818. He was in the leather business in Philadelphia before he came to Haddonfield full time in 1819.
Pennsylvania. John A. came to Haddonfield in the early 1800’s to learn the trade of stonemasonry from Mr. Silas Willis, and married his daughter. John A. and Sarah lived in the house on Kings Highway West until he died in July of 1880. After his death, the property was sold to Dr. Bowman Hendry Shivers who wanted to build a new larger home and office (for his medical practice) on Kings Highway West (see HSH’s Bulletin, Sept. 2012, Vol. 56, No. 3, p. 5). The old house was moved around the corner to become 34 Warwick Road, and it is thought to be one of the oldest houses left in Haddonfield.
John A. Swinker’s father, also John, was born about 1775, and he, like John A., lived in Haycock, Bucks County, which is on Lake Nockamixon near Quakertown,
A large dormer was constructed across the back and while doing this work, they found the walls were insulated with noggin (bricks and mortar filling in between the beams) and the rafters were numbered and pegged.
Swinker house which was moved from 22 Kings Highway West to 34 Warwick Road.
E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
In conversations with Marilyn (Majka) Entenmann, and her brother, Alan Majka, daughter and son of John and Jane Majka, owners of 34 Warwick Road from 1966 until about 1985, Marilyn said her father enjoyed restoring the house to its original Federal period and had the talent, ability, and interest to do so. One of the things Mr. Majka did was to use bricks from inside a dried up back yard well. He devised a swing-like apparatus on ropes and lowered his young son, Alan, partway down the shaft who, in turn, dug out the bricks with small tools he took down with him, put them in a bucket, and his father would pull up the loaded bucket, empty it, and send it down again. They repeated this process until he had sufficient bricks for his then current projects. These bricks were used in building a powder room, in some flooring, and around the range in the kitchen. They remember the bricks called “salmon bricks” which had apparently come from a brick yard around the corner on Main Street (now Kings Highway West). This well was partially under the old kitchen which had no basement. Her father jacked up the house to put in a basement and level the sagging kitchen floor. They also found three cisterns on the property.
Cont’d on page 5
The Bulletin
Page 5
MOVING HOUSES from page 4
The decorative beams in the first floor ceiling are from the Haddonfield railroad station which was demolished about 1967. John W. Swinker, son of John A. and Sarah Swinker, was born on February 22, 1832, and was raised in Haddonfield. He worked in the publishing business, found it uninteresting, left town, and worked at different types of business as he travelled from state to state. In 1861, he enlisted as a private in the Civil War and was sent to St. Mark’s Hospital, a military hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, to perform his official duties. There, he met Auletta (Fengel) Dewey, a military nurse, who was also working in that hospital. She was a young widow with a son, Edwin J. Dewey (born March 25, 1860, in Prairie City, Illinois). Edwin’s father, Andrew S. Dewey, was a member of the 55th Illinois Infantry, and was killed during the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. After the war, in 1865, John W. and Auletta were married in McCraken, Kentucky, came to Haddonfield and lived in a house next to his parents (on the east side) which was a small, two story, frame house with a flat roof now known as 18 Kings Highway West. John W. commuted to Philadelphia and worked in the wholesale fruit and vegetable business, probably in what we used to call “the Dock Street area”, easily reached from the ferry service across the Delaware River from Camden to Philadelphia. Over the years, this house underwent several alterations and improvements, and it was moved straight back about twelve feet. A third floor was added and a gabled roof was put on with a dormer window in the front part. A completely new front adorns the house, which even changed the location of the original front door and a large two-story addition was built on the back. These changes have given the whole building an altogether different appearance. Mr. John W. Swinker, the son, died in 1878, and Auletta, his widow, continued to live in their home until she died on December 4, 1924. They are both buried in the Haddonfield Baptist Cemetery. Edwin Dewey married Martha Black of Manfield, Burlington County, New Jersey and he died in October of 1928. He also is buried in the Haddonfield Baptist Cemetery.
This house is well known, especially at Christmastime, because for many years it has been “wrapped and bowed” to become a very large colorful Christmas gift package! It is presently a commercial property and is “attached” to the house now known as 20 Kings Highway West with a second floor walkway connecting them. F or t h os e w h o a t t e n d e d Haddonfield Memorial High School and remember, Helen (Stiles) Peterson, Class of 1939, and her sister, Eleanor (Stiles) Scull, Class of 1941 - are granddaughters of Edwin J. Dewey. In 1869, on a lot now known as 125 Kings Highway West (at the northeast corner of Union Avenue (now West End Avenue), Alfred Wills Clement (who was generally known as A.W.) had a lovely, large Victorian style home built Swinker house at 18 Kings Highway West which was moved straight back and for his wife, Mary Anna, daughter completely renovated. of Samuel and Mary G. Allen of Haddonfield. Mary Anna and A.W. were married on June 7, 1845, at the Allen home and had eight children b e t w e e n 1856 and 1879. When this house was built, it had three full floors with a large glassedin cupola atop the Mansard roof. Mr. Clem -ent was the son of Mickle and Mary (Lippincott) Clement, and was born near Mt. Ephraim A.W. Clement House at 125 Kings Highway West. in 1833. The family came to Haddonfield in 1846 and Mickle Clement opened a general store while his son attended school in town. Cont’d on page 6
www.haddonfieldhistory.org
Page 6
The Bulletin MOVING HOUSES from page 6
A.W. and Mary Anna Clement were the great grandparents of Dianne (Hartel) Snodgrass, the immediate past president of the Historical Society of Haddonfield. Dianne’s grandmother, Carrie Elizabeth (Nicholson) Hartel, was a Charter member of our Society and a serious historian who wrote many articles about Haddonfield history. Carrie Hartel’s father, William Nicholson, married A.W. and Mary Ann Clement’s daughter.
his own building at the southwest corner of Kings Highway East and Ellis Street (now King’s Court). The post office was then located in that building known as the “Odd Fellows building”, and A.W. soon became the postmaster of the Haddonfield Post Office. Later, he bought the three story building across Ellis Street where he operated his general store. By an act of the legislature of the State of New Jersey, dated March 24, 1875, the village of Haddonfield became a borough, and A.W. Clement was elected one of the town’s first commissioners. He was elected a director of Colestown Cemetery Company in 1886. The cemetery company was organized in 1858 and bought property strategically located at the intersection of the Moorestown-Haddonfield R oa d (Kings Highway) and the Merchantville-Medford Road (Church Road) for the cemetery. About 1925, several porches and part of the back of the Clement house on Kings Highway West were removed, and by using log rollers and a team of horses, the house was moved back and turned a quarter-turn clockwise to become 15 West End Avenue. Several changes have been made to this home since the move, and we know it now as the stately Kain-Murphy Funeral Home.
Clement House after being turned and moved back on the lot to become 15 West End Avenue.
In 1854, A.W. Clement rented the “Ark”, a general store building attached to the east side of the Indian King Tavern. He became a successful businessman and soon bought
A.W. Clement died in 1919 and Mary Anna Clement died in 1922. They both are buried in Colestown Cemetery in Cherry Hill. Funeral director Arthur H. Holl and his wife, Anna G, purchased this property and lived in the large apartment above the funeral parlor for many years.
MEMBERSHIP IS THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH WE REST! Thank you to all who joined or renewed their membership in the Historical Society in 2013, and those who made contributions to the Campaign to Restore Greenfield Hall!
E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
The Bulletin
Page 7
HSH BOOK CLUB NEWS
T
he HSH Book Club’s selection for discussion in January 2014 was My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor. Everyone agreed that the book was enlightening and a worthwhile read. While reading this book and knowing the Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh biography would be the next selection, I kept thinking of comparisons. For time, place, and station of life, there could hardly be two different people. Yet, something was there. To serve faithfully, those who have
By Connie McCaffrey
entrusted you with a great task is the common ground for the stories of these two extraordinary women. How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to read of such lives! Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh: 16801762 – Building the Quaker Community of Haddonfield, New Jersey 1701-1762 is the HSH Book Club selection to be discussed in April 2014. The exact time and date will be announced at the Candlelight Dinner.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF HADDONFIELD Trustees
Officers President
Lee Albright
Vice President
Carol Smith
Treasurer
Mike McMullen
Recording Secretary
Barbara Hilgen
Corresponding Secretary
Sophie Dubiel
Immediate Past President
Dianne Snodgrass
Legal Counsel
John Reisner
Bulletin Editor
Nina Wallace
Term expires 2014
Term expires 2015
Term expires 2016
Elizabeth Albert Charlene Kelly Creed Rob Kugler Kathryn Raiczyk Jim Hansen Kenneth Kramer Sue Maslowski Pat Peacock Pamela Chase Kim Custer Kate Hilgen Dave Stavetski
Committee Chairs Buildings - Charles Chelotti Collections - General - Dianne Snodgrass Curator of Dolls - Shirley Raynor Community Outreach - Elizabeth Albert Curator of Tools - Don Wallace
Grounds - Robert Marshall Library - Kathy Tassini Long Range Planning - Charlene Kelly Creed Membership - Barbara Hilgen
Publicity - Dave Stavetski
Exhibits - Kim Custer
Rentals - Lee Albright
Fundraising - Carol Smith
Officers President Carol Smith Vice President Kathryn Raiczyk Trustees Trustees who were members of the Class of 2014, to be nominated for a second 3-year term, are:
Elizabeth Albert Charlene Kelly Creed New Trustees Class of 2017 Nancy Mattis Jeffrey Boogaard
Publications - Doug Rauschenberger
Education - Pamela Chase
Finance - Mike McMullen
The Nominating Committee of Pam Chase, Pat Peacock, Sophie DuBiel, Carol Smith, and chair Dianne Snodgrass, presents the following slate of officers to be voted upon at the Annual Candlelight Dinner meeting on March 26th, 2014:
Volunteer Management - Kathryn Raiczyk Web Coordinator - Kenneth Cleary www.haddonfieldhistory.org
Page 8
The Bulletin
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
2
By Nina Wallace
014 is a significant year for the Historical Society of Haddonfield - we’re 100 years old. That’s 100 years of history to celebrate all year long!
currently a member, or have been in the past. We need the financial support of all our members, present and past, to continue keeping, teaching, and sharing our rich history.
You’ve received this Bulletin because you are
Thank you for your continued support!
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS David Shields Linda Garver Alan & Amy Stedman Brian Kelly Timothy & Pamela Alles Jack Phillips John Warren Powell Robert Gaul John Moscatelli Gretchen & John Poliero Michael J. Chiarappo Dennis Moss Sharon Errickson Joan Lukens
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF HADDONFIELD 2014/15 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
YES! I (we) would like to JOIN The Historical Society! YES! I (we) would like to RENEW my (our) membership! The type of membership desired is: Senior Citizen
Contact Information:
$ 25.00
Contributing Member
35.00
Name
Contributing Household
55.00
Address
Patron Member
150.00
Patron Household
250.00
Founder’s Society
1,000.00
Founder’s Household
1,500.00
E-mail Address Phone #
THE BULLETIN newsletter preference: _____ e-mail/electronic copy
_____ “snail mail” copy
Call me about Volunteer Opportunities! I can help with: Please make your check payable to:
Mail the Application & Check to :
The Historical Society of Haddonfield Questions? Call the Office (856) 429-7375
The Historical Society of Haddonfield 343 Kings Highway East Haddonfield, NJ 08033
E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
The Bulletin
Page 9
News From Our Neighbors
EVENTS AROUND TOWN
P
lease mark your calendars and join us for the following events:
Haddon Fortnightly:
The Haddon Fortnightly cordially invites you to their annual Home and Garden Tour, Friday, May 2, from 10am to 8pm. The tour will feature beautiful homes and gardens in historic Haddonfield. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour and may be purchased at the Visitors Center in Haddonfield. On the day of the tour, a bake sale and a geranium sale will be held at the Haddon Fortnightly. All proceeds benefit the preservation of the historic Haddon Fortnightly. For information call Tina at 856 428-0294.
Dance Haddonfield: "We are Thirteen going on Fourteen". Mark your calendars for the 14th Anniversary Ball, to be held Friday, April 11 from 7pm to 11:30pm at the Cherry Hill Holiday Inn. Come dine and dance the evening away to the music of Steve and Betty. Tickets are $50 per person which includes hors d'oeuvres, dinner, dessert and a cash bar. Dress is formal or semiformal. Call 856 667-8443 for tickets, or get them from Marlene during the weekly dance on Sunday nights.
Markeim Arts Center: An exhibition of the members of the American Color Print Society (ACPS) will be on display from March 4 through March 27, with an opening reception on March 7 from 7-9pm. The ACPS was founded in 1939 in Philadelphia and is a group of print makers who love to explore color in artwork. Membership is awarded to those who are successfully juried after a review of their work, resume and artist statement.
Indian King Tavern: Save the date for the Third Annual Beer Tasting event Saturday, May 17th. There will be three seatings, at noon, 3pm and 6pm. Spaces fill up quickly so order tickets early. For more information, call the Tavern at 856 429-6792.
WALKING THROUGH HADDONFIELD, THEN AND NOW
T
o commemorate its 100th anniversary, the Historical Society of Haddonfield has partnered with merchants downtown to create "Walking through Haddonfield, Then and Now", a thoroughly enjoyable window display presentation illustrating how life has changed over the years. Throughout the month of May storefront displays will present artifacts from the HSH collections alongside the corresponding contemporary item from the participating store. The result
By David Stavetski is both educational and entertaining, and is yet another reason to gather the family and stroll downtown during the merry month of May. Participating stores currently include Jay West, Hooked Fine Yarn Boutique, Accent Studio, A Taste of Olive, Dennis James Salon, The Little Shop and James A Carmody & Sons. Mark your calendars, bring your friends and be sure to check out "Walking through Haddonfield, Then and Now." www.haddonfieldhistory.org
Page 10
The Bulletin
SAMUEL NICHOLSON RHOADS CHILDREN’S BOOK PROJECT UNDERWAY
A
s part of the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the Historical Society, the Rhoads team, in collaboration with Haddonfield Middle and High School staff and students involved in nature and environmental clubs, is researching and writing an interactive children’s book about Samuel Nicholson Rhoads. The Rhoads team is a collaborative group that formed in 2010 for the purpose of studying Samuel N. Rhoads. The book will be based on the rediscovery of the Samuel N. Rhoads collection as it relates to the protection of Haddonfield’s Boxwood Hall property and Samuel’s contributions to natural science for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANSDU). It will be published by the HSH publication committee.
Central School Nature Club students are read Boyhood Memories of Boxwood Hall by teacher and club advisor Mrs. Jennifer Gallogly. Another generation hears how Samuel remembered growing up in early 19th century Haddonfield.
By Kim Custer
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia; he was a specimen collector and explorer in the United States and abroad; and he was an author and owner of a book store that specialized in natural and Quaker history. The goal of this project is to share the collection in the form of a children’s story that will be used by the Haddonfield School District, residents of Haddonfield, DVOC members, and guests of the ANSDU. It would also serve as a tribute to the Rhoads collection, and showcase the importance of the Historical Society’s archives and how it relates to current events.
The Rhoads collection is a unique and valuable collection of archived material relating to local history and the multifaceted Samuel N. Rhoads. He was one of the Historical Society’s founders in 1914. In addition, he was a founding member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) in 1890; he spent over thirty years as a contributing writer in the With lots of smiles, the students receive copies of Samuel’s field journals and letters to transcribe. This information will be part of the book’s content.
Middle School Nature Club students with advisor Ms. Robin Walters are preparing to work on the upcoming book.
E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
The Bulletin
Page 11
From The Museum Cellars
BLACKSMITH, WHITESMITH, REDSMITH, YELLOWSMITH?
O
n January 17, 2014, I put on another presentation of our tools at the Mabel Kay House for their regular Friday lunch gathering. There were about 18 present… 4 men and 14 women. I was prepared for this predominance of the female gender and had uploaded my box of “weird, wacky, wonderful, whatsits” that should interest the ladies accordingly. My male predisposition told me that this next object would grab the women’s attention. So, as usual, I first presented “The Birth of a Tool”… a failed drop forging that exhibits two hammer heads which had failed to form completely. The molten iron had failed to distribute itself in order to make two complete hammer heads. It is difficult to see this at first; it’s sort of like the old psychological test of “ground vs. foreground”. It seems to help people see into it better when I turn the piece over and two pairs of hammer claws become apparent. Then I shared my speculation that the blacksmith who was operating the drop-forge… instead of tossing this failed object back into the melting pot, took it home to show his family what he did for a living. That’s how it got to this blanket in a flea market… I guess! I had come across this piece at the Berlin Farmers’ Market in Berlin, NJ. It was on a huge blanket on the ground. Its owner at the market was hawking “EVERYTHING ON THE
The forging on top shows a complete hammerhead.
The bottom forging failed to distribute the molten iron completely, and you can see the hammerhead is missing it’s claws.
By Don Wallace
BLANKET A QUARTER!” My flea market experience had taught me to ask what an object is in order to begin the bargaining process. If the seller doesn’t know what something actually is used for, then you have the upper hand in its pricing… and I was curious about its usage. “IT’S A QUARTER!” he responded. SO I BOUGHT IT! Next I showed a well-formed, partially polished hammer head. It looks like it might have been formed in the same drop-forged mold that our previously failed heads were made. Yet it was found in a different place at a different time – even the sprue is intact (not yet ground off by the efforts of the whitesmith). Don Webb had polished its sides to show why this guy who cleans up what the blacksmith has made is called a whitesmith – he makes it shine like new. This is when I mentioned the yellowsmith and the redsmith… brass and copper.
This hammerhead was polished on it’s sides so you can clearly see how it shines up like new.
We also demonstrated how the blacksmith makes things fancy by twisting, and the tool that does the twisting along with his leg vise that holds one end steady. All of this and much more is on display in the museum cellars of Greenfield Hall for you to see and experience. A spatula from our kitchen collectibles surprised our guests when I pushed it out into three spatulas – to turn something really wide! The egg slicer that cuts a hard-boiled egg into six equal segments – lengthwise! The hand rolled ravioli slicer… we also have a machine with multiple roller cutters found at the east end of Truman Avenue many years ago. Come down and see for yourself and bring a friend. We have assembled a treasure trove of domestic and industrial tools for your edification. We would like to share this with you and yours. The clothes line which separates our domestic quarter from the industrial tool collections is proud to be sporting a Union suit, otherwise known as “long johns” (complete with buttoned back door) for your close inspection.
This spatula becomes three spatulas with the push of a button!
www.haddonfieldhistory.org
The Historical Society of Haddonfield
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Bellmawr, NJ
343 Kings Highway East Haddonfield, NJ 08033
Permit # 1627
Addressee or Current Resident
Preserve our past. . . Leave a legacy for the future!
Phone: 856-429-7375 E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
GREENFIELD HALL HOURS Monday, Wednesday & Friday afternoons from 1 - 4 p.m. First Sunday of the month 1 - 3 p.m.
RESEARCH LIBRARY HOURS in the Samuel Mickle House Tuesday & Thursday mornings 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. First Sunday of the month 1 -3 p.m. SPECIAL HOURS/TOURS BY APPOINTMENT info@haddonfieldhistory.org (856) 429-7375
“Like” us on Facebook! E-mail: info@haddonfieldhistory.org
Follow us on Twitter - HSH@HSH1914
www.haddonfieldhistory.org