By Pam Teel
Did you ever find yourself without a thing
to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Now
that gas is cheaper, many people are taking
to the roads on mini excursions to places not too
far from their homes. They are getting out and
exploring towns and sights in their own state that
they probably knew little about. Haddonfield is
one of those towns, rich not only in history but a
shoppers and diner’s paradise with its quaint tree
lined streets that boasts over 200 restaurants and
shops in its downtown area. On the main streets
of the downtown you will find six gourmet coffee
shops, cafes, arts and entertainment, Chinese,
Vietnamese, Indian, and Italian restaurants,
to name a few, and in the summer time the
restaurants spill out onto the sidewalks as outdoor
cafes. There are many specialty shops located in the
historic shops along the main avenues of the town.
It is there you will find one of New Jersey’s most
historic buildings, the Famed Indian King Tavern
Museum. It was built in 1750 and named for the
local Lenape Indians who lived among the farmers
closer to the Delaware. The tavern is a fine example
of eighteenth century colonial tavern architecture
as well as the site where New Jersey was legally
created. In 1777, as clashing armies devastated
Trenton, the Assembly reconvened in the Indian
King to pass legislation officially creating an
independent state and adopting its Great Seal. The
tavern has been a Haddonfield central landmark
for 255 years Haddonfield also has paleontological
relevance: this was where the first full dinosaur
skeleton was found in North America.
Every year Haddonfield has one of the largest
Fourth of July parades in New Jersey with as many
as ten thousand people lined up on its streets
and in the fall it plays hosts to a large antique
car show, which draws thousands of people from
all over. Want to catch a play while you’re there?
Haddonfield Plays and Players Theatre is located
at 957 E. Atlantic Avenue, bringing you quality
Community Theater since 1934. For more info and
to see what’s coming, call: 856-429-8139.
Haddonfield evolved over three centuries as a
mercantile hub. It also has an unusual number of
historically significant homes. One of the finest is
the Greenfield Hall, a two and a half story 1841
Georgian Mansion. It now houses the Haddonfield
Historical Society. The large stately Borough Hall
was built in 1928. Next to the Borough Hall is
the home of Civil War era physician Napoleon
Bonaparte Jennings. The home is rich in
gingerbread trim and dates back to 1857. One of
the oldest residences is the Hip Roof House, which
dates back to the early 1700’s. It was built closer
to the Delaware. To view other historic homes and
tour go to: http://www.haddonfieldnj.org/parking.
php
At one time Haddonfield was a vast farm
operated by the Redman family whose Victorian
mansion resembled a New England sea captains
home, complete with widows walk and other
Victorian features. The town was officially founded
by Elizabeth Haddon (1680-1762) when her
Quaker father purchased a 500-acre tract of land
in the colony of West Jersey to escape religious
persecution. Other historic homes include the
Birdwood Tenant House- 1811, the Pre-Victorian
Haddonfield Inn, which is an operating bed and
breakfast, some typical small houses of the federal
period in the historic district, the historic library,
The Reeves- Glover house, which is a gigantic brick
structure, quaint old shops, old churches, and
more.
Long before Haddonfield itself was founded,
these lands were home to the Lenape Indians,
who settled along the banks of the Delaware and
lived amongst the farmers who settled there.
Haddonfield also has paleontological relevance:
this was where the first full dinosaur skeleton was
found in North America.
In the summer of 1858 a Victorian gentleman
and fossil hobbyist heard about a dinosaur bone
found some 20 years prior in a marl pit in the
town. William Parker Foulke went on a dinosaur
expedition and eventually uncovered the bones of
an animal larger than an elephant with structural
features of both a lizard and a bird. He discovered
the nearly complete skeleton of a dinosaur, which
was later, named Hadrosaurus Foulkii. There is a
small marker depicting the area of the find.
Haddonfield was named the top-ranking town
in the South Jersey Magazine and also named for
the best shopping and dining in south Jersey by the
New York Post. You can obtain more information
about the town and upcoming events at www.
downtownhaddonfield.com. From this area you
are just within an hour’s drive.