Lewis M. Green

Lewis M. Green, one time travelling clock salesman, notable Freemason and five-term mayor of Woodbury, made his eventual fortune from a handful of flowers. A sufferer of dyspepsia, Green was prescribed various herbal remedies that worked so well (not least to mention some of the ingredients being opium and alcohol, legal in those days), he purchased their formulas and went on to market, "Green's August Flower" and "Boschee's German Syrup". Green eventually sold the business, with an annual royalty agreement and stipulation that the enterprise need remain within Woodbury, to his son George Gill, who went on to become the city's first millionaire.

The Green family are largely identified with the general improvement of Woodbury during the Victorian era, adding to its growth and beauty by the erection of magnificent dwellings and places of business and entertainment. Lewis M. Green's own home is not exempt from this proud status. Once located at 255 South Broad St.,  on the NW corner of W. German St. (now Barber Ave.) and Broad St., the former site of this fine Italianate structure is now home to a drug store chain and large parking lot. It was torn down in 1944 for a gas station. Let that be a lesson to us. NOT ALL PROGRESS IS GOOD. Sigh... *

This fine home was built soon after the Civil War.
It stood for almost 75 years and was known for its
French plate glass and handsome ironwork.

circa 1886

circa 1883

Lewis M. Green was personally responsible for constructing the Second Empire style mansard roofed Green Castle Hotel which has been recently threatened to be razed. Another notable contribution was the establishing of the lovely Green Cemetery located on Barber Avenue. Carpenter and Carter (1937) write:

In the early spring Lewis M. Green had purchased 2000 trees and shrubs for transplanting in his cemetery enterprise out Glassboro avenue. They included European larch, curl leaf birch, many varieties of evergreens, the variegated althea which flowers early in the fall, and many other ornamental trees and shrubs. The cemetery was a favorite interest of Mr. Green, and in his last will he made ample provision for its permanency.

On a Tuesday evening, 2 Jan 1894, Lewis M. Green at age 77 died at his home. He was buried Saturday the 6th in Green's Cemetery. Happy to say his cemetery at least still exists today in 2012.

image: Walter Hellerman

image: Walter Hellerman

Carpenter, J. D., & Carter, B. F. (1937). History of Woodbury, New Jersey: From 1681 to 1936. Woodbury, NJ: Gloucester County Historical Society.

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.

Woodbury (N.J.). (1971). Century of progress: Woodbury, N.J., 1871-1971. Woodbury, N.J: The Committee.
 

* this is what the site of the house looks like today:

Historic Preservation Needs Survey

I urge anyone interested in Woodbury's historic buildings to fill out the New Jersey Historic Trust needs survey. This survey will help the Trust identify historic buildings with specific needs and begin to quantify the costs associated with making these structures relevant and useful in their communities.

The survey began on February 1, 2012 and will run until May 1, 2012. It will pose questions about a building's use, repair needs, projected repair costs, and, if appropriate, its participation in heritage tourism development.

A "historic building" is defined as a structure that was built more than 50 years ago, or prior to 1962. A property does not need to be listed on the state or national Register of Historic Places to be included in the survey. Buildings that may participate include: historic residences, farmsteads, factories, theaters, museums, houses of worship, fire houses, libraries, railroad stations, schools and more. Buildings owned by private homeowners or businesses are not eligible for this survey.

http://fs19.formsite.com/NJHT/CapitalNeedsSurvey/index.html

It is our understanding that the more folks that fill out this survey, the better chance we have to garner local interest. Some eligible buildings in Woodbury that should be included in the survey and their required information are as follows (pick your favorites to list!):

*The following are considered contributing buildings in a listed historic district, except the G.G. Green Opera House, Woodbury Friends' Meetinghouse, and the Hunter-Lawrence-Jessup House which are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Green Castle Hotel (currently threatened)
85-89 Cooper Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 118
Lot: 27
5388 square feet
built: 1881

Green Estates Stable House part of the former Green Estates (which was most recently used as Catholic Church Convent)
211 Cooper Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 142
Lot: 9 and 10
approx. 4000 square feet
built: 1889

Sketch Club Players Theater (formerly West End School)
433 Glover Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 57
Lot: 14
3832 square feet
built: 1889

Christ Episcopal Church
62 Delaware Street
Woodbury NJ 08096
Block: 79
Lot: 1
3045 square feet
built: 1856

Catholic Church Rectory (formerly Daniel Steelman residence)
64 Cooper Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 117
Lot: 26
approx. 4000 square feet
built: 1880

G.G. Green Opera House Block
104 S. Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 113
Lot: 1
18736 square feet
built: 1880

First Baptist Church
544 N. Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 123
Lot: 10
approx. 3000 square feet
built: 1858

Kemble Memorial United Methodist Church
19 S. Broad Street
Woodbury NJ 08096
Block: 77
Lot: 17
approx. 6000 square feet
built: 1891

Presbyterian Church at Woodbury
67 S. Broad Street
Woodbury NJ 08096
Block: 77
Lot: 1
approx. 3000 square feet
built: 1834

St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church
86 Cooper Street
Woodbury NJ 08096
Block: 145
Lot: 1
2453 square feet
built: 1909

Woodbury Friends' Meetinghouse
120 N. Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 121
Lot: 4
7200 square feet
built: 1716

Gloucester County Historical Society (Hunter-Lawrence-Jessup House)
58 N. Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 120
Lot: 6
approx. 4000 square feet
built: 1765

Woodbury Train Station
101 Cooper Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Block: 112
Lot: 1
1420 square feet
built: 1883

This is a partial list and does not include various historic Court Houses, Fire Stations, City Hall, Post Office, etc.

HELP! Green Castle Hotel threatened.

 UPDATE 10/23/2012: Great News! City Council has denied the appeal made by the Holy Angels Parish/Diocese of Camden to raze the Green Hotel!!

 

 UPDATE 8/14/2012: Please note that Woodbury's City Council has scheduled the application for Holy Angels Parish – Appeal of Planning/Zoning Board Denial of Certificate of Appropriateness– to be fought on October 22, 2012.

UPDATE 6/8/2012: The church and their legal representatives are seeking to appeal the city's decision preventing them from tearing down this contributing historical building within the officially recognized Green Era Historic District  #88000992 on the State Register of Historic Places! Apparently they just don't get it. I urge you to contact them to express your interest in preserving this unique Second Empire Victorian Era Hotel! See below for their contact info.

Your help is required! Woodbury, NJ stands to lose yet another Green landmark. This time it's the Green Castle Hotel, a lovely Second Empire Victorian building with beautiful keystone lintels built by Lewis Green (former mayor of Woodbury and father to G.G. Green, Woodbury's first millionaire). This hotel is located at the corner of Cooper St. & Railroad Ave in the Green Historic District and was built in 1881 to accommodate the many trains arriving across the street at the now preserved Eastern Stick style train station, home of the successful Woodbury Station Cafe. It does not go unnoticed that many in this town would like to raze structures such as this one that stood as welcoming symbols to visitors and tourists arriving everyday from far and wide to visit this once, and still proud city.

The Details:

An application has just been submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission by the Holy Angels Catholic Parish and their governing Diocese of Camden requesting permission to raze the building for yet another parking lot! This is an absolutely absurd request as there is ample free parking all around the area including the church's own large parking lot, free street parking at the side of the church on Euclid Street, a free city parking garage a half a block away on Cooper Street and plentiful free city off street parking across the street on Railroad Avenue.

They are stating that as a religious / charitable organization they do not have the money to maintain the structure, which is apparent given the current visible condition of the building, but they certainly were able to come up with the $271,000 to purchase it in 2005 knowing they would need to maintain the structure. They are also stating there is no historical value in the building and its architectural style and that it could serve no other purpose. One could easily see this as an Internet cafe, coffee shop, art gallery, or better yet, a fully preserved Victorian hotel bed and breakfast to attract some historic-minded tourism to the town. How about a Green-themed historic center showcasing the many innovations and attractions the Green family brought to the area in the 1800s?  If the diocese does not want to donate or sell the building to more interested parties, Paul Willham, owner of the Indianapolis based Victorian Antiquities & Design Historic Restoration company suggests they think of potential adaptive reuse of the building, maybe as classrooms, a meeting space or future community center space.


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE...

call, write, email or Facebook the parish and diocese KINDLY stating that you are not happy with their plan to demolish the building. It is apparent from past efforts in obtaining architectural restoration quotes and applying for preservation grants that the parish would like to see the building saved.

Can you offer them any suggestions?

The Diocese of Camden, Holy Angels Parish and their legal representative contacts are as follows:

Diocese of Camden 

631 Market Street

Camden, NJ 

08102 

Phone: 856-756-7900 

Fax: 856-963-2655

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diocese-of-Camden/271539036173

***************

Holy Angels Parish

64 Cooper Street

Woodbury, NJ

08096

Phone: 856-845-0123 

Fax: 856-845-7409

Web: www.holyangelsnj.org

Email: mail@holyangelsnj.org 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/holyangelsparish

Rev. Msgr. Joseph V. Di Mauro, Pastor

***************

Holy Angels Parish's legal representative: 

Francis J. Monari, Esquire, McKernan, McKernan and Godino

113 North Sixth St.

Camden, NJ

08102

Email:

mckernangodino@juno.com

monarifj.esq@juno.com

Sands, R. W. (2006). Woodbury: Images of America. (p. 128). Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing.

First Flight in America

On January 9th, 1793 the renowned French aeronaut, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, made the first air voyage in America. Monsieur Blanchard, accompanied by a small black dog, various scientific instruments, a few bottles of wine, and an official passport from President George Washington, began his ascent at 9 minutes after 10 o'clock in the AM. With a waving of a double-sided French & American flag to the amassed spectators, Blanchard lifted into the hitherto virginal American aerial domain from the courtyard of the Walnut Street Prison grounds at 6th & Walnut, Philadelphia.

Blanchard's Vaisseau Volant, his dirigible balloon.
Sketch by M. E. Wigfield, after a 1784 engraving
in the collection of William Gerhard.

His ascension was met with cheers from the crowds who gathered to witness the historic spectacle, shouting from the grounds below, from neighboring rooftops and out of open windows. After a kindly parting of a flock of pigeons to make way for the air balloon and having been now carried away from the city, Monsieur Blanchard remarked of the Delaware reflecting sunbeams "painted of a transparent white" and appearing to be of a breadth of about four inches. Once across the river, Blanchard became concerned with gathering clouds in the Southeast and began his descent. He was about to land amongst the woods very close to Woodbury, but his impact on the city had already become apparent prior to even Blanchard's launch as noted by the following entries in Woodbury resident and businessman Samuel Mickle's diary:

"1793. 1/8. Made some preparations to visit Philada. tomorrow morning. Having forgot ye report of a Balloon intended to be raised there tomorrow... ...also that all of Woodbury almost was going to see it, which appeared likely to obstruct my business... ...have postponed going there. 1793. 1/9. Great ado with looking for and at the Balloon which came, I suppose, within one mile from and eastward of us at Woodbury, and perhaps one-half mile in height. This is an instance of the body also as well as the mind being in ye air. Balloon is ye subject in almost every quarter."

A Map of the First Air Voyage in America, by M.E. Wigfield,

after a map by Erwin L. Schwatt, aviator. The certificate

of descent given to Blanchard gave the distance as

"about fifteen miles from Philadelphia" to Woodbury.

They probably estimated the distance by the carriage roads.

A homing pigeon would fly it in about nine miles.

But Blanchard's air voyage was not straight.

Blanchard landed in a clearing in the woods in the township of Deptford after being in the air for 46 minutes. With the help of the signed letter of passport from President Washington and the offering of wine, Blanchard, who spoke no English, was able to convince a few, at first, very shocked farmers to assist him on his return to Philadelphia. The names of the local residents being: Everard Bolton, Joseph Griffith, Joseph Cheesman, Samuel Taggart, Amos Castell, and Zara North.

"He is no dry-as-dust scientist; he is inspired. At the time of his forty-fifth aerial adventure, then ten years after his first, he is still excited and interested at every moment of his life in the air. He is a friendly man, an honest, modest fellow, an enthusiastic Frenchman, and eloquent writer. He is the gallant aeronaut waving his plumed hat, together with a double flag, as the ascension begins." (Frey & Blanchard, 1943)

A Portrait of Jean Pierre Blanchard, by M.E. Wigfield,
after the 1785 engraving by I. Sewel.
Fac simile of Blanchard's mononymized signature.



Frey, C., & Blanchard, J. (1943). The first air voyage in America; the times, the place, and the people of the blanchard balloon voyage of January 9, 1793, Philadelphia to Woodbury, together with a fac simile reprinting of the journal of my forty-fifth ascension and the first and the first in america by Jean Pierre Blanchard. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Preservation Potentials: 30 Newton Avenue

Attention: Victorian House Lovers, Steampunks, Anglophiles, and fellow appreciators of all things antique! I'm not sure old-house hunters outside the immediate area realize the unique architectural offerings this quaint city has in store. In some cases these houses will require a little creativity to restore them to their former glory, but most will have retained a large semblance of the magnificent days of English-inspired American architecture, for a fraction of the cost found in other areas. The City of Woodbury offers a generous tax abatement program for conversions from multi-house setups back to single family homes, further details HERE.

Today's featured house is an amazing three story brick Victorian built in 1893. The left side is for sale, listed at $152,000 and features many original details such as original porch, 1st floor bay window and double entry doors. The right side of the building houses a quiet lawyers office. Newton Avenue is a lovely street populated with many fine Victorian houses, one of the best is situated right across the street, so you would have a lovely view of an immaculately maintained and stately home (see the second picture below for the partial view).

with this porch, one can surely travel back in time.

As it stands now, 30 Newton is separated into various offices so potential office space rental income exists, but the house is multi zoned so there would be no problem converting it back into a single family home or a live-in office with 2477 square feet of living space.

For the listing visit: HERE. It is my opinion that reviving a once grand city is a community effort that largely starts at home. Vested homeowners that value the history and heritage of their house and who treat their home as an extension of the family and not just some place to crash, can and do make a difference. Preserve the past, to better the future!

Bird's Eye View 1886 style

Below is a small excerpt from the amazingly detailed historic panoramic map of the City of Woodbury created by O.H. Bailey and Co. in 1886. One can clearly see how navigable and important Woodbury Creek was in those days and how many businesses used the watery thoroughfare to their advantage. I would personally love to see some kind of ferry service to Philadelphia restored, but not sure to what extent the creek has changed over the many years to allow such travel.

click image for larger version

Other points of interest on the map are the original covered bridge on Broad Street over the creek and the trellis bridge on Hunter over the railroad tracks. Note Newton Avenue, a prominent Victorian street parallel and between Hunter and Cooper streets, was not yet created. The view is towards the East. What else do you see? Feel free to comment!

The full version of the map is freely available from the inimitable Library of Congress HERE.

John W. Thompson's Grocery Store

Woodbury lost another piece of its architectural history early Saturday morning, January 14th, 2012. A multi-alarm fire ripped through the 1870 John W. Thompson Sr.'s Grocery Store. The building was so badly damaged it was demolished later that day. Fortunately the 91 year old resident escaped with his life. His son had just replaced the batteries in all of the smoke detectors in the house.

"John W. Thompson Sr.'s grocery store on the southwest corner of Penn and Glover Streets was opened around 1870 and was in operation for three generations. Thompson's featured its own delivery service, which brought fresh poultry and produce to homeowners on a daily basis. The store closed in 1956 and later became the Colonial Electric Shop." (Sands, 2006) "The house was purchased by John W. Thompson, Jr., glassblower, in 1885. His father, John W. Thompson, Sr. died in 1891. Sr. lived in the house a year or so before he died. John W. Thompson, Jr. had a son John W. Thompson, who ran the store until he died in 1935. The last John W. Thompson mentioned fathered a fourth John W. Thompson who died of pneumonia in his youth (about 1917)." This house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1984 image of the Thompson House.

2010 image by Ton2cats

I just visited the site and all that is left is a smoldering pile of debris surrounded by a still lovely decorative Victorian iron gate, which must have been added after the above photo. A sad sight indeed. Smoke detectors may not be the most sightly and stylish of objects, especially in Victorian homes, but they do save lives and in many cases the dwelling, which was not the case this time around.



Sands, R. W. (2006). Woodbury: Images of America. (p. 128). Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing.