A Look At Local History

Take A Walk Through Hstory

on the Merchantville Walking Tours

As anyone who lives here knows, Merchantville is a small town with a rich history. From its stately Victorian homes to its tree-filled parks and nature trails and a walkable downtown with a variety of shops and eateries, Merchantville is welcoming to residents and visitors all year round. One of the best ways to get a glimpse of the town’s history is through the two walking tours offered by the Merchantville Historical Society. The self-led tours cover the Cattell Tract Historic District, where the earliest residents of Merchantville settled, as well as The Oaks Historic District, both of which are listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. The Cattell Tract, which begins at the north end of the borough near the railroad station, was laid out in 1869 by United States Senator Alexander G. Cattell, who also served as a commission merchant and organizer of the Corn Exchange National Bank of Philadelphia. Cattell was the first developer of Merchantville and by 1854, along with his brother, Elijah G. Cattell, and a group of real estate speculators, he acquired the land which was to become the Borough of Merchantville. Once the Camden and Burlington Railroad broke ground in 1866, the Cattells and other landowners donated much of the land needed to begin building in the borough. The first home built was The Furber House, home of lace importer Edward M. Furber, in 1869. Described as an urban townhouse, the Classic Revival home was one of the first of the stately Victorian homes built in the Cattell Tract.

Fourteen homes, along with the train station, are included on the Cattell Tract walking tour, including The Furber House, the impressive Stick style Centennial House on East Chestnut Avenue, originally owned by vice-counsel to Great Britain George Crump, and the Queen Anne style houses at 100 and 101 East Walnut Avenue designed by architect Isaac Pursell, with picturesque Victorian details.

The Oaks Historic District, which was developed beginning in 1910, served as the gateway for vehicular traffic entering the borough along Wellwood Avenue, which later became Browning Road. This planned neighborhood of upscale, early-twentieth century suburban houses was envisioned by landscape architect George E. Rhedemeyer and developed by the Oaks Realty Company. Many of the homes were designed by architect and long-time Merchantville resident Arnold H. Moses.

The Oaks walking tour includes seven Colonial Revival style homes, two Neoclassical style houses, one Tudor Revival style house and two Italian Renaissance

please see HISTORY, page 15 MERCHANTVILLE

Revival style homes, including the ornate, two-and-a-half story, threebay home of Rhedemeyer, complete with a swimming pool built midcentury, connected to the house by a masonry garden wall. The sites chosen for the tour were largely based on the research of Carol A. Benenson, a University of Pennsylvania student who, in 1984, as part of her graduate program in Historic Preservation, put together a thesis on the development, architecture and preservation of Merchantville.

“Carol put together a beautiful masterwork on the history, architecture and story of Merchantville as a suburban, commuter town that developed along the railroad and expanded after the opening of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge linking Camden and Philadelphia,” says Maureen McLoone, president of the Merchantville Historical Society and Chair of the borough’s Historic Preservation Committee.

“In the late 90s, following the designation of the two historic districts being put on the National Register of Historic Places, we asked Carol to help us put together pamphlets describing the properties along the Cattrell Tract, followed by the Oaks District. Long-time residents Jane Homon and Paul Stridick were also involved with the pamphlet project. We thought it would be great to follow up those pamphlets with a tour highlighting some of the historic houses in the borough, all of which are still privately owned and well maintained,” says McLoone who, herself, is an owner of one of the properties.

McLoone and her husband purchased The Centennial House 43 years ago, where she raised her two sons, who also now have residences in the borough. Her son Andrew currently serves on the borough council.

“I always wanted to live in that house,” says McLoone, who lived in a home on Chestnut Avenue before her husband was transferred to Harrisburg for work. “When we came back to town and found out the house was available, we snapped it up. We believe it’s the cream of the crop, extremely ornate with a lot of history behind it.”

Rumor has it that The Centennial House was moved to Merchantville from Philadelphia following the World’s Fair Centennial Exposition of 1876, during which the United States celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

“We believe the house was used by the British for staffing and to host people coming to the fair who needed a place to stay,” says McLoone. “During our renovations I found a door jamb with the writing T-E-L at Exhibition Entrance which, if you added the letters H-O, would spell out Hotel at Exhibition Entrance. The house was designed by a hotel keeper and architect named Henry Crump, brother of British vice-counsel George Crump.” Along with McLoone’s home, the 25 houses included on both walking tours showcase the splendor of the Victorian architecture that attracted so many families to Merchantville to escape the urban landscape of the city. Merchants and their families spent their summers vacationing in the community or settled in the area to be close to the commuter train service with direct access to downtown Philadelphia. “I’m proud to be a long-time resident

HISTORY continued from page 14 of Merchantville, and to be able to share our great history with people when they take these tours,” says McLoone. “It’s like a blueprint for “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where everyone bands together to support our town and build a ‘Borough Beautiful.’” Pamphlets highlighting the tours are available at the Borough Hall or the Merchantville Community Center or can be downloaded at merchantvillenj.gov. The Merchantville Historical Society will mark its 150th anniversary in May of 2024 and is actively seeking volunteers to help prepare for this milestone celebration. 

Photos courtesy of Jamie Long Previous: Maureen McLoone at her Centennial Home reading a walking tour brochure. Top (L-R): The Oaks walking tour. Emeline G. Bender House, Harvey K. Partridge House, Harold S. Bottomly House

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