Haddonfield, New Jersey has a number of historical firsts associated with its name. The town played a major role in the American Revolution, was one of the first communities to establish independent home rule, and is home to the first discovered dinosaur fossil in North America.

Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, and as of the 2010 U.S. Census had a total population of 11,593. More than a dozen NHL, MLB or NBA players were either born in or lived in Haddonfield during their careers, and it is the hometown of actress Joanna Cassidy, Monkscreenwriter Andy Breckman and director Steven Spielberg spent part of his childhood in Haddon Township.

Early History

Native Americans of the Lenni Lenape tribe first occupied the Haddonfield area as they did in most of New Jersey. The Lenape disappeared from the local area when the first settlers came. Arrowheadsandpotteryshards have been found by residents near the banks of theCooper River, hinting that a Native American settlement existed in Haddonfield at one time.

On October 23, 1682, Francis Collins, an English Quaker and a bricklayer by trade, first settled within the boundaries of what today is known as Haddonfield. Collins soon built a home for his family called "Mountwell," on a tract of 400 acres. Haddonfield was further developed byElizabeth Haddon(1680–1762), whoseQuakerfather, John Haddon, bought a 500 acre tract of land in the English colony ofWest Jersey, where he soughtto escape religious persecution. Elizabeth sailed alone fromSouthwark, England to the New World in 1701, and shortly after she arrived, became engaged to John Estaugh, a Quaker minister, and they were married in 1702. Although the town was named for John Haddon, interestingly, he never came to America.

Independence and Home Rule

TheIndian King Tavern, built in 1750, played a significant role in theAmerican Revolutionary War. During that war, the New Jersey Legislature met there, avoiding British forces, and in 1777, legislators declared New Jersey to be an independent state. Today the tavern is a state historical site and museum.

As evidence of that independent spark in its townspeople, in 1875, Haddonfield became the first community to secede fromHaddon Townshipand become a self-governing borough.Haddonfield is noted for its historic Victorian homes, quaint shops and legions of lawyers. As a legal center for southern New Jersey, Haddonfield houses the offices of more than 390 attorneys. Another unique piece of trivia is that the town is dry, literally speaking. Since 1873, Haddonfield has been adry townwhere alcohol cannot be sold.

A Real Live Jurassic World

With Jurassic World breaking box office records, Haddonfield has staked its own place in the dinosaur kingdom as a significant historic paleontology site. In 1838, a man by the name of William Estaugh Hopkins was digging a marl pit when he uncovered a series of large bones. Hopkins displayed the bones at his home, Birdwood, and soon after these bones sparked the interest of a vacationing visitor,William Parker Foulke, a historian, geologist and amateur hobbyist. In 1858, Foulke unearthed and assembled the first full skeleton of adinosaurfound in North America,Hadrosaurusfoulkii. After contacting noted paleontologist Joseph Leidy for help, they collaborated on recovering an almost complete set of limbs, a pelvis, several parts of the feet, and 28 vertebrae, among other parts.

A duckbilled dinosaur,Hadrosaurus foulkiionce roamed the forests and swamps along the bays of New Jersey's ancient seacoast. It was about twenty-five feet long, probably weighed about 7 to 8 tons and stood about 10 feet tall. State museum curators think that Hadrosaurusprobably stood on its hind feet when running and used its front feet to support its head while grazing. A set of abundant blunt teeth confirm that Hadrosauruswas a vegetarian, a peaceful plant eater that could chew tough-stemmed twigs and leaves. Hadrosauruslived about 80 million years ago late in the Cretaceous Period. It became the official state dinosaur of New Jersey in 1991 after a concentrated effort by teacher Joyce Berry and her fourth grade classes at Strawbridge Elementary School in Haddon Township. As a result of their hard work to get recognition, New Jersey has memorialized a symbol of its prehistoric past.

The excavation site became a National Historic Landmark. And the skeleton, which was assembled in 1868, is still displayed today at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. A 12-foot replica of "Haddy" stands in the center of town.

Historic Haddonfield

With the railroad opening up Haddonfield to the world and establishing itself as a Victorian age resort community, the first housing developments began to crop up. Farms closest to the center of the town were sold to land companies and developed. Victorian homes were erected on spacious lots and development proceeded at a fair pace right into the 1920s. The opening of the Delaware River Bridge (which today is known as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge) further expanded the town’s horizons. The bridge and the influx of the automobile made Haddonfield a true suburban bedroom community. The town also took pains to keep its small-town feel and character. In the 1940s, the Haddonfield Civic Association encouraged business owners to adopt a “colonial” appearance for their shops, thus making for a great improvement in the appearance of the downtown area.

The arrival of the PATCO High Speed Line to Philadelphia in the 1960s brought about an urban renewal crisis. Developers wanted to tear down much of Haddonfield’s historic area to make way for modern office complexes. The community responded in 1971 by passing an Historic District Ordinance referendum. This ordinance protected the historic core of the town from demolition and has resulted in the “historic” appearance for which the town is widely known today. In keeping with the historic appearance of the borough, some candidates for commissioner distribute colored ribbons to their supporters instead of yard signs.

The town also houses the second oldest volunteer fire company in continuous service in the United States. Haddon Fire Company No. 1 was established as Friendship Fire Company on March 8, 1764, by 26 townsmen. Each member was to furnish two leather buckets while the company supplied six ladders and three fire hooks.

Haddonfield was voted in 2014 by the American Planning Association as one of the great places in New Jersey. It was also chosen by Philadelphia magazine as one of the best places to live, shop or dine in the Delaware Valley. There are over 200 shops and galleries that cater to residents and visitors of all ages.

It’s no wonder that Haddonfield is so well-recognized. You might want to consider making it your hometown, too.    

Debra A. Estock is managing editor of The New Jersey Cooperator.