Hundreds of resident voters stood in line for as long as 4 hours to cast their votes in the 2024 presidential and local election on Tuesday, November 5.
In my section of the line, the mood was peaceful and reserved. Small talk won the day and people seemed to be happy to be a part of the experience.
The weather was perfect all day and into the night and good-natured humor passed through the lines as time wore on.
Fortunately, in this town you are bound to catch a familiar name or face and enjoy a chat about an agreeable theme.
From time to time various generous souls provided multiple boxes of pizza from Milanese to make the experience seem shorter and definitely more enjoyable. Thank you!
We can only hope these connections take root and help us all remember from this personal experience that we have more in common than not. Right now, we ALL agree that this could have been done better!
With many technical bottlenecks, Burlington County Superior Court extended the time and 9:00 pm became the deadline to join the line, which by then (below) stretched down Howard to 4th and more than halfway along 4th toward Cinnaminson St.
We particularly like this photo, showing super-dedicated voters queued across from the Porch Club of Riverton, whose members worked tirelessly for decades more than a century ago to expand the right to vote to all. Photo at 9:05 pm by Roger Prichard
There were many hundreds in line, still remarkably patient and dedicated, at 9:00 when new voters could no longer join the line.
The last voter finished and walked out at 12:53 a.m. on Wednesday morning. In all, 994 Rivertonians voted, a turnout of about 65% of registered voters.
Out deepest thanks to our local volunteers and municipal employees who remained cheerful while coping with problems not of their own making — and to our great Rivertonians who persevered to exercise their power.
Mark your calendars: Monday October 28, 2024. HSR is happy once again to partner with our good friends at The Porch Club of Riverton in their beautiful historic hall and take a time machine trip of reminiscences from the 1940s onward.
The Wright family is one of the most extensive and fascinating extended families in Riverton’s history. Remember the Showell family we profiled in our last blog post? Yep – the two families were joined by marriage in 1910!
The Wrights first settled here in 1887 when Philadelphia entrepreneur Charles A. Wright saw a Riverton house advertised for sale in a Philly paper. Having always admired Riverton as he passed on business trips on the steamboat, he grabbed at the opportunity. It was the house at 305 Bank Avenue (later moved to 102 Penn Street, where it still stands). He produced a large and energetic family here, who lived in various homes around town.
Our program will be presented by three great-grandchildren (yes, you read that right) of that man, Charles A. Wright:
Barbara Flach (Knight) Meyer
Lenore Wright (Showell) Layton, and
Doris Ellen (Showell) MacKenzie
We hope you can join us! No admission, just walk in. Refreshments will be served.
And it’s a house with many family connections all the way up to Riverton’s recent years.
It’s August of 1924 and a young mother took her toddler on a stroller excursion to the riverbank. It’s a classic Riverton image that was happening every summer day since long before this snapshot and still happens all the time.
But we challenge today’s stroller dealers to match the elegance of this wicker beauty! (Even our 2024 top of the line models with cupholders and Bluetooth and what all have nothing on this charmer.)
Will was downloading the screen image from eBay at the same time as one of our board members was buying the original snapshot from the dealer to donate to HSR’s archives.
Scanned in hi-res, it cleans up pretty well with some “darkroom” work, considering it wasn’t a fine quality print – and it’s TINY (the image is just 2-1/4” wide).
Yes, exactly 100 years ago last month.
The handwritten notes on the back (which misunderstand this to be Palmyra) indicate that this is “Mrs. Emma Kies and her daughter Janet”. The dealer said that it is from an album by a family in Merchantville. Since the 1930 Census does have a matching family in Merchantville, exploring the Kies story is a project for someone else.
But here in Riverton we might ask …
What is that house in the background?
It’s not what we all might think!
At first (and second) glance, that imposing house appears to be the C.C. Fitler house “The Anchorage” which still stands at 11 Bank.
But not so. Compare …
Fooled us, too, for a bit. Look closely and you’ll see that many details match, but the whole shape of it is wrong – and 11 Bank is much larger.
Our snapshot house is much rarer – and it’s a house that didn’t last long (probably less than 40 years). Few pictures exist. Here’s the only other picture we have of it, a postcard from 1907 or later:
It was located up Bank Avenue in the next block, between Linden and Thomas, at number 105. It was built in 1896 and gone by WWII.
The site was later occupied until 2022 by a distinctive mid-Century Modern house with a memorable blooming garden …
… and then by the modern white brick home which stands there today.
The Showells
The 1896 home was built by Edward Bredell “Eddie” Showell Jr. (1863-1916) and his wife Gertrude Batchelor Showell (1863-1932).
The Showell family came from deep colonial roots in the Eastern shore of Maryland (where there is still a little town named Showell in Worcester County).
According to Edward’s 1916 obituary, they named the house “Mapleton”.
Edward B. Showell Jr. (1863-1916) married Gertrude Batchelor (1863-1932) in Philadelphia in 1886.
Why Riverton?
They likely learned about Riverton through his cousin Nannie Heiskell Myers (1857-1906), who married Edwin Henry Fitler Jr. (1853-1901), the son of the Mayor of Philadelphia. Nannie and Edwin renovated the house in Riverton at 407 Bank Avenue (on the downriver corner of Main) as their summer home in 1882.
Like the Fitlers, Edward Jr. and Gertrude also began spending summers in Riverton and then they moved here year-round in about 1892, according to the Philadelphia directories.
We know that the Showells lived at first in the grand Mansard stone home then at 301 Bank (upriver corner of Lippincott), built in the 1860s by Edward Lippincott next door to his brother Ezra. Sadly, that home also no longer survives, also lost in the 1930s.
Edward was a very successful wholesaler and retailer of groceries – and notably liquor – in Philadelphia, with a handsome store at 1327 Market St. on the corner of East Penn Square across from City Hall. It was a partnership also known as “Showell & Fryer”. Bottles and other memorabilia can still be found by Googling those names.
Edward and Gertrude broke ground on their beautiful new shingled Riverton house in 1896. The Philadelphia Inquirer for December 20th says they were already “domiciled” in their new house on the Delaware.
Edward and Gertrude Showell’s Family
Edward and Gertrude raised six children in this grand house on the riverbank. The 1900 Census showed 12 residents, including four female servants (two born in Ireland and two whose parents were Irish).
Edward was an active sailor at the Riverton Yacht Club and was the Commodore in 1905 and 1906. In addition to his sailboat he also had a steam launch – with a hired man to be its “engineer”.
Possibly the best known of their six children was the oldest son, Rex Showell (George Rexamer Showell 1887-1951). Nine years old when they moved into this house, he was very well-liked. Later a popular sailboat racer at RYC, he married a Riverton girl who also grew up on the riverbank, Lenore Wright, one of the daughters of Charles A. Wright, the builder of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Here Rex holds their son Dewees (“Dewey”), circa 1913 in a family snapshot coll. Richard A. Flach.
As his father’s health began to fail in the 1910s, Rex and his uncle began taking over more and more of the thriving grocery and liquor wholesale business.
Ironically, Rex’s father Edward Sr. died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1916. He was just 52 years old. Liquor continued to cast a shadow on the family: in 1919 the 18th Amendment created Prohibition, devastating their profitable business of alcohol imports and sales.
By the 1920 Census, just four years before our idyllic snapshot, hard times forced Rex and Lenore to rent out their own house, at 209 Howard Street, which had been a wedding present from Lenore’s father. They and five of their own children moved back to this big, almost empty house to rejoin his widowed mother and his brother.
Rex and his family probably were living in this house you see in August 1924 when our little snapshot was taken.
As it turns out, this newly-found 1924 snapshot is nearly the most recent record we have of this house. A Sanborn insurance map from 8 months later shows its outlines. (From the collection of Paul Schopp.)
By the 1930 Census, this house at 105 Bank does not appear (which means it was either empty or gone). Mother Gertrude (then 65) was living in a rented house a couple of blocks upriver at 405 Bank Avenue along with her divorced daughter (also named Gertrude, Edward Jr.’s sister) and two grandsons. Rent was just $100 per month. (#405 also no longer exists, being torn down a few years later.)
Our subject house was definitely gone by the time the 1942 update of the Sanborn map was created.
All was not doom and gloom, though. The family worked hard and persevered. They were back in their own house at 209 Howard by 1930. To pay the bills, Rex was working as a laborer, according to the Census of that year.
Rex and Lenore Showell’s house at 209 Howard, with their snappy 1919 Dodge coupe. Coll. R.A. Flach.
However, in 1934 a newspaper ad for a distillery in Camden appears to be employing him, saying “just ask for Mr. Rex Showell, a connoisseur of fine wines and Liquors”. Their kids all went out to work as soon as they were old enough, boys and girls alike. The family made it through the Great Depression without losing their Howard Street home and it stayed in the family through 2022.
Many Showells stayed in Riverton and made their own lives and families. Quite a few of today’s residents will remember children and grandchildren of Rex and Lenore.
Daughter Lenore, nicknamed “Sister”, married Gus Probsting and the two were energetically involved in many Riverton activities.
Their son Bill Probsting just passed away in 2021, having served as the devoted Headmaster at Westfield Friends School for decades. Bill lived most of his life at 209 Howard, the same house his grandfather Rex was obliged to rent out in the 1920s but was able to hang on to.
Rex and Lenore’s daughter Elsie Wright Showell married Art Waters and they were quite a pair. Art was very involved with the Riverton Fire Company and Elsie Waters did countless projects in Riverton. She passed away in 2018, just four months shy of her 100th birthday, sharp and full of stories.
Rex and Lenore’s grand-daughter Lenore Layton (so many Lenores!) lives today in Cinnaminson and is much appreciated as a strong supporter of the Historical Society of Riverton.
Finally, George Rex Showell is remembered at the Riverton Yacht Club every year with the sailing of a special race to award the perpetual trophy named the “Rex Showell Cup”, donated to the club by his family after his death in 1951. Originally a 4th of July race, it was sailed on May 18th this year (2024).
So a little snapshot on eBay, erroneously labeled “Palmyra”, of a mother and child with no connection to Riverton, turns out to be a window into many dramas in many lives.
An appreciation of our oldest member, by Faith Copper Endicott, President of the Historical Society of Riverton.
Celebrating the art of living to 100 with cake, a crowd of friends and many stories!
There are few who have reached the rare milestone of living a life of 100 years. Fewer still have done it with grace and style. Bill Hall is one of those rare few and he is still making his mark on many of us.
Holding court, as befits Riverton royalty, at his home on August 10, many of his friends and family joined in celebration of this centennial triumph. A time of reflection at these milestones is par for the course, and this time was no exception.
Everyone was able to speak familiarly of his lifetime accomplishments, his love for his dear late wife, Nancy Hall, and their family. A love nearly equal to his compassion for his community. And nearly everyone heard some story for the first time.
People chatted about his vast leisure pursuits, which he would call ‘just living life’. He easily could have retold stories of his experiences with sailing, beekeeping, biking, teaching, and hiking the Alps, to only name a few, but he seemed very content to simply greet the stream of guests stopping by to hug him warm wishes and eat birthday cake.
A story. Each one of us has a story, which we partly write ourselves. This is the part that largely helps define us to the world. The part that is most often severely judged. How we have overcome life’s challenges, reached for the stars despite the night, the strength of our resolve to follow the truth for truth’s sake…but there may be more to it than that. I fear not doing justice to Bill Hall by retelling his story in my words by way of expanding on his work and pastimes or trying to describe his attitudes on life. As if they wholly defined the man.
If there is a secret to getting the most from life, no matter what number you reach, Bill seems to have found it. He has generously shared his story with many of us in a way that helps shape our own. I have a new love for bees that is largely influenced by my talks with him…and I can’t help thinking of Bill’s encouragement every time I am out near the hives. His is a positive spirit that sticks with you, one that he always enjoys paying forward.
If great art is a result of much practice and dedication, let us take this to heart. The art of living to 100 years might just be one of the finest masterpieces of all. Thanks to you, Bill, for sharing it with so many of us. Looking forward to our next visit and another thing to smile about.
2024 Riverton History writing prize winner Cadence Anderson with Historical Society of Riverton President Faith Endicott.
We are delighted to announce that Riverton resident Cadence Anderson, Palmyra High School Class of 2024, has earned our annual writing award, which comes with a $500 prize!
HSR President Faith Endicott congratulated Cadence on July 4th during the festive events of the day at Memorial Park with a certificate and check.
Cadence’s articulate and engaging entry is reproduced in its entirety below – we think you’ll enjoy reading it!
She just graduated from Palmyra High as her class valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend Elizabethtown College with her eye on Pre-Med. In addition to her academic and writing excellence, Cadence is a stand-out basketball player, scoring over 1,000 points this season.
Our challenge to students from Riverton this year was to submit a 1,000 word essay that best answers the question “What did Rivertonians do for fun 100 years ago?” All submissions were required to adhere to the MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines for published works.
Have a look at what Cadence wrote … and be prepared to have fun in the Riverton of 1924!
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Together, We Have Fun
In the grand scheme of American history, the prosperity during the Roaring 20s is unprecedented. Business boomed, ground-breaking changes occurred, and luxuries that only the upper class enjoyed in the past became far more accessible to the working class. As a result, extravagances in the form of possessions and experiences were sought out by Americans everywhere. The small, square mile town of Riverton was no exception. With the gift of time and money to invest in areas other than their work lives, the citizens of Riverton fostered a tightly knit community through their activism, enjoyment of athletics, and love for a good outing that would lay the groundwork for much of the town’s present-day recreation.
The Porch Club—which is still prominent in Riverton today—was a safe haven of sorts for all different kinds of activities outside of the typical work day, particularly for women. Although it was more of a serious undertaking rather than a fun pastime, many of the ladies would get together here for suffrage meetings at the start of the 1920s (Bowen 2), as the 19th amendment wasn’t in effect quite yet. This wasn’t unique to the locals. Participation in these movements were encouraged all over the country in order to push for granting women the right to vote after centuries of waiting. It was more difficult than ever to deny the enfranchisement of women, as their growing involvement in society became even more pivotal in maintaining America’s stability than before. As opposed to when women were strictly confined to their role of being mothers and wives, the 1920s finally gave them an opportunity to begin living for themselves. With many American men participating in the Great War, women would leave their homes to provide employment for the jobs left behind, opening doors for them to escape from the responsibilities often forced upon them at the time. Efforts such as the suffrage meetings in the Porch Club amounted to the eventual ratification of the 19th amendment in the August of 1920, which would lead to the continued collaboration of Riverton’s women in their commitment to citizenship. They established their own Women’s League of Voters (Bowen 6), demonstrating their enthusiasm for participation in politics and the solidarity formed from working to overcome societal barriers together. In addition to its historical significance for women, the Porch Club also offered a wonderful venue to host events such as townwide concerts (Bowen 14), parties, luncheons (Bowen 6) and the YWCA’s gymnastics lessons (Bowen 10) that all of Riverton’s citizens would enjoy.
Riverton and its neighboring communities never fell short in the department of entertainment, especially with its diversity of spectator friendly sports year-round. In the springtime, citizens could flock to Palmyra High School to watch their own children and other aspiring athletes compete in track and field events or see their own baseball team (Bowen 21). The summer months provided tennis tournaments from the Country Club (Bowen 15), plus sailing and swimming races from the Yacht Club that just about anyone could appreciate (Bowen 10). Autumn and winter certainly weren’t devoid of excitement, as these seasons arguably held the most opportunities for Rivertonians hoping to catch a good competition: sailing, swimming, rowing, tilting, football, hockey, trapshooting, and basketball. The town’s love for athletics was so expansive that it allowed female competitors in hockey and swimming. Despite the 1920s introducing a number of changes that allowed women more freedom and engagement in society, there were still many limitations and conditions to these liberties. It would take several decades more for the aim of these reforms to become customary. In this sense, Riverton was far ahead of its time, as they permitted women to enjoy the thrill of competing far before the passing of Title IX, even though their choices were restricted. Not only did sports offer amusement for Riverton’s citizens, but an opportunity for them to test the limits of their bodies and minds.
With increased accessibility to Henry Ford’s model-T car taking the nation by storm, Rivertonians were no longer limited to activities within a walkable or horse and carriage distance from their homes. Purchasing a vehicle meant that they could adventure to surrounding communities more efficiently and participate in their fun without having to worry about using up the entire day. Whether this entailed a visit to the Maple Shade Fire Company’s carnival (Bowen 10), sending their children to Daily Vacation Bible school (Bowen 1) so they could have a few moments to themselves, or traveling to see the summer horse races in Mt. Holly (Bowen 6), the possession of an automobile meant an expanded range of entertainment on a day to day basis. Cars also enhanced the festivities at home, as they added another layer to Riverton’s Fourth of July celebrations. An automobile decorating contest would eventually join the town’s parade, yacht races, canoe and swimming events, music, and fireworks (Bowen 2). It’s safe to say that all Rivertonians found this quite fun, as many of the present-day transitions mirror that of Independence Day in the 1920s!
Although cars were revolutionary for the time period, they certainly weren’t essential for the Rivertonians to have a good time. The fun that took place within the Riverton community came from the time and effort that its citizens put towards making each other happy. These efforts weren’t reserved for the young students and families that would benefit from the PTA’s annual Christmas parties (Bowen 11), but also for the people exploring the path of life without children, who more than likely enjoyed the adult dress up competitions during the Knights of Columbus Halloween Frolic and Bal Masque (Bowen 5). There were no regulations on who could or couldn’t have fun in Riverton, all because of the strong bonds formed between its community members. It didn’t matter where they happened to be or when. Being in each others’ company was enough. The real question is, what didn’t Rivertonians do for fun?
Works Cited
Bowen, Walter L. “Bal Masque Brilliant: K. of C. Hallowe’en Frolic Proves Most Colorful Event”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 44, 3 November 1922, pp. 5. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Charter Luncheon at Porch Club”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 19, 12 May 1922, pp. 6. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Everybody Went to the Christmas Party”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 51, 17 December 1920, pp. 11. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “League of Women Voters”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 44, 3 November 1922, pp. 6. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Porch Club”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 10, 5 March 1920, pp. 2. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Porch Club News”, The New Era, vol. 33, no. 44, 17 November 1922, pp. 14. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Summer Horse Racing at Mt. Holly”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 24, 11 June 1920, pp. 6. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Swimming Carnival”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 25, 18 June 1920, pp. 10. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Tennis”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 26, 25 June 1920, pp. 15. New Jersey State Library Archives
Bowen, Walter L. “The Fourth in Riverton”. The New Era, vol. 32, no. 26, 1 July 1921, pp. 2. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. The New Era, vol. 32, no. 16, 22 April 1921, pp. 21. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Vacation School Big Success”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 31, 4 August 1922, pp. 1. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Weekly News Budget for Riverton and Vicinity”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 25, 18 June 1920, pp. 10. New Jersey State Library Archives.
Bowen, Walter L. “Y.W.C.A.”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 7, 17 February 1922, pp. 10. New Jersey State Library Archives.
The Historical Society of Riverton will award a cash prize of $500 to a Riverton high school student who submits a 1000 word essay that best answers the question “What did Rivertonians do for fun 100 years ago?”
Historical Society of RivertonThird Annual Writing PrizeSpring 2024
Summary: The Historical Society of Riverton (HSR) is awarding a cash prize of $500 for a 1000 word essay that answers a question about Riverton’s history. The winning entry will be featured on the HSR’s website: www.rivertonhistory.com. Noteworthy essays that do not win the primary prize may also be published on the HSR’s website. Essays will follow MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines for published works (see below).
The Question: What did Rivertonians do for fun 100 years ago? In your essay, discuss the ways people entertained themselves in the 1920s. How and with whom did they socialize? Where did they go to have fun when they weren’t working? What social, political, economic and technological changes were happening nationally and in this region that affected what people did for fun in the 1920s?
Where to start? Our website includes many photographs and articles on Riverton’s history that may help inform and illustrate your essay. The HSR has many issues of historic Riverton-area newspapers digitized and available online at: https://rivertonhistory.com/historical- local-newspapers/.
Who may submit an entry? Any high school student living in Riverton may apply.
Questions? Essays and questions related to the prize should be submitted to Heather Huffnagle at heather.mary.macintosh@gmail.com, (856) 505-7087.
Review Committee The Review Committee will be comprised of HSR Board Members and professionals among its membership with education and/or experience in historical research, education and writing.
Timeline: Entries will be accepted until May 31st. Awardees will be contacted by June 15. The winning writer will be recognized at a ceremony in Riverton Park on the 4th of July.
GUIDELINES
MLA Paper Format General Guidelines • Use standard 8.5 x 11 white paper. • Number your pages. • 1-inch margins (all sides) • Readable font • Double-spaced • Indent new paragraphs. • Only one space between sentences
MLA cover page includes a few things like: • Title of your paper • Your name • Your email • Your school’s name
What should an MLA paper look like? An MLA paper has a standard look for every page including 1-inch margins, a readable font, a running header including your last name and page number, and author-page in- text citations. At the end of your paper, you will include a works cited with a list of all the sources used in the paper.
No place is more iconic to Riverton’s image! Join us for a free program chock full of images and stories about the historic Riverton Yacht Club, now entering its 160th year on our riverfront. Includes some super never-before-seen photos recently donated to HSR by Stephen Biddle Russell, a great-great-grandson of Riverton founder Robert Biddle (whose house still stands at 309 Bank).
And because everyone has been curious about the huge rebuilding project of the pier last year, we’ll have exclusive close-up photos and video of what problems needed to be solved and how that was done.
It’s April, 1897, and Charles and Hetty Miller must have been delighted with their gracious new house, built in the newly-popular Georgian style, distinctly up-to-date … and NOT Victorian like their family homes nearby!
In the course of 127 years, it’s inevitable that any house will go through a rough patch or two. This one is no exception – but it’s coming back!
Charles C. Miller married Hetty C. Lippincott in 1892 and four years later they built this grand Georgian Revival home at the corner of Lippincott Avenue and Carriage House Lane. They kept it in fine style for the next 59 years.
The home had a difficult time in recent years, but happiness is returning.
Christmas, 1933 was a warm day. 101 Lippincott is in the background. Christmas parties here were legendary, with half the town being relatives of some sort. Parties were shared with their cousins, the Skipwith Coale family, whose grand Mansard roof home still stands across the street at number 100. This group is posing on the Coales’ front lawn. HSR is indebted to Hank Hackett for this fine scan of 41 of his relatives.
John and Danielle Casparro had long admired its grace and fine workmanship (and worried over its obvious decline) but it took a number of years to buy it and set about bringing it back to life.
In just NINE MONTHS (!) since John and Danielle bought it, they’ve gone at the project with great energy and yet careful dedication to its historic materials and beautiful original design. Riverton is very lucky to have folks with so much care, vision, and expertise.
Have a look …
A failing roof caused major leaks from the built-in gutters, rotting the gorgeous cornice and attracting animals to move in with their extended families.The Casparros’ contractor, All American Artisan, carefully measured and recreated this entire cornice.
Bossen Architectural Millwork in East Riverton reproduced the moldings, just like in 1896.
The Casparros’ contractor, All American Artisan, has made it like the bad things never happened.
Then, because this house was intended to be painted in colors (see the top photo), John and Danielle consulted with the indispensable A Century of Color by Roger Moss and created this combination, which softly brings out the depth of all the trim elements:
Kevin O’Shea, of Affordable Image Painting, tackled the job of applying the attractive, and historically-appropriate, color selection to replace the unending white.
There’s much more to come, but look at what they have accomplished just in the first nine months. They …
Removed carpet, refinished all original pine hardwoods (1st and 2nd floor)
Removed all remaining knob and tube wiring.
Repointed 25% of the stone foundation
Brick pointed, new caps and crowns on 2 of 3 chimneys.
Replaced 10 windows matching to the original style from 1896 (all windows had been replaced by a previous owner with vinyl, other than the Palladian facing Carriage House Lane)
Jetted clear all french drains to restore and use original storm water system
Replaced flat roofs on both porches
Extensive repair/restoration/painting of exterior including matching original 1896 trim work
Painting and plaster restoration throughout 1st and 2nd floor
Tired yet?
And who were Charles and Hetty Lippincott Miller?
Though he didn’t have a Riverton childhood, Charles Cooper Miller (1865-1954) was the nephew of no fewer than five of the original households of Riverton: Daniel Leeds Miller, Jr., Elizabeth Miller (married to William Parrish), Anna Miller (married to Robert Biddle), Rachel Miller (married to William Biddle), and Charles C. Miller (not considered a “founder” but a very early owner of Chalkley Gillingham’s house at 100 Main).
Charles Cooper Miller (1865-1954), photo from 1933. Courtesy of Hank Hackett, great nephew of Hetty Lippincott Miller.
A Hicksite Quaker like his wife, Charles graduated from Swarthmore College (founded by several of his aunts and uncles) and became a very successful importer and wholesaler of groceries. He ran his business for decades near the Philadelphia docks on South Front Street. In Riverton, he was one of the founders of the Riverton Country Club.
Hetty Coale Lippincott Miller (1869-1955) was a lifelong Rivertonian, residing in just two houses about 100 yards apart. The daughter of Ezra Lippincott (1836-1906) and Anna Sutton Lippincott (1840-1890), she grew up in 303 Bank Avenue (which everyone has known for many years as the Baptist Home or Riverview Estates) and then after marrying Charles, moved into this house at 101 Lippincott Avenue, where she lived the remaining 59 years of her life.
The Millers raised two daughters in this home, Anna and Elizabeth. Their granddaughter, Nancy Hall, is still a Riverton resident and proud member of the Historical Society of Riverton board. Nancy has many fond memories of her grandparents, and especially their bountiful Christmas feasts.
HSR wishes the Casparros great success in their wonderful effort and our heartfelt congratulations on bringing back this important part of Riverton’s history to brighter days ahead.
The Historical Society of Riverton is a 501(c)3 charitable educational organization founded in 1970 to bring together people interested in history, especially the history of the Borough of Riverton, New Jersey.
It’s easy to join us. Dues are very affordable and an active membership amplifies our voice in the community. Larger donations leverage strong volunteerism to make many of our more significant educational and outreach efforts happen. Please click here to join or donate!
Tell us what you like and what you’d like to see more of. Please leave comments below. Thank you and please spread the word about Historic Riverton, Everyone’s Home
Congratulations, Historic Riverton! Our town now has the same abilities to stop teardowns of salvageable historic buildings that many other beautiful, historic towns in New Jersey enjoy.
Eight months after the heartbreak of losing the 1901 Groves Mansion at 411 Lippincott (and then the charming Richardson house at 402 Midway just a month ago), Borough Council voted unanimously to establish the necessary Historic Preservation Commission at a special meeting on October 11, 2023 at the Riverton School gym. The Mayor also expressed her strong support.
It established a five-member Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) as an equal body to the Planning Board, replacing the Architectural Review Committee. Its area of influence is Riverton’s Historic District. (See the map on the last page of the ordinance.)
The new HPC has jurisdiction to review applications for full or partial demolition within the Historic District, with the ability to approve or deny – or to approve it with specific conditions. All demolition applications will be heard in a full public hearing, almost exactly like any variance hearing, with full legal notice to all property owners within 200 feet.
Demolition decisions by the HPC are final, although the applicant naturally has the right to appeal.
For now, projects not involving demolition will not be regulated, continuing the same non-binding helpful consulting and advisory services for homeowners that the former Architectural Review Committee provided. Such services include helping homeowners find appropriate windows, siding, materials, contractors, architects, etc.
While there is strong support among the public for making review of major changes binding in the Historic District, exactly how that might work will be a future chapter of this saga. No one wants the HPC to be an intrusive bureaucracy like some Home Owners Associations but then again none of us wants their neighbor to strip off a Victorian facade and replace it with glass brick.
What it does NOT do is regulate interiors or colors.
How does the HPC affect me?
Unless you are planning to demolish all or part of your house, nothing has changed.
BUT … you can now rest easier knowing that your neighbor will have a much harder time demolishing their historic house, which would reduce the value of yours.
How did Riverton’s new HPC come about?
For 25 years, Rivertonians thought our historic homes were protected from demolition. Many of us invested lovingly in restoring our own homes on the assumption that our historic surroundings would be defended. Our award-winning 1998 Master Plan made this the Borough’s clear public policy, to “preserve and enhance” our historic character, as it stated repeatedly.
But in late 2021 a developer applied to the Planning Board to demolish the 1901 Groves Mansion at 411 Lippincott Avenue, intending to subdivide the gracious lot and build three new houses on one of Riverton’s finest historic blocks. The Planning Board turned them down after several closely-followed public hearings.
The 1901 Frederick Stanley Groves mansion at 411 Lippincott Avenue. Groves was president of the Baltimore and Philadelphia Steamboat Company.
But the developer promptly instituted an expensive lawsuit against the Borough and the Planning Board, contending, among other things, that the Planning Board didn’t have jurisdiction.
Superior Court heard the developer’s suit one year later on January 25, 2023. Judge Jeanne Covert ruled that Riverton’s policy of preserving its historic appearance was perfectly permissible under state law. However . . . she ruled that the only legal way to implement that is for Riverton to have an HPC properly authorized to hear and rule on demolition applications … and we did not.
Therefore, the developer was allowed to destroy the mansion (which he did a week later) and our existing demolition ordinance was useless.
The Groves Mansion being destroyed.
March 13, 2023
Riverton was left defenseless against the teardown epidemic that continues to sweep New Jersey. At that point, any developer could walk into Borough Hall and get a demolition permit over the counter for any historic structure, no approvals needed!
Your Historical Society of Riverton (a 50-year-old non-profit volunteer group not affiliated with the Borough government) stepped up.
The HSR Board recognized that a broad consensus effort was needed that included as many constituencies of the town as possible – and we needed to move fast before developers started bulldozing irreplaceable homes.
HSR convened an ad hoc group of equal members, who would all be resident property owners. Most were asked to represent constituencies: apartment owners, commercial owners, insurance, the Porch Club, the fire company, a realtor, the Mayor, the President of Borough Council, the chair of the Planning Board, the Borough Historian, HSR. Three residents who are professionals with extensive experience in the preservation and planning fields were also asked to participate.
Four members, Planning Board Vice Chair Kerry Brandt, Mayor Suzanne Cairns Wells, HSR Board member John Laverty, and Borough Historian Roger Prichard spent a Saturday attending a valuable statewide workshop sponsored by Rutgers and the New Jersey Historic Trust specifically focused on setting up HPCs properly and how to run them fairly, effectively, and efficiently.
What came to be informally called the “Riverton Historic Preservation Roundtable” held four in-person meetings in Borough Hall and communicated extensively by email. Members literally all sat around a big circle so they could all see and hear each other clearly. The group functioned well. Everyone was respectful of each other, listened and learned.
The group agreed unanimously that its immediate goal should be “no more teardowns”.
The Roundtable recognized that there may be exceptions, situations in which the minimum cost to make a historic building habitable would be more than the building would ultimately be worth. However, most of the members have been involved in successful preservation projects which nay-sayers claimed would certainly fail – and yet they found ways to preserve and succeed economically.
While the Roundtable was working to bring new defenses to Riverton, the same developer destroyed the c. 1905 home of the Richardson family at 402 Midway to fit in three new houses. Without an HPC, Riverton had no way to protect our history.
The Roundtable presented a “Concept Document” to Borough Council on July 18, 2023, which the Council approved unanimously. They recommended that Council not reinvent the wheel, rather adapt an existing, proven ordinance from one of the towns the Judge had mentioned.
Subsequently, the Governing Body asked the Roundtable to act on their behalf to adapt the best-organized of those ordinances into a Riverton-specific ordinance, including clarifications to make it easier to administer by volunteer public officials, as suggested by the Borough Solicitor and also found in other towns.
This ordinance was introduced for first reading on September 19, 2023 at which time it became public. This HSR website immediately shared the draft with readers.
The Planning Board also reviewed this ordinance and supplied well-considered modifications.
This is the ordinance which Council passed unanimously this week, and you can read it here.
At that hearing in the Riverton School gym, everyone who spoke expressed their support: both the Governing Body and every member of the public present. It was very gratifying.
At the conclusion of the vote, the public gave our officials an extended round of heartfelt applause.
What happens next?
Now any application for a demolition in the Historic District will come up against these tough standards just like they would in Cape May, Princeton, Merchantville, Plainfield, Hopewell, etc.
To get the HPC operational, the Mayor must appoint its five members and two alternates. Evidently a fair amount of paperwork is needed, including arranging for a budget, though its expenses are anticipated to be very small. It is hoped that it can hit the ground running as soon as the new Borough year reorganizations start in January.
None of this can bring back either the Groves Mansion or the Richardsons’ house. But those losses have shocked many of us into realizing how precious AND FRAGILE Riverton’s historic appearance is. Losing any of it harms every one of us in this most unusual community.
Many thanks to the Mayor and Council for their support this year and to all the members of the Roundtable. It’s a wonderful example of people setting aside personalities and working together for a common goal – unusual in our world today.
The Historical Society of Riverton is a 501(c)3 charitable educational organization founded in 1970 to bring together people interested in history, especially the history of the Borough of Riverton, New Jersey.
It’s easy to join us. Dues are very affordable and an active membership amplifies our voice in the community. Larger donations leverage strong volunteerism to make many of our more significant educational and outreach efforts happen. Please click here to help!
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Thank you and please spread the word about Historic Riverton, Everyone’s Home Town.
