Another fun day wandering from historic spot to historic spot, this time in Mount Laurel which I didn't know was Evesham! That solves a few small mysteries in my family history search of long ago. One early branch of my family were under the care of the Evesham monthly meeting as per records in the Corson Poley Center in Burlington City. I couldn't quite figure out where Evesham was. Now I know.
We visited the Farmers Hall which was having an open house from 1:00 to 4:00 today and serving hot cider and home-made cookies - my special favorites were the caramel chip and a layered cookie with jam, and chocolate icing! There were also the perennial favorite snickerdoodles.
Farmers' Hall had originally been a kind of grange where farmers met to talk over agricultural practices and seed prices. It later became a police station and post-office, a municipal building, and finally was rescued from becoming a parking lot by the Mt. Laurel Historical Society. This historical societies are my heroes! They have saved so many wonderful old and irreplaceable buildings like this one, by their own sweat and tears. They did remodeling and they always hold fund-raisers and use the proceeds for renovations and upkeep.
We walked across the corner to the oldest Friends Meeting in Burlington County, first meeting built in 1668, then the stone version built in late 1700's. It is a beautiful native stone structure still in use for meeting. Behind it is the brick schoolmaster's dwelling from an early school.
We had veggie burgers at Whelihans for lunch. It was a delightful day finished off by some browsing at Second Time Around Books in Rancocas - a charming book store! Lots of good books on New Jersey history featured there too!
Go on over and check them out! Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
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