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This website is not sponsored by Burlington County, the Burlington County Freeholders nor any of its agencies. It was created independently by Joseph M. Laufer, Burlington County Historian and he alone is responsible for its contents.

What's New?

  • COUNTY HISTORIAN LECTURE SERIES: Each Spring, Joe Laufer conducts a series of local history lectures at the Burlington County Library. Because of pending consruction in the meeting room of the library, the series has been moved to the Mount Holly Library on High St. Beginning in March, a 3-lecture series will be presented there. The topics include
  • "Halley's Comet Revisited after 25 Years" (March 3) Click for Info on Halley's Comet
  • "Passport to Burlington County - 20 places to visit in your back yard" (April 7) Click for Passport
  • "Showcasing Burlington County's Unique Stained Glass Treasures" (May 5). Click for Stained Glass page.
  • For more details on each of these topics, click here for the Historian Series.
  • HISTORIC STONE MILE MARKERS IN BURLINGTON COUNTY - I've added a new page with a brief power point presentation on historic mile markers in the county. Click here for MilerMarkers.htm.
  • TEN THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT BURLINGTON COUNTY! Recently, Joe Laufer was interviewed by Erin Roop of the Central Record about his role as Burlington County Historian. Erin asked Joe to list ten things that make Burlington County unique. Click here to see Joe's "top ten" list.
  • QUAKER MEETING HOUSE SERIES : On the first Saturday of each month in the Burlington County Times "AT HOME" supplement, a different Burlington County Quaker Meeting House was highlighted from March, 2006 through June, 2007. Joe was the consultant on this series. The June article consisted of a series summary and a self-driving tour of all 21 Quaker Meeting Houses in Burlington County. We have posted the tour on this site, recommending that it be spread over two days to get the full flavor of the sites. Click here for the tour.
  • CROPWELL FRIENDS MEETING BICENTENNIAL: On Sunday, June 28, 2009, The Cropwell Friends Meeting House was 200 years old. The event was celebrated by the erection of a Memorial Peace Pole, a photo and artifact exhibit and remarks by Arthur Larrabee, General Secretary of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and Joe Laufer, Burlington County Historian. Click here for Joe's remarks.
  • SELF-GUIDED ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE TOUR. The County Cultural and Heritage Office, in cooperation with the Colonial Dames of New Jersey offered a tour of Burlington County's One Room School Houses last year. Joe Laufer created a self-guided driving tour of the schools. Contact him via e-mail if you would like a copy.

 

 

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Welcome to the web site of Joe Laufer, Burlington County Historian

http://www.dvrpc.org/Mapping/maps/burlington.pdf

Click on Map

There are forty independent communities in Burlington County. Click HERE for a map which identifies each community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historian Paul Schopp has provided us with a list of municipal anniversaries in 2010. Click here!

 

 

 

Richard Allen Feb.14, 1760 250th Anniv.

Mark Twain Nov. 30, 1835 April 21 1835

 

 

 

 

 

 

In June, 2003, Joe Laufer was appointed official Burlington County Historian by the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

 

YOUR ONE-STOP LOCAL HISTORY RESOURCE

This web site has been created as a one-stop resource for historical information about Burlington County. Perhaps its greatest value is in the many links to web resourses created by local historians, historical societies and organizations dedicated to our rich history. Wherever we refer to a historic person, place or thing, if we are aware of a website which expands on that topic, we will link to it. The link page at the end of this web site is a veritable encyclopedia of local historical information about each of the 40 communities of Burlington County. If there are multiple web sites on the subject, we have linked to each of them. Anyone doing research on the history of any topic or location in Burlington County should be able to quickly link to the information they are seeking. We welcome you and invite you to explore the site -- and start now with a jump to the Link page by clicking HERE!

TIME-SENSITIVE INFORMATION NOW POSTED FOR "NEW VIEWS" and PRESERVATION AWARDS

1. NEW VIEWS. The theme of the 2010 New Views project (the blending of art and history, in celebration of National Preservation Month in May) is "Unique Stained Glass Windows of Burlington County." In 2010 there will not be an art component to the event, but rather only a tour of selected sites containing unique stained glass windows. The bus tour of the venues will be held on Saturday, May 15, 2010. Click here for more information.

2. PRESERVATION AWARDS . The call for nominations for the 2010 Preservation Awards is posted under the tab "Preservation Awards." Criteria and Application Forms are posted there. The deadline for Applications is March 31, 2010. The awards will be presented at a regular meeting of the Board of Chosen Freeholders in May. Click here to go directly to the site.

ANNIVERSARIES - 2010

1. TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 - 100th Anniversary of Riverton Public School, 600 Fifth St., Cinnaminson, NJ (1910)

2. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 . 100th Anniversary of the founding of The Boy Scouts of America, founded in Washington DC in 1910.

3. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14. Richard Allen, the founder and first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was born a slave on February 14, 1760 in Pennsylvania. He died on March 26, 1831. 250th Anniversary of his birth. . Click here for his biography.

4. SUNDAY, MARCH 14 - 150th Anniversary (Sesquicentennial) of the establishment of Lumberton Township in 1860.

5. MONDAY, MARCH 15 - 150th Anniversary (Sesquicentennial) of the establishment of Cinnaminson Township in 1860.

6. TUESDAY, APRIL 21 . 100th Anniversary of the death of Mark Twain in 1910. Twain was born on November 30, 1835 while Halley's Comet was traversing the skies. In 1909 he – Well attended – filled Township Meeting Room. is quoted as saying "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet." His wish was granted! Incidentally, 2010 is also the 25th anniversary of the last return of Halley's Comet in 1985. It returns again aprroximately 50 years from now in 2061. We will celebrate this dual event with a talk at the Mt. Holly Library on March 2nd, 2010. See information elsewhere on this site.

7. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 - 40th Anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970.

8. MAY - 40th Commencement - Burlington County College (1970).

ANNIVERSARIES - 2010

1. SESQUICENTENNIAL (150 YEARS) OF THE CIVIL WAR - The New Jersey Civil War 150th Anniversary Committee plays a preeminent role in our state’s observation and commemoration of New Jersey’s part in the Civil War.  Through the committee’s service there will be increased awareness (both current and future) and accurate recognition of the sacrifices and contributions of the people of New Jersey during this defining time in American History - Here is a link to the Commission's Official web site: New Jersey's Official Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee.

Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back.

ABOUT JOE LAUFER

Over the past thirty years Joe has delivered hundreds of lectures to local, regional and even national groups. He has been a member of the National Speakers Association, the Liberty Bell Speakers Association and the International Platform Association and is listed in Who's Who in Professional Speaking. Most of his lectures deal with historical subjects.

Mr. Laufer is also President of the H.B. Smith Industrial Village Conservancy and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Jack Allen Memorial Country Living Museum of Southampton and the Roebling Main Gate Museum. He is a past president of the Southampton Historical Society and has served on the Board of Trustees of the Burlington County Historical Society.

He is a strong advocate for the expansion of tourism in Burlington County, having been a founding member of the Historic Rancocas Valley Tourism Association, which was a precursor to the establisment of a Department of Tourism in Burlington County. He is a part-time staff member of the Division of Cultural Affairs and Tourism of the county.

As County Historian, Joe is actively involved in the selection of recipients of annual Burlington County Preservation Awards, and in the selection of venues for the popular "New Views" art and tour projects of the Burlington County Cultural and Heritage Department.

SJ MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHTS JOE LAUFER: The January, 2009 issue of SJ Magazine contains a feature by Mary Lou Sheffield about Joe Laufer's role as Burlington County Historian. Click for PDF version of the article.

 
 
Joe's Speaking Events Calendar   County News

2010 SCHEDULE

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - "Company Towns of Burlington County" - Mount Holly Rotary - Charlie's Other Brother, Westampton. 12:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - "African American Historical sites of Burlington County" - Black History program at Willingboro Memorial Library. 7:00 p.m. Link to Willingboro Library Announcement.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 - County Historian Series. "Halley's Comet 25 years out -- 50 to go. A Retrospective" (A historical perspective -- not an astronomy lecture). 7:00 p.m., Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences / Mount Holly Library, 307 High Street, Mount Holly.

Click here for more information on the 25th Anniversary of the last visit of Halley's Comet to the vicinity of Earth.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Women's History Month Lecture and Tour. Sponsored by the Burlington County Office of Cultural Affairs and Tourism. Lecture at Smithville by Joe Laufer; Self-guided tour to includes various women's history sites throughought Burlington County. Lectures on Agnes Gilkerson Smith repeated at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in Dining Room of the Smithville Mansion.

Saturday, March 20, 2010 - Pinelands Panorama Bus Tour - An offering of the 21st annual Pinelands Short Course (sponsored by the N.J. Pinelands Commission and Burlington County College). A reprise of a bus tour Joe gave in 2006 through the 7 southernmost Pinelands counties of Burlington County. For details, click here. BUS TOUR SOLD OUT

Click here for a Brochure and application form for other programs associated with the 21st Annual Pinelands Short Course.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - County Historian Series: "Passport to Burlington County: 20 places to visit in your own back yard." 7:00 p.m. Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences / Mount Holly Library, 307 High Street, Mount Holly. Click here for Passport.

Saturday, April 17, 2010 - "William Penn and the Quaker Imprint on West Jersey" 2:00 p.m. Tuckerton Historical Society. Giffordtown Schoolhouse Museum - Route 9.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010- County Historian Series: "Showcasing Burlington County's Unique Stained Glass Treasures" 7:00 p.m. Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences / Mount Holly Library, 307 High Street, Mount Holly

Saturday, May 15, 2010 - New Views Tour: "Unique Stained Glass Windows of Burlington County". Narrated Bus Tour of churches and other structures with unique stained glass windows.

Saturday, October 16, 2010 - "Burlington County: Crossroads of the American Revolution" - 2:00 p.m. Tuckerton Historical Society. Giffordtown Schoolhouse Museum - Route 9.

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The Burlington County Office of Tourism has just published three leaflets based on three of Joe's most popular lectures. Joe served as a consultant for the projects.

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"Quaker Meetinhouses of Burlington County" is a 12 page multi-flold which highlights the location of 10 active Friend's Meetings and 7 former Meetinghouses.

"Notable Women of Burlington County" provides an overview of 15 prominent women of Burlington County whose lives influenced world events far beyond the confines of Burlington County.

"One Room Schoolhouses in Burlington County" lists, illustrates and describes 17 Burlington County One-Room Schoolhouses scattered throughout Burlington County

A fourth leaflet, "Tour Guide of African American Historic Sites of Burlington County", created by Black History expert Giles Wright, is also available through the Office of Cultural Affairs and Tourism.

COUNTY BELL CAST OVER 250 YEARS AGO

We are fortunate in Burlington County to have the "County Bell", which hangs in the tower of the historic Court House on High Street in Mount Holly, as one of our historic keepsakes, both because of its symbolism and its direct connection with significant county events.  It relates directly to two of our most historic towns, Burlington and Mt. Holly; it is our link with our country’s struggle for independence, and has always been associated with our court system, which champions the basic rights of our citizens.  Therefore, for Burlington Countians, it is as significant as the Liberty Bell is for all Americans.

The "County Bell" was cast in England in 1755 (only four years after the "Liberty Bell" was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Legislature to celebrate the 50th anniversary of William Penn's Charter of Privileges for Pennsylvania*). The Burlington County Bell was first used at the early court house in Burlingtron City, and while there, in 1776, rang the news of our contry's independence. It was in 1797 that the bell was transferred to the belfry of the Court House at Mount Holly, where it remains till this day.

*After its arrival in Philadelphia from England, the Liberty Bell was melted down and recast twice, and the final version wasn't hung and used until June, 1753 -- which makes the Liberty Bell only about 2 years older than the County Bell.

See article on the County Bell in the Courier Post, Friday, December 31, 2005

 

BOOKS RELATED TO BURLINGTON COUNTY

"SHAMONG" by George Flemming

Local Historian, George Flemming, of Southampton, author of the well-received book, "Brotherton," has contributed another book to the history library of Burlington County which pictorially records the story of Shamong and Indian Mills.

Shamong Township, incorporated in 1852, was originally a part of Evesham Township. It is one of many communities that make up the Pinelands National Reserve. Shamong is a Native American word meaning place of the horn or place of many deer. From 1758 until 1802, 3,284 acres of the township were home to the first and only Native American reservation in New Jersey. Prominent citizens of old Shamong included John B. Gardner, former mayor of Atlantic City, Civil War veteran, and United States congressman. James Still, the famed black doctor of the Pines, was born in Shamong in 1812, and his younger brother, William Still, is celebrated as the father of the Underground Railroad.

This 128 page book is a part of the "Images of America" series published by Arcadia Publishers. The photographs in Shamong provide a visual reminder of the past and celebrate the history of this community, which remains a vibrant rural and residential area.

In addition to being available on line, the book can be purchased at the Shamong Diner on Route 206 at the entrance to the community of Indian Mills at the corner of Willow Grove Road, just north of Atsion.

"PARALLEL COMMUNITIES" - NEW BOOK BY MOUNT HOLLY'S DENNIS RIZZO ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN SOUTHERN N.J.

Parallel Communities: The Underground Railroad in South Jersey
Dennis Rizzo

For slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad, names like Springtown and Snow Hill promised sanctuary and salvation. Under the pressures of racial prejudice, free blacks, runaway slaves and even many Native Americans formed island communities on the periphery of South Jersey towns. Dennis Rizzo validates their role in the preservation of tradition, definition of extended family and creation of a social bond between diverse peoples; together they formed parallel communities based on, but independent of, the larger towns and villages familiar to us all.

BOOKS HIGHLIGHT LOCAL HISTORY: Pine Barrens' Ghost Towns, Vincentown, Brotherton. Click here for reviews

NEW SMITHVILLE CONSERVANCY WEBSITE

There is a new website dedicated exclusively to the history of the H.B. Smith Industrial Village. It was created for the Smithville Conservancy and features very detailed historical data about this historic site.

Visit www.SmithvilleConservancy.org to experience this introduction to Burlington County's first public park steeped in history. There are lots of pictures there, too.

UNDERGROUND R.R. MUSEUM CREATES WEB SITE : Executive Director Louise Calloway of the Underground Railroad Cafe, Art Gallery and Educational Center, 16-18 East Union St., Burlington, which boasts of an excellent Museum on the subject, has just launched a new website: http://ugrrburlington.webs.com

STEAMBOATS ON THE DELAWARE

Between June 2, 2007 and August 26, 2007, the Office of Cultural Affairs and Tourism conducted 14 Riverboat tours on the Delaware River, attracting 1,179 passengers. The original idea was to conduct only two tours. However, once the word got out, telephone calls requesting tickets became overwhelming, to the point that many who desired tickets were unable to get them. The boat held only 100 people. The tour started at the Oneida Boad House on the Promenade in The City of Burlington, and proceeded south on the Delaware to "Andalusia", the Biddle Mansion on the Pennsylvania shore across from Delanco. Paul Schopp and Joe Laufer shared the narration, pointing out the historic sites and mansions along the way. The tour lasted approximately 2 hours. Currently, a private River Boat is docked at the Burlington City wharf -- partly a result of the success of the County tours of the summer of 2007.

ROEBLING MUSEUM OPENED

The weekend of June 26, 27 and 28 was filled with events hearlding the long awaited opening of the Roebling Main Gate Museum. While the planned museum exhibits are not yet in place, several temporary exhibits told the story of Roebling and a film consisting of the Roebling story and interviews with former employees was premiered. A moving flag raising ceremony was held at 1:00 pm on Saturday. The consensus was that the museum building exceeded all expectations and is a welcome addition to Burlington County's historical landmarks.

BORDENTOWN CITY: 325 YEARS OLD IN '07

The historic city of Bordentown celebrated its 325th anniversary in 2007. One of Burlington County's most historic towns, Bordentown has a number of historic sites and has maintained its sense of history through preservation and proactive efforts to promote its heritage.

 


     
© 2005 Burlington County Historian. All rights reserved.