December 2019
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IN THIS ISSUE: Our 50th Year Party (p. 2, 7) Jersey Shore: a National FROM Treasure (p. 3) THE Commodore Truxtun & the FRONT Bispham/ Walton House (p. 4) Business Corner (p. 4) PORCH Membership News (p. 6) THE NEWSLETTER OF THE Calendar of Events (p. 7) HISTORICAL SOCIETY Travel Oceanward (p. 8) OF MOORESTOWN View From the Porch I moved my family to Moorestown six and commitment that has made Main Street years ago for one reason: Main Street. Bigger such a gem. We are humbled by your many House Tours and Gift Shop Hours: homes in nearby towns were available at gifts, the mayor’s proclamation, and the large similar price points, but the allure of “walking showing at our 50th Anniversary celebration. 2nd & 4th Sunday 1-3 PM Tuesdays 1-3 PM into town” far outweighed the need for extra We look forward to serving Moorestown in bedrooms and a basement. Then, four months this new decade and the many more to come. Research Library Hours: ago we welcomed a new baby boy into our Mickey DiCamillo, President Tuesday 1-4 PM family. Our small cape cod style home Second Sunday of [email protected] each Month 1-3 PM suddenly became “cozier” than the original realtor description Address promised. We again Historical Society of considered a possible Moorestown Smith-Cadbury Mansion move to a larger home 12 High St. in a neighboring town. Moorestown, NJ 08057 However, it was Main Phone Street that once again 856-235-0353 won us over. The smells curling out of the Pie Web Site Lady Café, the laughter moorestownhistory.org of kids zipping by on E-mail bikes, and the beautiful moorestownhistory@ architecture that lines comcast.net the street sets a perfect scene for pushing the Facebook baby carriage. Whether facebook.com/historical societyofmoorestown you call it Main Street, or King’s Highway, or the Old Salem Moorestown: Main Street looking towards Church Road, the artery running through the heart Street [from the Moorestown Library web site; "Historic Photographs of Moorestown"] Published by of Moorestown is the perfect symbol of the The Historical Society pride we all take in our town and its history. of Moorestown Businesses have made sacrifices, individuals New Jersey have made investments, and civic groups have History used their ingenuity to create and preserve the Speaks Save these beloved road’s signature character and charm. 2020 Dates: As the Historical Society of Moorestown LECTURE February 12th th reflects on the support we received during SERIES March 11 April 8th our jubilee year, we want to thank everyone December 2019 for showing us the same sacrifice, generosity, For details visit www.moorestownhistory.org or www.moorestownlibrary.org/events/ “A Great Time had by All” The Historical Society of Moorestown th Officers at HSM 50 Anniversary Event President Michael DiCamillo 1st Vice-President We would like to extend our thanks to Thanks also to our business Mary Berardi all the members of the historical society and and event sponsors: 2nd Vice-President the community who came out to Laurel Creek BUSINESS SPONSORS vacant Country Club on November 16 to celebrate Treasurer the 50th anniversary of the Historical Society! Powers Kirn Law Office Cathy Hartley Your support means everything to us – it GCF Organizing Recording Secretary helps us to carry out our mission and it shows Passariello's Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen just what an amazing town Moorestown is! Lynne Brill D P Lawn Care Corresponding Secretary The evening at Laurel Creek Country Club Lewis Funeral Home Jill Weiss sparkled from beginning to end. During the The Recycled Designer cocktail hour, attendees perused and bid on Trustees Neil K. Johnson, Architect the various silent auction items that lined Mary Berardi the room. After the delicious dinner buffet, EVENT SPONSORS Lynne Brill attendees were treated to a talk by our Paul Canton celebrity speaker, Robert Wittman, who is a Michele & Steve Juliana Nancy Chumney former Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Louise Marshall & Peter Kelly Michael DiCamillo Investigation and founder of the FBI Art Crime Debbie & Thomas Whitesell Task Force. Mr. Wittman gave a fascinating Cathy Hartley presentation on his career as an undercover Ms. Mary E Moore Stephanie Herz agent and the recovery of over 300 million Evan & Tom Heitzman Lisa Knell dollars of stolen art and historical artifacts, Carol & Guy Giordano Julie Maravich many of which took place in the Philadelphia Liz Rosenthal Mr & Mrs Jon E Ingersoll and South Jersey area. After his presentation, Linda Vizi Ann Condon he signed copies of his book, Priceless: How Lenny Wagner I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Diane & Joe Matisoff John Watson Stolen Treasures. Thank you so much Robert Diane Reid Jill Weiss for joining us for our special occasion! The evening would not Newsletter Editor have been possible Lisa Knell without the tireless Library efforts of the 50th Stephanie Herz Anniversary Event Committee members who planned, organized, set up and broke down, and conducted the event. Huge thanks go out to trustees Mary Berardi, Lynne Brill, Nancy Chumney, Mickey DiCamillo, Cathy Hartley, Stephanie Herz, Julie Maravich, Jill Weiss, and Linda Vizi. — Stephanie Herz Robert Wittman entertained us with stories about his days on the FBI Art Crime Task Force at the 50th Anniversary celebration b 2 The Jersey Shore: the Past, Present and Future of a National Treasure As the shore developed into a center for The Historical As the shore developed into a center for shipping and shipping and commerce, Society of Moorestown commerce, lighthouses became a necessity. The one selected the perfect lighthouses became located at Sandy Hook is the oldest continuously operating evening for the October lighthouse in the United States. Mr. Mazagetti added a necessity. The one installment of its NJ that George Meade designed several in the state. While located at Sandy Hook is History Speaks Lecture most famous for his exploits as a Union general during the oldest continuously Series. A 94 degree day the Civil War, Meade also worked as a civil engineer. served as the backdrop At the turn of the nineteenth century the modern era operating lighthouse for Dominick Mazagetti’s of the Jersey Shore began. In the 1830s, the concept in the United States speech entitled “The Jersey of “vacation” came into vogue. Shore towns became Shore: the Past, Present retreats for Philadelphians. Communities such as Cape and Future of a National Treasure.” The Moorestown May, Long Branch and Tucker’s Island thrived. Library hosted this event on October 2nd. Dr. Jonathan Pitney utilized crafty advertising to take Mr. Mazagetti is an atypical historian. A banker and advantage of this interest in shore based recreation. He attorney by trade, one of his former employers inspired marketed the benefits of Absecon’s “sea air”; capitalizing him to take an interest in historical topics. Mr. Mazagetti on the mid-century belief that salt water carried medicinal became a history columnist for the Hunterdon County properties. He advocated for a railroad to transport Democrat. His interest in the past led him to write full vacation-goers to his hotels. His efforts encouraged length books on the subject. The first, True Jersey Blue, construction of the Camden-Absecon Railroad. featured a series of letters from two New Jersey Civil These developments provided for the growth of War soldiers. A biography of Continental Army General Atlantic City. Less than twenty years later, 300,000 Charles Lee served as the topic of his second. people traveled by train to that community. Mr. Mazagetti then chose to chronicle the history In the latter half of the nineteenth century, Long of the Jersey Shore. It’s difficult for modern Garden Branch became a sophisticated resort community. Staters to imagine the shore towns as anything Its prominence attracted some notable vacationers. other than havens for recreation. They weren’t Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park received its always. They do have a lot of history, however. name from the fact that a number of American During the seventeenth century whaling drew people Commanders-in-Chief spent their holidays there. to the beaches. Consumer products manufactured These days when one thinks of the Jersey shore, from blubber, baleen (more commonly known as images of gambling, bikini-clad bathers and posh resorts ‘whalebone’) and ambergris, a substance used come to mind. Mr. Mazagetti explained that religion played to manufacture perfume, were in demand. Shore a major role there beginning in the eighteenth century. communities sought to satisfy the public’s interest. Itinerant preachers visited shore communities in the The speaker added an interesting historical early 1700s. In the 1820s the Second Great Awakening aside to this phenomenon. He explained that impacted the area’s development. A Vineland camp early Cape May whaling families could trace their meeting founded Ocean Grove in the 1860s. ancestry back to Mayflower passengers. Throughout the twentieth century, different The Jersey Shore provided a haven for those operating shore towns worked to establish their own unique outside the law. Such individuals took advantage of identities. The speaker described these as “boutique the opportunities its isolated location provided. communities.” In the 1970s, Cape May rebuilt into a Pirates set up shop along the Garden State’s coastline. “Victorian showplace” based upon the local architecture. Mr. Mazagetti explained that New Jersey residents Long Branch re-branded itself as “high-end chic.” enjoyed working with them. The buccaneers sold goods Atlantic City became an East Coast alternative to for cheaper than market price without charging tax. Las Vegas with the return of legalized gambling. Smugglers utilized the opportunities afforded The speaker assessed the current state of the Jersey by the state’s abundant shore front.