Daniel Campbell – Historical Society of Riverton, NJ

Home preservation and four anniversaries headline Awards Night

Our much expanded Second Annual Daniel Campbell Riverton Awards Night took place April 16 at the Porch Club.

Homeowners brought photos and each explained their unique process involved in executing their restoration projects.

Dan Campbell, left, Adrienne Rogers, right, with the Society's "Diamond in the Rough" — Dan Campbell, left, Adrienne Rogers, right, with the Society’s crystal keepsake

Society President Phyllis Rodgers presented each recipient with an award to symbolize their home’s transformation from a diamond in the rough to a vision realized.

Heartfelt thanks to Paul Daly for his years of service in many capacities

As originally conceived, it was again a night to congratulate and say ‘thank-you’ to a number of people who have served the Historical Society of Riverton.

The big addition to the agenda was the observance of milestone anniversaries of four of Riverton’s finest organizations – Riverton School’s 150th anniversary, the Porch Club’s 125th , Riverton Yacht Club’s 150th, and Riverton Fire Company’s 125th.

It was all the excuse we needed for a big cake!

Many details of the big night are shown in the four attached slideshows. Text below indicates the content of each part.

(The slideshows contain several links to external content, so check OK or you will not see it.)

SLIDESHOW 1 covers the part shown in black text of the AGENDA below. (21 slides, 13.5MB)

SLIDESHOW 2 covers the part shown in green. (30 slides, 18.5MB)

SLIDESHOW 3 has only one topic, Riverton Yacht Club, but is the longest. (35 slides, 17.3MB)

SLIDESHOW 4, shown in the AGENDA in red, contains the Riverton Fire Company and some photos of the evening (10 slides, 10.5MB)

AGENDA
April 16, 2015
Welcome – Acknowledgement of Board members and past presidents
Business – Nomination and election of Peg Crook and Morgan Leone for Board seats
HSR Service Awards to retiring Board members – Paul Daly, Charlotte Lippincott,
Riverton School History Project Student Achievement Awards
Daniel Campbell Awards – Bolton, Downes, Rogers, Schweich, Borough Council
Special Service Awards – Michael Solin, Linda McCormick
Historical House Markers – Bill McDermott explains new process, 100 Park Ave.
Anniversaries – Mayor’s Proclamation
Riverton School
Porch Club
Riverton Yacht Club
Riverton Fire Company and candid photos of the whole event

certificates, trophies, mugs, and crystal keepsakes - tokens of achievement, recognition, and gratitude await their recipients — certificates, trophies, mugs, and crystal keepsakes – tokens of achievement, recognition, and gratitude await their recipients

– JMc

Historic Preservation Awards debut at April 2014 HSR meeting

Gerald Weaber - Visual Approximation — Gerald Weaber – Visual Approximation

The idea to recognize remarkable examples of historic preservation of Riverton homes with an award in honor of Daniel Campbell originated with former HSR President Mr. Gerald Weaber, and this meeting now bears the fruit of his research efforts last year.

In succeeding him as HSR President, Phyllis Rodgers and an expanded HSR Board followed through this season to launch a new Preservation Award Night, held April 10 at the Porch Club, in which The Society recognized a number of people for their noteworthy home renovation projects. (The March 2014 Gaslight News previously profiled the homes and briefly explained the award. )

HSR President Mrs. Phyllis Rodgers called the meeting to order and a short requisite business portion of the meeting included various announcements as well as a customarily thorough treasurer’s report by Paul Daly, our own esteemed CPA on the job.

Phyllis introduced Paul W. Schopp and congratulated him on his recent (March 5) designation by Riverton Borough Council as Borough Historian. Mrs. Rodgers noted Mr. Schopp’s vast knowledge of local history as well as contributing his invaluable expertise to the Society to past projects.

Mr. Schopp said that it is “hard to fill the shoes” of the former Town Historian, Betty Hahle, but he would do his best. (The position of Town Historian has been vacant since Mrs. Hahle passed in April 2011.)

Paul has certainly been my go-to guy for fact-checking stories and getting hard-to-find resources during my tenure as editor of the Gaslight News. Our former HSR President, Gerald Weaber, concurs saying, “No one else comes close to his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Riverton.

Mrs. JoAnn DiNoia, left: Mrs. Phyllis Rodgers, right

At the meeting Mrs. JoAnn DiNoia, Porch Club President, and Phyllis Rodgers displayed the Porch Club’s new sign, a cooperative project of the HSR and The Porch Club.

The sign was erected at a later date near the Club’s entrance.

Mrs. Rodgers then turned attention to our honored guest, former Riverton resident, Mr. Daniel T. Campbell, AIA. A distinguished past president of the Historical Society of Riverton and editor of the Gaslight News, Daniel Campbell is a Historic Architect widely recognized for his experience in restoration and preservation of historic architecture.

Citing his past preservation projects and honors, she explained “…it is therefore fitting” that the new HSR Preservation Award be named for him. Read more about Dan Campbell here and see more details about the award named in his honor here.

Award certificate and etched crystal paperweight

Then matters moved on to the main event – the presentation of five 2014 Daniel Campbell Preservation Award certificates and crystal diamond paperweights etched with the Society logo.

At the meeting we heard from Dr. and Mrs. Horn, Helen Hughes, John Laverty, and Michael Spinelli as they recounted the pleasures and pitfalls of renovating an old house.

Ummm… I think I saw that movie before.

Some of us even remember the original 1948 Cary Grant/Myrna Loy comedy film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, in which a hapless couple purchases a 200 year-old farmhouse only to meet a long litany of unforeseen troubles and setbacks.

But these Riverton characters had studied their parts and each story had a happy ending, resulting in homes absolutely transformed from their former states.

Check out the continuing saga of Helen Hughes’ renovation of the Biddle Mansion at 207 Bank Ave., and another about John Laverty’s home at 616 Main.

Here’s a few more snaps from the meeting.