The Death Of The Fox Inn was built in 1727 in Clarksboro, New Jersey. Its name came from what it did: provide drink and sustenance to members of the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club after their hunts. Founded in 1766 by a group of Philadelphia gentlemen as a coffeehouse, it was…
Driving through the town of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, I noticed two structures of the same height side by side. With my visual impairment, I am not always sure what I am seeing. “Was that the Twin Towers?,” I asked my husband. “I didn’t see it,” he replied as he…
Fourty-four year old Bodo Otto, Sr., his wife and children moved from Germany to the English Colonies in 1755, he ws 44. He opened a medical practice in Philadelphia; it quickly became prosperous due to the large German population in the city. Dr. Otto, Sr. believed in American liberty…
Our house was built in 1906 along with ten other identical dwellings spread across our block. We have a detached garage in the back, with an alley running behind it. Of the ten homes, ours is the only one with the original garage. Needing to replace the garage floor, we…
In 1792, Alexander Hamilton established Paterson, New Jersey as America’s first planned industrial city, centered around the Great Falls of the Passaic River. The mills there created industries that changed the face of the newly formed United States and Paterson became the national hub of manufacturing. I recently visited Great…
The Dey (pronounced “dye”) Mansion, located in Wayne, New Jersey, was built in the 1770s and was the home of Colonel Theunis Dey and his wife Hester. Twice it served as General George Washington’s headquarters during the American Revolution, once from July 1 through July 28, 1780 and again from…
The evening before Wreaths Across America Day, I was texting with my good friend, Donna, from my hotel room in Arlington, Virginia. She asked what time we had to head to Arlington National Cemetery the next morning. The above texts followed. Most Saturday mornings I am home checking the pantry…
Built in 1774, the Ford Mansion served as George Washington’s headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey from December 1779 to June 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. Washington’s army was stationed at Jockey Hollow, five miles south. Its proximity allowed General Washington to keep apprised of activities in the American capital…
Going to Philadelphia from the suburbs when I was a young girl to shop was a common occurrence. A trip at Christmastime was an annual tradition, Strawbridge & Clothier and Lit Brothers did it up beautifully, adding special attractions for the holiday season. But nothing compared to the John Wanamaker…
From the time that I was a young girl until my thirties, my mom and I would frequently take the train from the suburbs into downtown Philadelphia for shopping. She was born and raised in the city, living there until my father’s company built a new facility “in the country”…
