Eliza B. Duffey: Author, Painter and Victorian Feminist

Eliza B. Duffey: Still Life with Fruit, oil on canvas, 14 x 20 in 1867

Woodbury's past is chock full of amazing and notable residents. Among them is Eliza Bisbee Duffey (1838-1898).

She was a true renaissance woman and her many accomplishments include still-life and landscape painter, prolific author, poet, newspaper editor and printer, magazine columnist, spiritualist, psychic medium, and an early outspoken supporter of women's rights in Victorian-era America. She was born in Ohio in 1838 and raised in Geauga County. As a girl, she worked as a printer for the Jeffersonian Democrat and in 1856 she edited a publication called The Alliance in Columbus where it is likely she met her future husband, John B. Duffey (a fellow painter, printer, and poet). After marrying they moved to Philadelphia. It is not clear when or where she began to paint but in 1861 after she had left Ohio, five of her works were put up for auction in Cincinnati by Graff and Company: titled Autumn. Spring, and three fruit studies.

Eliza B. Duffey: Still Life with Fruit and Ewer, oil on canvas, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in 1867

She was still a resident of Philadelphia in 1865, when she began to exhibit her fruit and flower pieces at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. By 1867 the Duffeys had moved to Woodbury, New Jersey and in that year, five of her paintings were shown at the Academy. During the late 1860s her Cattle and Landscape painting was exhibited three years running at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy in New York. Duffey exhibited paintings in the annual exhibitions of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for the years 1865, 1867, and 1868. She was made an Associate Member of the Pennsylvania Academy in 1869.

Eliza B. Duffey: Landscape with Chickens and Ducks, oil on canvas, 8 1/2 x 10 1/4 in

She held various editorial posts in Philadelphia and along with her husband, became editor and publisher of the Vineland Times which they established as an evening paper in 1877. The Duffey's moved to Vineland in 1872 settling on a farm on Oak Rd and later moved downtown. Before the establishing of a public library in Vineland the Duffey's were the go to source of books, having amassed a large collection. Even after the establishment of the Vineland Public Library, Eliza swept in and ran the library after it failed to be self-supporting. The library and the newspaper's offices shared the same building on Sylvester's Block. The Duffey's later moved to Troy, New York to manage a newspaper there. She may have also lived in Brooklyn, NYC. Eliza eventually found her way to Bartow, Florida and according to a 1953 history of Geauga County she died "in the South."

During their lifetimes, the Duffeys penned many poems and articles for Arthur's Illustrated Home Magazine, Godey's Ladies Book, and more. They wrote on various and diverse topics such as local and distant lands and customs, garden and home decorating, etiquette, philosophy, and women's rights. She was a strong advocate for the sharing of domestic chores by men and women and of the importance of women having interests outside the home and published several books in defense of women's rights. Some of her books, include:


What Women Should Know (Philadelphia: J. M. Stoddart, 1873).

The Relations of the Sexes (New York: Wood and Holbrook, 1876)

The Ladies' and Gentlemen's Etiquette (Philadelphia: Porter and Coates, 1877).

Heaven Revised: A Narrative of Personal Experiences After the Change Called Death (Chicago: Religio-Philosophical Publishing House. 1889).

Her outspoken feminism entangled her in a controversy with physician Edward Clarke. Clarke believed women should be educated separately from men at universities, claiming common education would be dangerous for the "mental and physical health of women." Duffey's book, No Sex in Education; Or, An Equal Chance for Both Boys and Girls (1874) argued for the equal and co-education of both genders. In the 1870s, she wrote of marital rape, which the law at the time did not recognize as rape, and she argued that brutality should be sufficient grounds for divorce. In one of her articles, she wrote that women were "no more bound to yield to her body to her husband after the marriage between them, than she was before, until she feels that she can do with the full tide of willingness and affection." Like many feminists of the time she was opposed to abortion. Some of her popular recurring articles on women's rights appearing in Arthur's Home Magazine include, "Woman's Work and Woman's Wages," "The Women of all Nations," and "Woman's Work in the World." An archive of some of  Eliza and John Duffey's work in Arthur's Illustrated Home Magazine can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

It appears that later in life, Eliza Duffey became interested in spiritualism. White Crow Books, a re-publisher of her 1889 book, Heaven Revised writes, "It appears Eliza Duffey was a gifted medium with the ability to connect with spirit and automatic writing, although she claimed that she had scant knowledge of spiritualism and no prior mediumistic ability when she began to write down the words in this book... The narrator, a woman, writing through Duffey, observes her lifeless body and realizes for the first time she is dead in the physical sense... the spheres she finds herself in are in stark contrast to the orthodox heaven and hell that was generally accepted by Christians at the end of the 19th century.

Along with its present (and we believe future), Woodbury's past has been no stranger to free-thinking and multi-faceted artists. We should be proud of Woodbury's artistic heritage and celebrate our ties to such extraordinary people.

Eliza B. Duffey: Still Life with Flowers and Sevres Vase, oil on canvas, 24 x 20 in 1865

Eliza B. Duffey: Lilies, oil on canvas, 1866
B&W reproduction from Painting and Sculpture in New Jersey

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Sources:

http://cdm16028.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll13/id/9444/rec/1

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdICm_W8xKwC&pg=PA242&dq=%22john+b.+duffey%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIgPDEsIm2yAIVglY-Ch14XAsG#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Eliza%20B%20Duffey/134129/Eliza%20B%20Duffey.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1639352213016328.1073742730.1377680299183522&type=3

https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/27381

http://www.invaluable.com/artist/duffey-eliza-b.-hntspgz4bs/sold-at-auction-prices/

http://www.arcadja.com/auctions/en/duffey_eliza_b/artist/405824/
https://books.google.com/books?id=9h4zAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=John+B.+Duffey+eliza+duffey&source=bl&ots=edQLQXtqjQ&sig=HcEWoredtH8axLH7ZbmiQoSG1_A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbxqmepdzLAhVMMj4KHWm8BoQQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=John%20B.%20Duffey%20eliza%20duffey&f=false
http://www.artnet.com/artists/eliza-b-duffey/biography

http://whitecrowbooks.com/books/page/heaven_revised/

Woodbury's Historic Designations & Groups Explained

I felt it was a good idea to create an entry here explaining the role of the different historic organizations and various historic designations within the City of Woodbury. I have noticed that they are oftentimes misunderstood in their roles and functions (and even name) and thought a nice overview and point of reference would help to clear things up. It is also hoped that by illustrating our many historic sites and organizations that this may serve to boost pride in the unique position we hold. Even if some of these distinctions only afford us "bragging rights," it is my opinion that we have too long foregone bragging about our role in the historic growth of America. Let's not forget that Woodbury was founded in 1683, less than a year after Philadelphia itself! Our historic residents and the buildings they have left behind have been here and have even influenced the very birth of America; some even date from beforehand! Our many inclusions on the National and State Register of Historic Places are extremely notable, but go largely unnoticed by even our very own citizens. If only we worked to better publicize our inclusion on these Registers and bring more Heritage Tourism to our city, the effects on our economic status and ultimately our pride of place would be undoubtedly rewarded. Be proud of your history!

image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewfoto/

Let's clear things up. Here is a breakdown of the various historic designations and groups that exist within Woodbury, N.J, followed below by a more lengthy explanation:

Designations:

We have in Woodbury:

1. The municipally designated Woodbury Historic District.

2. Five Historic Districts listed on the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places (different than the municipal historic district). Seven individual properties are also included on the State Register.

3. Five of the individual properties on the State Register are also currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, one of them burnt to the ground a couple years back.

Groups:

4. Woodbury Historic Preservation Commission, comprised of volunteers of varying experience appointed by the City of Woodbury's municipal government to oversee any proposed changes within the municipally identified Woodbury Historic District. More on them below.

5. Gloucester County Historical Society, a privately held nonprofit group dating back to 1903. Initially responsible for saving and preserving the Red Bank Battlefield and adjacent Ann Whitall House, the Society in recent years is dedicated to collecting and preserving material pertaining to the South Jersey area. Their amazing museum is located in the historic Hunter Lawrence Jessup house on Broad Street and is open to the public for tours; the sole source of Heritage Tourism in Woodbury - despite our plentiful historic structures and sites. Their wonderful library is located behind the house on Hunter Street.

6. Woodbury Olde-City Restoration Committee (WORC), a nonprofit formed in 1977 whose mission is to protect existing historical structures within the City of Woodbury by actively restoring endangered landmarks and structures, to inspire community pride in Woodbury by acknowledging homes and businesses that show excellence in restoration and beautification, and to support programs that address Woodbury’s challenges. Among other projects WORC is responsible for restoring the Eastern Stick style, Victorian-era, Woodbury Train Station built in 1883. They also offer an attractive grant program "It Pays to be Single" to aid homeowners who wish to restore apartment-converted buildings back into single-family residences.

7. Village Green Preservation Society (that's us)... a group of young preservationist-minded Woodburyians living and restoring historic homes within the city. Our mission is to raise awareness (through modern channels) of the extraordinary history and bright New Urbanist-style future to be found in this conveniently located city, 9 miles from Philadelphia. We have been instrumental in creating the new Historic Walking Tour guide. We were also successful in nominating the 1881 Victorian-era Hotel on Preservation NJ's Top Ten Endangered List for 2013 in an attempt to bring potential aid and awareness to the issues that threaten this building (erected many years before even our grand County Court House.) We look forward in working with all groups located in the city and with city government to actively promote better urbanism by embracing what makes us historically charming. Fix the aesthetics around town and the rest will follow, is our motto.

*BTW, fixing aesthetics does not mean tearing down buildings for parking lots. Providing surface parking to increase business is a mythical fallacy. If you have a charming attractive shopping district, people will regularly walk blocks or even miles to reach their destination. The more "missing teeth" or blank spots in downtown for parking, the less desirable it is to walk, the less people will want to visit. What you wind up with is plenty of parking, but nothing to park for... and Woodbury already has too much parking in my opinion... You can't make a city into a suburb without seriously damaging its infrastructure. The future of Woodbury lies in restoring its urbanism.

image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sethgaines/

A little more on the various historic districts, what they mean for you, and how they work:

1. The municipality of the City of Woodbury created the Woodbury Historic District in 1977 (although I believe it wasn't officially recognized until 1983) to preserve our rich cultural and architectural heritage for future generations. It has been proven that the maintenance and rehabilitation of buildings in historic districts have positive effects on the community including the stabilization of neighborhoods, retention of or increased property values, and the creation of civic pride. The municipally-appointed Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) oversees any proposed changes to the exterior of any and all properties located with the boundaries of the Woodbury Historic District (see map below). The HPC is comprised of nine volunteer citizens with varying degrees of knowledge pertaining to architecture and history who serve for either two or four year terms. The HPC is an advisory board only. Their recommendations go to Woodbury's Planning/Zoning board for official approval. Also, bear in mind that any changes proposed in a designated "area in need of redevelopment" or in any area outlined in the current redevelopment plan overrides any involvement with the HPC. Although certain protection is still offered under districts and properties listed on the National and State Register (more on that below). Depending on the political climate of the city during any given time, the HPC is given more or less importance. But it should be remembered that investors and restorers of old buildings (the people Woodbury wants to attract) are folks that do indeed wish and hope that the municipality takes their HPC seriously.

Woodbury Historic District Map in red.
For illustrative purposes only, check with City Hall for exact info.

A properly functioning HPC supported by their appointing municipality will prevent things like the images below happening to our unique historic properties. Keep in mind these images are from the Old House Journal and not from Woodbury, but seeing them has given me a great idea to feature a few of our own "remuddled" properties in a sort of veritable "Hall of Shame."

before-------------------after

before-------------------after

before-------------------after

before: top, after: bottom, if you couldn't tell!

2. In addition to the municipally organized Woodbury Historic District, the City of Woodbury also boasts (but not as much as it should!) FIVE historic districts on the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places!! We have the Broad Street Historic District, Newton Historic District, Glover Historic District, Delaware Street Historic District, and the Green Era Historic District. These districts were successfully nominated back in 1988. It can be confusing as these designations do not necessarily overlap or correspond with the Woodbury Historic District. For example the entire street of Holroyd Place is not included within the municipally-organized Woodbury Historic District but is included within the State of New Jersey recognized Newton Historic District on the State Register. To learn more about Woodbury's State Register Historic Districts and to see if your house is included, check the documents available HERE and HERE.

The bragging rights that come with such a distinction are great, however the protection afforded under these state recognized districts is little. The only real protection comes in the form of a process called Section 106 review of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. This means anyone can request a review by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) which investigates the impact any proposed changes to any listed property within the historic district would have on the nature of the overall character of that district. However, the New Jersey Register law requires review of any state, county or municipal undertaking involving properties listed on the New Jersey Register only. It does not prevent a misguided neighbor from removing his historic wooden clapboard siding in favor of vinyl should he so wish (unless that property was also located in the municipal Woodbury Historic District in which case he would need to go before the HPC!) This is how the State Register districts differ from the municipally-organized district. For more on Section 106 review, visit: HERE.

In addition, inclusion in one of these State Register districts provides the eligibility to apply for matching grants and low-interest loans offered by the New Jersey Historic Trust for rehabilitation and restoration to state, county and municipal owning agencies and nonprofit organizations. Currently bills in the Assembly and Senate are making the rounds that would enable private owners of State Register listed properties to be eligible for a tax credit to help with restoration efforts! New Jersey is among the few states that does not currently offer this program. For more information on how you can support the Historic Property Reinvestment Act, please visit: http://www.preservationnj.org/site/ExpEng/index.php?/PNJSite/hpi_act.

We here in Woodbury have seen the power of the Federal Historic Tax Credit in which RPM Development were able make use of to aid in the restoration of the Green Block Opera House. RPM were able to successfully apply for the credit as the building had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places which I will discuss next.

3. One need only look today at the Green Opera House Block to see firsthand the dramatic and powerful effect proper restoration can have on a building and its surroundings. RPM Development was able to procure this credit as the Green Block was previously listed (in 2001) on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information on the National Park Services Historic Tax Credit program, visit: http://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives.htm. For more benefits of being listed on both Registers, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/1identify/nrsrfact.pdf. Woodbury currently boasts five individual properties on the NATIONAL Register of Historic Places.

Here is a complete breakdown of properties and districts within the City of Woodbury currently on the State and/or National Registers (NR = National Register, SR = State Register). Listings marked with SHPO Opinion are recommendations from the NJ Historic Preservation Office (HPO) for possible future inclusion on the registers:

Broad Street Historic District (ID#1429)
Broad Street (between Woodbury Creek and Courtland Street) and
Delaware Street (between Broad and Wood streets)
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

Carpenter Street School and Bethel AME Church Site (ID#3176)
53-55 Carpenter Street
COE: 1/11/1996
SR: 7/7/1997
NR: 8/21/1997 (NR Reference #: 97000934)
(Previously listed as "Bethel AME Church and School" as part
of the Woodbury Multiple Resource Area SR 2/19/88 former
NRIS# 88000999; Church destroyed by fire, remains
demolished, ca.1992)

Chew House (ID#1430)
436 East Barber Avenue
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

Delaware Street Historic District (ID#1431)
Delaware Street, between North American and Wood streets
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

Glover Historic District (ID#1432)
Portions of Glover, High, Lincoln, Morris, Penn, and West streets
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

Green Era Historic District (ID#1433)
Portions of Bayard, North Evergreen, North and South Woodland
avenues; Cooper, Green and Spruce streets; Rugby Place
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

G.G. Green's Block (ID#3793)
108 South Broad Street
SR: 6/11/2001
NR: 7/25/2001 (NR Reference #: 01000769)

Hunter-Lawrence-Jessup House (ID#1434)
58 North Broad Street
SR: 5/29/1992
NR: 7/22/1992 (NR Reference #: 72000798)
(Amended the Hunter-Lawrence House nomination, which was
listed SR 3/15/72 and NR 10/18/72)

Newton Historic District (ID#1435)
Portions of Newton Avenue; Aberdeen and Holroyd Places; Centre,
Curtis, Euclid, Hunter, Laurel, and Maple streets
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

Thompson House (ID#1436)
103 Penn Street
SR: 2/19/1988
NR: 7/13/1988 (NR Reference #: 88000996)
(Woodbury MRA)

West End School (ID#1437)
Logan Street
SR: 2/19/1988
(Woodbury MRA)

Woodbury Armory (ID#4342)
North Evergreen Avenue & Red Bank Avenue
SHPO Opinion: 9/10/2004
Woodbury MRA (ID#5085)
(See individual listings in Gloucester County, Woodbury City)

Woodbury City Hall (ID#1438)
33 Delaware Avenue
SHPO Opinion: 9/29/1977

Woodbury Friends' Meetinghouse (ID#1439)
120 North Broad Street
SR: 5/1/1972
NR: 2/6/1973 (NR Reference #: 73001100)

Woodbury Historic District (ID#1440)
Includes portions of East Centre and Aberdeen streets
SHPO Opinion: 7/13/1983
(Local Certified District: 07/13/83)

Woodbury Post Office (ID#1441)
35 North Broad Street
SHPO Opinion: 2/20/1980

Graeme Shankland once wrote, "A country without a past has the emptiness of a barren continent; and a city without old buildings is like a man without a memory." Forces are in motion that continually threaten the life of our historic buildings. Just within the past three years we have lost SIX historic properties (Thompson House, Delaware Ave Toll House, a house on Aberdeen place, a house on E. Barber, the Jacob Glover House and a neighboring Second Empire Victorian house on High St both demolished by the Bottom Dollar Corporation). The groups and historic designations discussed in this post help protect our history to a degree but they can only do so much without the support and aid from the people who live in and around the City of Woodbury.

To sum things up, let's be proud of our historic designations and view them as unique distinctions that we can publicize and use to our advantage to build something really special in this city. A lot of countless work has been done by individuals to put Woodbury on these registers and subsequently on the map of America's proud historic heritage. Let us not shy away from these bragging rights!

"Rice Row" in the Newton Historic District on the NJ Register

Woodbury's view of the Philadelphia Skyline

I recently toured the former Masonic lodge (Florence No 87) on Broad Street for an upcoming feature on the new owners, XS/RE's adaptive reuse efforts. What a great building and downtown location! Check out the view of the Philadelphia skyline from their roof! Only 9 miles away... as the crow flies.

I wonder how many other locations in Woodbury could potentially utilize this million dollar view!?

Philly skyline from Woodbury, NJ
image: Jacqualynn Knight

The Old Court House

The following article on the 1st Gloucester County Court House in Woodbury appeared in the June 2013 Bulletin (Vol. 33 No. 8) of the Gloucester County Historical Society which is printed for their members. I'm going to also publish the article here but would like to urge you to check out all that the Historical Society offers and consider becoming a member. Their library and museum are wonderful for anyone remotely interested in the local history of Gloucester County and surrounding communities. Membership fees are very reasonable and are comparably little for all that they continue to do in the name of archiving and preserving our vanishing history. http://www.gchsnj.org

  

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As early as 1694, during America's Colonial period, the first permanent court house building in Gloucester County stood in Gloucester Town, now Gloucester City. A court house in one location or another managed to exist here for nearly a century. However, numerous fires seemed to plague the court house buildings in Gloucester Town and the final blow occurred on March 7th, 1786 when the court house along with its adjacent jail, stocks, and whipping posts were burnt to the ground; the conflagration having allegedly been started by a disgruntled horse thief. Afterwards some discussion occurred between county officials whether to rebuild the court house in Gloucester, where it had already been rebuilt a few times after the previous fires, or to relocate to a different town all together. It was eventually decided Freeholders petition legislature for a move of the county seat, and after permission granted, a vote in favor of Woodbury ruled. Shortly thereafter, at a meeting held in the Bulls Eye Tavern in Woodbury, county officials reached an agreement to purchase for erection of a court house 60 perch or rods of land from the Bispham family for £50; a plot originally a part of a two hundred acre plantation owned by Thomas Matthews. It was added in the agreement that a road was to be constructed along the edge of the property. This road by 1802 was known as the Lombardy Highway, but was later renamed Delaware Street.

Freeholder meetings were temporarily held in a public house then known as The Hessian Defeated at Red Bank (now Charlie Brown’s) until the new court house was finished in March, 1787. "The cost of the Court House and Gaol, as changed from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents, seems to have been $12,286.10, as shown by memorandum made in Minute Book by John M. Saunders" (F. H. . Stewart (Ed.), 1917). The structure was built 35 by 40 feet in an Adamesque, AKA Federal, Colonial-style from red bricks burned on the nearby John B. Jessup farm. It stood two-stories tall with a grand portico entryway, paired chimneys, and classic keystone lintels over 9/9 and 9/6 paned, double-hung sash windows on the 1st and 2nd floors respectively. An impressively high clock tower steeple topped by a weathervane which at least doubled the building's height, was added in 1850 (at a cost of $741.81) to replace the original steeple which by then had decayed. In 1858 the only major alteration to the building was made when a portion of the rear or west wall was removed to encompass a semicircular recess for the better accommodation of the bench. Later, in 1862 the new steeple was struck by lightning and the arrester point was melted. Later still in 1884 an earthquake rocked the court house "like a cradle." Despite these near tragedies, Woodbury's Colonial-era court house faithfully served the public for many years, but not  completely without opposition. As early as 1850 many in the community began to voice their concern that the building had outgrown its usefulness. In 1881 Justice Parker deemed the building unsafe, but it was not until May, 1885 that it was officially decided to erect a new building. After a bidding process, construction began in October 1885 on a larger Hazlehurst and Huckel-designed Victorian-style Romanesque building. The "New Court House" was built behind the Civil War Soldiers' Monument (erected in 1867) adjacent to the now "Old Court House." Although the new building began construction in 1885 and was completed in 1886, the original court house was permitted to stand alongside until 1887, in order for it to reach its 100 year old mark.

A rare glimpse inside the Colonial
courtroom in Woodbury

In February, 1887 the building was auctioned off with the requirement that it be removed within forty days. The winning bid at $225 was placed by Benajah W. Andrews, a Philadelphia merchant and residence of Woodbury who stated he wanted the lumber and stone for his own personal use. A public auction of furniture and architectural components was held and the items were promptly scattered throughout town. The following contains a description and, where possible, last known location of items from the court house purchased in the auction. Some of these architectural components can still be found in Woodbury today. W. A. Flanigan bought the stone door-sill which he used as a carriage stepping stone at his Euclid Street home. A blue-gray "1787" carved stepping stone was used in front of B. W. Andrews’ residence also on Euclid, but is now located in front of the Gloucester County Historical Society Library. Nearby is an iron foot scraper from the original court house which was presented by Mr. and Mrs. Philip Blank of Media, PA in 1973. It is currently located in front of a side door at the Hunter/Lawrence/Jessup house, Gloucester County Historical Society's museum. B. W. Andrews had the original court house window lintels placed within the sidewalk on Hunter Street adjacent to his Euclid St. residence and they can still be found there to this day (Update they were removed in 2022 during a sidewalk repaving project). Gus Prehl purchased the portico, but where it wound up is a mystery. This is also the case for the clock mechanism which was removed and stored in a "dry place;" its location never again discovered. The original 1787 cornerstone was placed alongside its 1885 counterpart in the "New Court House." The weathervane was placed on top of the cupola of the Newton Hotel stables but was removed when R. Weaver sold the hotel and most likely with him it traveled. The bricks of the court house were reused in the Edison electric light station which once sat on Smallwood Place, a small thoroughfare behind the current high school. It has also been reported that the iron fencing around the court house, originally added in 1880 to replace the rustic fence of cedar posts and Lombardy poplars, wound up at the Mickle-Summerill house and grounds. If true, these can still be found around the property on the NE corner of Broad and Newton. The original bell which cost £30 at the time of hanging around 1792 was sold for $54 dollars in 1816 and another bell was ordered from Philadelphia bell maker Thomas W. Levering for the price of $359. It was later recommissioned as the fire bell for the Goodwill Fire Co. #2 in North Woodbury and in 2007, after Goodwill was shut down, the 1816 court house bell was refurbished and now sits in the Justice Complex on Hunter Street. According to a Gloucester County Times article the bell was restored by the McShane Bell Company of Baltimore, the same company that originally bid for the bell to be used as scrap 120 years earlier! Gladly they were outbid.

It is a pity this fine example of Colonial era architecture was not preserved for future generations to experience. The "Old Court House" building was not unlike Independence Hall, its contemporary in Philadelphia, in both architectural style and of local importance. Many letters were received and printed attesting the demolition in local papers. Alternate proposals such as the building to be used as a location for the public library were suggested, but none were taken seriously and the building was lost in the name of progress. One particularly poignant letter printed in the Constitution in 1886 reminisced, "How many anniversaries of American Independence have been celebrated within its time-honored walls? How many times has the old bell rang out its merry peals of greeting at the dawning of that "Natal Day?" While cannon and small arms, rockets and other fire works have illumined those windows from which hung beautiful banners, a sheen of glory reflected back upon the scene from roof and spire, kissed by the rising sun. [...] Flowers entwined with the "National Ensign" have graced and beautified its interiors, while soldiers with gay uniforms and nodding plumes have welcomed with martial music and the loud huzza, the arrival of many a patriot of the Revolution and the later wars." In 1935, the Honorable David O. Watkins, U.S. District Attorney, 38th Governor of N.J., and charter member of the Gloucester County Historical Society, regretfully stated that he "could have saved the venerable old building" had he realized the historical value at the time. Fortunately, as mentioned above, the few remaining physical remnants from the original Woodbury court house can still be found scattered throughout the city today and may serve to remind us of Woodbury's rich Colonial history. Why not visit these small pieces of history before they too are lost to the ages.

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Colonial vs. Victorian
A shot showing the court houses of two eras
that existed briefly side-by-side in 1886-1887

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Original 1787 cornerstone embedded in current court house.

1816 Thomas W. Levering of Philadelphia bell from original court house on display in the Gloucester County Justice Complex

reverse side of original court house bell

Original keystone lintels from the Colonial court house embedded on the corner sidewalk of Hunter and Euclid Streets

1787 stepping stone currently in front of GCHS Library

Original court house boot scraper currently at side door of GCHS Museum (Hunter/Lawrence/Jessup house)

2022 Update: the old court house lintels have been removed from the sidewalk during a recent repaving project - currently sitting in a vacant lot.

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Cushing, T., & Shepard, C. E. (1883). History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey : With biographical sketches of their prominent citizens.Woodbury, NJ: Gloucester County Historical Society.

Ernest , J. A., & Zimmerman, M. O. (1963, Sep). The court houses of old Gloucester county. Bulletin of the Gloucester County Historical Society

Ernest , J. A., & Zimmerman, M. O. (1963, Dec). The colonial court house. Bulletin of the Gloucester County Historical Society

Hoelle, E. (1973, Dec). Library dedication. Bulletin of the Gloucester County Historical Society

McCarthy, P. (2007, May 27). County’s old bell makes a move. Gloucester County Times 

(1917). F. H. Stewart (Ed.), Notes on old Gloucester county: New Jersey (Vol. 1). Camden, NJ: Sinnickson Chew & Sons Company

(1924). A. Heston (Ed.), South Jersey: A history 1664-1924 (Vol. 1). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.

Simpson, H. B. (Ed.). (1965). Under four flags: Old Gloucester county, 1686-1964. Camden, NJ: Sinnickson Chew & Sons Co.

The old court house. (1886, Nov 10). Constitution

Top Illustration: 1868 edition of Barber and Howe's Historical Collections of the State of New Jersey

Jeremiah Paul Jr and Sr: Artist and Schoolmaster

Jeremiah Paul - George Washington Leaving His Family Oil on Canvas, Circa 1800

Modern day Woodbury is fast becoming a destination for the arts. It's also not surprising to find in Woodbury's past, which dates back to the 1680's, some very interesting ties to the early arts in Colonial America. Here's a brief account of the Woodbury born artist Jeremiah Paul Jr. and his Quaker schoolmaster father.

 

The first schoolhouse in Woodbury was known as the Deptford Institute. The building later became the public library and currently houses City Hall. It was built in 1774 after the formation of the Deptford Free School Society in 1773, a group of prominent Society of Friends. Located on Delaware Street, it was open to all denominations on the condition of payment of tuition and adherence to the school’s rules, as laid down by the controlling Society of Friends. The first teacher was a Quaker by the name of Jeremiah Paul (Krauss, 2008). By 1784, ten years after its formation, the schoolhouse boasted 130 students and Paul, "with no jar or dissatisfaction from either side" left for a more lucrative position and moved to Philadelphia, PA (Rhoads & Lewis, 1862).

circa 1901

Jeremiah Paul's son, Jeremiah Paul Jr., was born circa 1761 in Woodbury, presumably before the family moved to Philadelphia. Later in life, Jeremiah Jr. was trained under  artist Charles Willson Peale and went on to become a fairly respected portraiture artist. He was also a member of the Columbianum Art Academy formed in 1794 in Philadelphia. The Columbianum Art Academy, although short lived, has the prestige of having organized the first major public art exhibition in the United States. Later Paul Jr. with other Philadelphia artists formed the Pratt, Ritter, and Co. to "undertake all manners of commissions, from the paintings of portraits, signs, and fire buckets to japanning and the execution of coffin plates" (Marter, 2011). See below for some more examples of his work:

Jeremiah Paul - Portrait of Maria van Buren, wearing a bonnet, 1810

Jeremiah Paul - Portrait of a Gentleman, 1800

Jeremiah Paul - Tench Coxe 1755-1824

Jeremiah Paul - Lady in White Shawl, circa 1805

 Jeremiah Paul - Four Children in a Courtyard, 1795
Philadelphia Museum of Art 

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Krauss, J. (2008). History of Woodbury city public schools. Retrieved from http://www.woodburysch.com/district/WPShistory.php

Marter, J. (2011). The Grove encyclopedia of American art, volume 1. Oxford University Press.

Rhoads, S., & Lewis, E. (1862). Friends' review: A religious, literary and miscellaneous journal. (Vol. 15, p. 739). Philadelphia, PA: Merrhiew & Thompson. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=djUrAAAAYAAJ&vq=woodbury&source=gbs_navlinks_s

 

Above image of Deptford Institute from: Hand-book of the Public Library Commission of New Jersey: Libraries and Library Laws of the State, November 1, 1901

Beautiful Estate

I absolutely love coming across things like this... what a find! This ad, from a 1922 edition of a Philadelphia Evening Ledger, features what is now 122 Delaware Street. The Victorian Queen Anne style building now houses a law office and is still a beautiful estate!

Mahlon W. Newton

Mahlon W. Newton was born in 1848 in Vincetown, NJ. He is considered one of Woodbury's greatest developers during the Victoria era, second only to G.G. Green. By 1892 his landholdings were extensive. His start in Woodbury was when Newton purchased the old inn on the corner of Broad Street & Delaware in 1878. Inexperienced in the hotel trade as he was, Newton proceeded to turn it into one of the finest, most up-to-date hotels of the day. It was of course known as Newton's Hotel and quickly garnered statewide attention. "He ran it upon a high plane, and its table was noted as one attracting many city boarders" (Warwick, 1913). Newton also "restored" two Colonial structures in Woodbury creating an early interest in preserving Woodbury's past. One of these being the Franklin House which is of course the oldest surviving residence in the city today (Woodbury, 1988), the other being the Summerill-Mickle House at the corner of NE corner of Broad and Newton dating back to the 1700s, also proudly still standing. Newton himself lived in a house at the corner of Broad and Newton, but it is not clear if this was the Summerill-Mickle house or if it was in the John C. Smallwood house, where the PNC Bank now sits. He also may have lived in a house on Centre Street at one time.

Mahlon Newton also owned at least two hotels in Atlantic City (one being located at Plaza Place, Chelsea circa 1910). He also owned hotels in Bridgeton (Hohenstatt Hotel, purchased in 1899), Wenonah (Wenonah House), and Brown's Mills-in-the-Pines in Burlington County. But his most famous hotel was the massive Green's Hotel (no relation to G.G. Green), in Philadelphia which Newton became involved with in 1892. He became the sole owner in 1897. Converted into a hotel in 1866, Green's was originally the grand residence of prominent Philadelphia family, the Shippens. When original owner Tom Green was converting the house into his hotel, he had the room preserved where Peggy Shippen was married to Benedict Arnold (Spector, 2007). "Tom Green created quite a stir a few years later by fitting up, at Green's Hotel, Eighth and Chestnut Streets, a, for that day, very showy barroom. One of its novel features was a ceiling effect suggestive of the Arctic, with tapering icicles and vistas of shimmering snow and frost" (Dillon). Newton continued this tradition of fine dining with extravagant 50 cent Table d'Hote dinners and world class hotel service at Green's.

As a humorous aside, I discovered during my research that Newton and his wife kept a fine Angora Cat at the hotel named, "Tix." Tix appeared in many advertisements for Green's Hotel (see below) and a large and quite expensive commissioned portrait in 1896 by Reading, PA artist, Ben Austrian, the creator of the Bon Ami chick was hung in the main corridor of the hotel. The painting cost Newton $2500 at the time, over $60,000 today's money. Helen M. Winslow in her 1900 book, Concerning Cats writes, "Ben Austrian, who has made a success in painting other animals, has done a cat picture of considerable merit. The subject was Tix, a beautiful tiger-gray, belonging to Mr. Mahlon W. Newton, of Philadelphia. The cat is noted, not only in Philadelphia, but among travelling men, as he resides at a hotel, and is quite a prominent member of the office force. He weighs fifteen pounds and is of a very affectionate nature, following his master to the park and about the establishment like a dog. During the day he lives in the office, lying on the counter or the key-rack, but at night he retires with his master at eleven or twelve o'clock, sleeping in his own basket in the bathroom, and waking his master promptly at seven every morning. Tix's picture hangs in the office of his hotel, and is becoming as famous as the cat." Tix was given a first class funeral when the animal passed in 1903. There are two stories as to what happened after the funeral. According to the next owner of the painting, Mrs. Walter Linn, "When all of Philadelphia had paid homage to Tix, the silk-lined coffin was closed and the Angora, proud still in death, was transported to the Newton estate at Woodbury, New Jersey, and buried in the garden" (Babbitt, 2001). However a 1909 Philadelphia Inquirer article stated that Newton planned to have Tix stuffed and mounted and placed in a prominent position in the lobby, near where the old cat greeted visitors for many years ("Tix hotel cat," 1909). It's funny the things that survive through history sometimes! Additional interesting information regarding Newton, according to Heston's 1924 book, South Jersey: A History Vol.5, includes that he was apparently the first person in Atlantic City to have a grass lawn and garden, owing to the fact of his transporting and transplanting of fertile soil from Woodbury, NJ. He also devised a method to construct basements a few blocks from the ocean! His 21-room mansion there was located on the beach block between Plaza Pl. and Tallahassee Ave. and was built in 1903. The property was acquired and sold by Steel Pier owner George Hamid in 1963 to make way for 15-story apartments.

Newton who eventually became President of the Philadelphia Hotel Association and who sold his Woodbury hotel in 1891 to John Rachor, never forgot where he started, and as it was written in 1913, he continued to add "greatly to the growth and the beauty of Woodbury whose loveliness as a country town has long been admitted by the erection of a large number of high-class dwellings and the opening of new streets. He is now one of the leading, if not the largest, individual property owners of Woodbury, having unlimited faith in its future" (Warwick, 1913). Newton went on to construct three new roads in Woodbury in the late 1800s/early 1900s. These were Curtis Avenue, Aberdeen Place, and his namesake road, Newton Avenue. He had many lovely brick and stone buildings constructed on these avenues, all shining examples at the time of the finest in Victorian living. "It is fair to state here that Mahlon W. Newton was one of the pioneering spirits who hastened the development of the city. … He employed the best workmen, carpenters, bricklayers and plumbers and every house was constructed on honor" (Carpenter, 1937). He also had constructed the lovely storefront/apartment building on the NE corner of Broad and Curtis designed by prominent local architect, Charles R. Peddle. The building, located at 48 Broad St. features unique and interesting porthole windows on the Curtis side and is proudly still standing.

On November 29, 1925 Mahlon W. Newton, for 35 years proprietor of Green's Hotel, Eighth and Chestnut streets, died at his home at 122 South Tallahassee avenue Chelsea, Atlantic City, N. J., from heart disease.

This is Now a Parking Lot
Newton's Other Hotel: Green's Hotel, Philadelphia
image credit: Library of Congress

Dining Room Green's Hotel, Philadelphia
image credit: Library of Congress

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Newton's Hotel still stands, now known as the Woodbury Crossing, but the building itself IMHO has been poorly restored (at least from a preservationist viewpoint... meaning it has not been restored to National Park Services Secretary of the Interior's Historic Preservation Standards). It has been stuccoed over like icing on a cake completely covering its detailed ornate window and door lintels. It has also been stripped of its architectural corbels along the roof line, its center cupola had been previously removed, and the buildings formerly lovely and functional balcony, reminiscent of so many of those on highly sought after properties in New Orleans, has turned into some faux floating railing-thingy. BUT... the building is still there, thankfully. The location itself was where Abraham Chattin's and James Wood's Colonial Middle Tavern (later Washington House) once stood, which dated back to the 1700s. The date of the current building is usually given as 1828.

circa 1908

Before

After

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Babbitt, S. (2001). American paintings. Philadelphia, PA: Schwarz Gallery. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CEcQFjAD&url=http://www.schwarzgallery.com/catalogs/misc/pdf/schwarz_68cat.pdf&ei=MjrwUNT3C6mH0QGvjIAg&usg=AFQjCNG3yFGgidqQ4tz923WQdAkBPYEdtg&bvm=bv.1357700187,d.dmQ

Detroit Publishing Co. , publisher (1900-1920). Philadelphia, pa., green's hotel [Print]. Available from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/det1994002023/PP/

Detroit Publishing Co. , publisher (1900-1920). Philadelphia, pa., green's hotel dining room [Print]. Available from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/det1994021599/PP/

Dillon, J. R. (n.d.). Old-time drinking places in Philadelphia. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/drinkingplaces.htm

History of Woodbury, New Jersey: From 1681 to 1936. James D. Carpenter, Benjamin F. Carter. 1937.

Heston, A. (1924). South Jersey: A history. (Vol. V). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.

Pines resort sold at master's sale famous browns-mills hotel property bid in at $23,000. (1916, June 3). Trenton Evening Times, p. 5.

Spector, G. (2007). Center city philadephia. (p. 59). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=h-0Gcg3jbpMC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=philadelphia "green's hotel"&source=bl&ots=Y0Z9pvwe6I&sig=ZySdrhcT98dKa6SVlqMfo5q1QzM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZBbbUJ7fEfGP0QHiuoGwAQ&ved=0CJYBEOgBMAk

Stafford, H. (1920). Keystone state notables: the Philadelphia and his city. Philadelphia, PA: Stafford's National News Service. Retrieved from http://archive.org/details/whoswhoinphilade00phil

Tix hotel cat dies. (1909, March 2). Philadelphia Inquirer , p. 9.

Warwick, C. F. (1913). Warwick's keystone commonwealth: Review of the history of the great state of Pennsylvania, and a brief record of the growth of its chief city, Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA: City of Philadelphia. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=-UcVAAAAYAAJ&vq=woodbury&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Winslow, H. M. (1900). Concerning cats: My own and some others. (p. 182). Boston, MA: Lothrop Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=2lI8AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq="ben austrian" ti&xsource=bl&ots=TbSazyfdbY&sig=BMowPo_x8QTuaiVLYoKEpI7u69Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FTfwUITvDaq60QHGg4DACA&ved=0CFgQ6AEwBQ

Woodbury Multiple Resource Area: Partial Inventory of Historical and Architectural Resources, nomination document, 1988, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.