Lawnside Historical Society raises funds during pandemic

(Lawnside, New Jersey - December 26, 2020) The Lawnside Historical Society is engrossed in raising $85,000 for much-needed work on the Peter Mott House Underground Railroad Museum, a 175-year-old farmhouse owned by a conductor on the secret network to freedom from slavery.

Like so many organizations, the museum closed to visitors in March in response to Covid-19 thinking it could reopen by spring. After being closed for nine months, the Society has lost a central source of income. It has been soliciting local businesses, writing proposals to foundations and appealing to members and individuals. So far they have raised slightly more than $7,000.

In addition to roof work, the Mott House needs reglazed windows, replaced, repaired and painted exterior clapboard, a new bulkhead door, site grading, new interior stairs and a new perimeter fence.

The Reverend Peter Mott was the first Sunday School superintendent at Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church in the 19th century. He was a free man in 1845 when his house was built in what was then called Snow Hill. He may have escaped from slavery himself but he has been established as an agent of the Underground Railroad who carried fugitives in his wagon to other abolitionists in Haddonfield and Moorestown.

The Society’s members, like many others, were shaken by the killing of George Floyd and a tragic list of other African Americans. In the spring, Lawnside and the Peter Mott House drew hundreds of people across generations and ethnicities to pray, to commemorate those killed, to advocate for change and the need to vote.

With a 144-unit luxury apartment complex, a New Jersey American Water installation, expansion of the Public Service Electric and Gas substation all under construction, the demographics of this historic Black municipality will be altered dramatically. That makes it all the more vital to preserve and maintain the Mott House, the most tangible artifact of Lawnside’s heritage.

The Mott House’s historical marker, was acquired through the Camden County History Alliance’s sign project, which placed historic markers at seven sites in the county. Together with a National Register sign provided by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, it tells the story of the Reverend Mott, and borough's incorporation as the state’s only African American municipality. The Society plans to reopen in 2021 and hopes to implement innovative ideas on virtual tours, digital displays and special events.

Contributions can be sent to Lawnside Historical Society, Inc., Firm Foundation Campaign, P.O. Box 608, Lawnside NJ 08045-0608. The Society is a tax-exempt membership organization registered with the state of New Jersey. Donations are fully tax-deductible in accordance with IRS Code section 501(c)(3). Tax ID No. 52-1747850. For more details and information, call Linda Shockley, President, 856-889-7152 or email lhs@petermotthouse.org.