Barclay Farmhouse - Cherry Hill, NJ
N 39° 54.310 W 074° 59.872
18S E 500182 N 4417231
Built in 1816 by a Quaker farmer, Joseph Thorn, the farmhouse and surrounding 32-acre property offers visitors an opportunity to observe and participate in the agrarian lifestyle that once dominated the South Jersey landscape.
Waymark Code: WMHVPH
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2013
Views: 2
The interpretive is very typical with its thick black frame, yellowish background and vintage pictures. If facing the house, the interpretive is just to the left, about 72 feet northeast of the house. The text is in the middle of the marker surrounded by pictures and like the other interpretives on the grounds, is in poor shape. The marker is scratched and dirty. I have included a picture of the interpretive I took in 2008 to show the dramatic change which has occurred over the past five years with regards to the interpretive. There are four vintage pictures of the farmhouse, a hard to make out clearly. The top left picture offers an interior kitchen view from 1892. The bottom left picture shows the house in a dilapidated state. The top right right picture shows a bedroom belonging to Ellen Cooper Barclay circa 1882. The final picture in the lower right hand corner is from 1892 and shows the south parlor with the table set for tea. The signs on the grounds were made possible by Cherry Hill Township and the Cherry Hill Rotary Club.
FARMHOUSE
The present three-story eleven
room, brick farmhouse with its
seven fireplaces was built
approximately 1924, and designed
in the Federal Style. The house
reflects this architecture with its
strong horizontal facade and the
fanlight over the front door. The
stilted arch porch entrance at the
kitchen door, unusual in the area,
is a prominent feature on the rear
facade. Now, this house is used
as a showplace for changing
exhibits, a meeting place for
various community organizations,
and a center for educational
programs.
This is a wonderful place to bring the family. It features a beautiful space reserved for community gardening called "Plant-A-Patch", located in front of the Farmstead. In addition to this, there is a very scenic nature trail, a playground and an impressive interpretive trail leading right up to the farmhouse.
Built in 1816 by a Quaker farmer, Joseph Thorn, the farmhouse and surrounding 32-acre property offers visitors an opportunity to observe and participate in the agrarian lifestyle that once dominated the South Jersey landscape. Now listed on the National & New Jersey Registers of Historic Places, the Barclay Farmstead is owned and operated by Cherry Hill Township.
In 1826, Joseph W. Cooper, a sixth-generation descendant of the founder of Camden and the owner of Camden’s Cooper Ferry, acquired the 168-acre property as a retreat to escape the city’s hot summer days. Eventually, “Chestnut Grove Farm,” as it came to be known, was passed along to Joseph Cooper’s great-granddaughter, Helen Champion Barclay, who sold more than 100 acres of the property to developer Bob Scarborough in the 1950s, resulting in the surrounding Barclay Farm development. Helen Barclay sold the remaining 32 acres of the Farmstead property to the Township of Cherry Hill in 1974, where it has since been maintained as a park and history museum.
The Farmstead is closed on Mondays, Saturdays and all Township–observed holidays. They recommend calling before your visit. (856) 795-6225 or contact: info@barclayfarmstead.org
Tuesday through Friday Noon to 4 PM
First Sunday of each month 1 PM to 4 PM