South Jersey Museum of the American Revolution on Erie St. in Camden, NJ

In case you were wondering what has been happening with the South Jersey Revolutionary War Museum being created in the old Benjamin Cooper Tavern on Erie St. Here is an update:

The Benjamin Cooper Inn at 75 Erie St. in North Camden had a soft opening as the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey. This happened after a $4.6 million restoration paid for with money from federal, state, and local grants. The New Jersey Historic Trust gave most of the funding.

The stone building dates back to the 18th century. Over time, it has been a home, a tavern, an outpost for the British Army, a shipyard, and a place where people built yachts. Later, it became a storage unit and a dump for toxic materials. Back in the 1760s, the land was where mass auctions of enslaved people took place.

Tours are now available but limited. You need an appointment. The Camden County Historical Society has a 30-year lease with the private owner that runs through 2051. They haven't said when the museum will fully open. "It's been a race to the end," said Jack O'Byrne, the society's executive director who will retire from his role on July 4, according to The Inquirer. "The project probably died like 13 times.

Zed Fox will be the next executive director. He said Monday that the board meets Wednesday to talk about the official opening date, hours, and cost. Fox thinks the museum will be at full capacity by fall. Joseph Cooper was a Quaker who built the 2 1/2-story Dutch Colonial stone home in 1734 for his son and daughter-in-law, Benjamin and Hannah Cooper. Benjamin Cooper ran a ferry. He also used the home as an inn and a tavern. British Col. Robert Abercrombie turned the inn into an outpost in 1777. Hessian troops marched through Cooper Point during the war. These were German soldiers who helped the British Army.

"The building itself is an artifact," O'Byrne said. "You know, it's the most historic building in Camden." Work still needs to be done. A temporary roof was put in after a 2012 fire and it's still there. Floors aren't finished. Bathrooms don't have doors. The second floor is blocked off right now and hasn't been fixed up yet. The society spent six years planning to open the museum before America's 250th anniversary. Success came years after they lost the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House, a Bellmawr home that survived the Revolutionary War, to a highway construction project in 2017. They fought to save it but couldn't.

A private company called 75 Erie St. LLC bought the property from Agathon Realty for $1.1 million in 2018. O'Byrne got the 30-year lease two years after that.

The society wants to raise $750,000 to match a New Jersey Historic Trust grant. This money will restore the tavern's upper level. Plans call for the museum to serve as the trailhead for Camden County's LINK trail, a 34-mile shared-use path that's being built across 17 municipalities.

Many years ago, I took photos of three of the ol Cooper family buildings in Camden, all but this one had been burned out and were in ruins. I am glad that they saved this and progress has been made!. Happy Trails! wrightj45@yahoo.com