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Routes to Roots Heritage Trail

Peter Mott House

 Peter Mott (c. 1807-1881), an African American farmer, constructed this house around 1844 and resided there until 1879. According to persuasive oral testimonies, Mott and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Thomas Mott, provided refuge to escaping slaves during the years leading up to the Civil War. 1870 census records show that Peter Mott was born in Delaware, and Elizabeth Ann Thomas in Virginia, but do not indicate if they were born into slavery. Their names do not appear in New Jersey records until their 1833 marriage which is possible evidence that one or both of the Motts may have escaped slavery and fled to New Jersey. Mott became an influential local leader and served as a minister to Snow Hill Church, today named Mount Pisgah AME Church, and founded its Sunday School in 1847. Peter Mott's legacy as an Underground Railroad conductor survives because of his prominence in a free black settlement, his ties to other known Underground Railroad participants, and the strong oral history traditions of his remarkable community today known as Lawnside. The house is open to the public on Saturdays from 12:00pm to 3:00pm and for group tours by appointment. A tour request form can be downloaded from the Peter Mott House website, or for further information call (856) 546-8850 or e-mail lhs@petermotthouse.org.

The Peter Mott House
Moore and Gloucester Avenue(s)

Lawnside, NJ

http://www.petermotthouse.org

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/underground/nj2.htm

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Camden County Historical Society Complex


         Pomona Hall  

Located on Camden's eastern border with Collingswood, Pomona Hall is part of a three building complex managed and operated by the Camden County Historical Society.  This 18^th century colonial mansion was built in 1726 and expanded in 1788 by the Cooper family, the first settlers of Camden County.  Pomona Hall was not only one of the region's grandest architectural landmarks, it was the headquarters of a sprawling plantation along the Cooper River that was manned by both African slaves and indentured European servants. Today, the mansion provides a look at colonial living during that era, as well as a glimpse of the lives of the18th-century slaves and indentured servants who once occupied it.

To schedule a program or plan a visit, please contact the Society at (856) 964-3333; email: cchsnj@verizon.net; or visit their website at www.cchsnj.com .
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Butler Cementary

 Butler Cemetery is one of Camden's most important African-American historic sites. Established in the 1800s by Dempsey Daniel Butler, it is the resting place of local U.S. Colored Troop veterans of the Civil War as well as Mr. Dempsey and his wife, along with other African Americans from the community.
Dempsey Daniel Butler was born in 1820 in Virginia. He first arrived in the City of Camden in the 1840s, where he opened a general store on Kaighns Avenue. As his business prospered, he invested in real estate, built boarding houses, a Masonic hall, churches and schools for black Camden residents.  For additional information regarding touring this site please call the Camden County Historical Society at (856) 964-3333.

Butler Cemetery
Ferry Avenue & Charles Street
Camden, NJ
http://historiccamdencounty.com

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Saddler's Woods

 Saddler's Woods is a 25.8 acre, old growth forest fragment which provides a good example of what the landscape looked like when European settlers arrived. Before their arrival, the area around Newton Creek was inhabited by the Leni Lenape Native American tribes. The woods are named in honor of Joshua Saddler, a fugitive slave from Maryland in the 1830's. After his escape, Saddler changed his named from Jonathan Fisher to begin a new life with his wife and two daughters in New Jersey.  Saddler became a resident and owner of this forested property which soon grew into a haven for other runaway slaves and named "Saddlertown."  In his will he gave protection to his forest property, stating that none of his heirs could cut the timber down. This helped to preserve the forest for us today. Woods tours are offered by volunteers for individuals, schools, and community groups for a donation at the rate of $1 per visitor per hour of a basic tour.

Call or email for scheduling at (856) 869-7372, janet@saddlerswoods.org.

Saddler's Woods
MacArthur Blvd. and Cuthbert Road
Haddon Township, NJ

http://www.saddlerswoods.org

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Croft Farm

 Constructed in 1741, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Croft Farm served in the antebellum period as an Underground Railroad station by its Quaker abolitionist owners, including Thomas Evans and his son, Josiah Bispham Evans. Today, Croft farms is owned by the Cherry Hill Township and now serves as an arts center. For additional information please contact the farm as follow.

Croft Farm Arts Center
100 Borton's Mill Road
(856) 661-4810
Arts@Chtownship.com
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Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church

 Established in 1832, the Macedonia AME Church is Camden's oldest black institution. Located in what was Fettersville, Camden's earliest black settlement, the church has been linked to assisting fugitive slaves of the Underground Railroad.(more)

Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church
261 Spruce Street
Camden , NJ 
(856) 365-3840
MacedoniaCamdenNJ@AME-Church.com

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COUNTENANCE: Notable County Facts & Faces