Thomas Smith House (1939 - 2010) - Mount Laurel, NJ
N 39° 55.155 W 074° 54.962
18S E 507176 N 4418798
More than 70 years ago, a locally famous photographer and historian of note stood in what is now Evesham Road and snapped this picture. Seventy-two years later, I stood in this busy street, pointed my camera west and snapped my own version.
Waymark Code: WM8XCG
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 05/25/2010
Views: 4
About Nahaniel Ewan
Nathaniel Rue Ewan of Moorestown, New Jersey, was born 28 April 1870 in the Ewan family ancestral home at Ewansville, Burlington Co. His parents were Charles Ewan Jr., a cider and vinegar manufacturer, and Mary A. Wilkins. In 1894, N. R. Ewan married Ella L. Thomas of Camden. By that time, he had taken up his father's cider and vinegar business, which occupation he carried on until his retirement in 1936. Ewan was also associated, during the course of his career, with three independent telephone companies and served as president of the Vincentown & Tabernacle Telephone Company for sixteen years. He was a member of the Southampton Board of Education for several terms, and was also president of the Associated School Board of Burlington County for two terms.
Ewan possessed a great interest in the history of New Jersey and particularly the history of Burlington County. Accordingly, for four years he worked for the Library of Congress on the Historic American Building Survey. Ewan was a principal participant of the Survey in Burlington County, and personally located and photographed scores of private and public historic structures. In his retirement, Ewan served as president of the Burlington County Historical Society as well as curator and treasurer of the Camden County Historical Society. He was also appointed by Governor Edison in November 1943 as a member of the New Jersey Historic Sites Commission.
N. R. Ewan died 10 January 1961 at the Masonic Home in Burlington Township, aged 90 years.
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In the original photo I could see the date of 1734 outlined in brick on the right side of the house. It has been stucco over so no more date. As a possible result, the local historical society got the date of the house wrong, listing it as 1738 on the historic marker attached to the porch. I also noted an extra chimney in the rear which did not exist in the 30s picture.
General Clinton stayed at this house on the night of June 19, 1778 while marching his army out of Philidelphia, while his troops encamped at the Evesham Friends Meeting House.
There is an historic plaque on the porch which reads:
"Gen. Clinton House. Oldest Portion built by Thomas Smith Sr . 1738 "
This is a huge 2-story home, spread out 2 bays wide with 9 six over six windows. The house, built in 1738, is just kind of sitting on an angle to the road, its far front is flanked by two ancient buttonwood trees with one in the middle for good measure. One thing of note, the house looks nothing like the other remaining homes which survived into the 21st century. Its architecture is completely different. The property is considered an important, local Revolutionary War site.
I also found this on the net at Mt. Laurel's Historical Society website.
The Clinton House - This house, which dates back to 1744, when it was probably used as a tavern, is located on Hainesport-Mount Laurel Road. General Sir Henry Clinton used this house as his headquarters on June 19, 1778. The eastern end was added in 1784. The second window on the right upstairs as one faces the house from the street, replaces the "corpse door", a necessity in houses where staircases either spiraled or were too narrow to allow a coffin to pass. The house sits quartered to the road in the direction of the original Indian paths. The home is presently integrated into the Ramblewood Farms development. SOURCE