A Swanky Day in Swedesboro

There is a ton of history in this quaint Gloucester County village. The downtown district has been revamped in recent years. I am infatuated by this gem and love visiting. The main strip is always nicely landscaped with lovely and fragrant flowers and old structures line the roadway converted to little shops.

There is now another commercial development in the process of approval which will offer more eateries and a brew pub. It will make Swedesboro more of a destination stop and could put themselves on the map as Collingswood has done in the last decade.

A lot of folks don’t know this fun-fact about Gloucester County, but it was the first county in America established by its inhabitants. Swedesboro was founded by a tiny group of Swedes and Finns in the mid-1600’s. When first settlers arrived to the area, hogs ran wild in the woods and deer was plentiful. Hunting, fishing and farming were the main source of income for the new settlers.

As the township became more established, the English needed a trade route to connect from Salem to Burlington. Kings Highway was constructed around 1691. The roadway is still the main thoroughfare of Swedesboro. This highway attracted more settlers to the area.

Mile Marker on Kings Highway, Swedesboro. It reads 10 Miles to Coopers Ferry (presently Camden) and 15 miles to Salem.

There are still some old mile markers from around the Revolutionary period on Kings Highway in Swedesboro. It’s pretty neat to see these old “street signs” used as focal points for its travelers of the ancient past.

Raccoon Creek behind the Trinity Church.

Swedesboro, was called Raccoon town, named for the Creek that runs through it. It wasn’t until 1765, that it became what we know it as today… And changed to Swedesboro….. Named for its early settlers.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Swedesboro.

The Trinity Episcopal Church is one of my FAVORITE historic structures in the city. Early and noted founders of Swedesboro and the vicinity are buried here, like Bodo Otto. The current church (as there was one here earlier and burned down around the Revolutionary War) was built in 1784.

An old headstone on the cemetery grounds.

Dedicated plaque to the Mullica’s who were early settlers in the area.

A noted point of interest on the property:

The Schorn Log Cabin was placed on the church site in the 1980’s. The cabin was constructed in the 1600’s and VERY well-preserved today.

The Schorn/Mortenson Cabin.

The cabin was built by Morton Mortenson. He arrived in the New World in 1654 and was the grandfather of John Morton, a Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence. The structure consists of one small room with no windows and a single door. It was reportedly a place for runaway slaves to hide and used in part of South Jersey’s Underground Railroad Movement. It was referred to as “the slave house.”

General Harker’s gravestone.

Down the block, on Church Street, is the “new” cemetery. One noted burial is that of General Charles Harker of the Civil War. Harker was born in Swedesboro in 1835. A West Point graduate, he was involved in a handful of conflicts in the war.

The general was killed in action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in northern Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. Opposing forces maneuvered and fought here from June 19, 1864 until July 2, 1864. Kennesaw Mountain is now preserved as a National Park.

Fort Harker in Kansas, an active garrison of the United States Army from 1866 to 1872, was named in his honor. A middle-school, in Woolwich township, was also recently named after him.

Stratton Hall on Kings Highway.

Further down North Kings Highway (address number 538) and on the Swedesboro-Woolwich border, there is a historic building called Stratton Hall. It is private property and built-in 1794. It is the birthplace of Charles C. Stratton, who was born on March 6, 1796. Stratton was the first New Jersey governor elected by the people in 1845.

Produce trucks in front of Swedesboro Auction Market
on July 19, 1944.

You can’t forget about the Swedesboro Auction Market. For almost a century, the auction served as a co-op for 150 families who were share owners from the area. Most of the farmland that was used in Swedesboro was sold off to build housing developments. Just only a few years ago, the auction house closed its doors. The property was on Leahy Avenue and is now being converted to open space by the Gloucester County Commissioners.

There’s a lot more to see in Swedesboro. I get a little flack sometimes because I can’t always write about EVERY piece of history in a town, but I do urge you to ferret it out on your own. There’s plenty to see and take in. Modern amenities mixed with the ancient world. Swedesboro is truly a swanky village to explore.

Here is a wonderful and historic walking tour on the township website and put-together by the Swedesboro-Woolwich Township Historical Society http://www.historicswedesboro.com/about/history/walking-tours/.  I’ve gotten to see everything listed on this great downloadable brochure.

Until our next adventure, my friends!

-The Yummygal