Haddon Township Historical Photographs The Reeve House and Reeve Avenue

The Reeve House (built 1838) [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ]

Samuel A. Reeve (1898) [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ] Edward W. Reeve and House's Barn (c.1900) [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ]

The Reeve House was constructed in 1838, possibly by Louis Rowand and sold in 1840 (or 1849 according to a different source) to Samuel A. Reeve (1814-). It originally stood at 131 Haddon Avenue. In 1933, the house was moved back on the Reeve property and its address changed to 5 Reeve Avenue-- a gas station was built on the corner of Haddon and Reeve Avenues, taking a Haddon Avenue address. The Reeve house, a hip roof, two-story structure, 33' x 28' was formed by joining two smaller existing homes, and is said to have taken on its present basic appearance in 1855 (or possibly 1842 according to a different source). A leanto kitchen and bathhouse were attached to the house. Samuel A. Reeve farmed 17 acres, which spread over two lots. He raised livestock and grew wheat, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and hay. There was a 22' x 35' barn (built 1839) with a large shed attached, and an open wagon shed next to the barn. Samuel A. Reeve was the first Tax Collector for Haddon Township when the Township was formally incorporated in 1865 and he was a trustee of the local school (The Rowantown School which sat about about 100 feet east of the house). Samuel married Lilpah White. Samuel's son Edward Reeve (1843-1882) married Mary C. Baker (-1925); Mary taught at the the school in the late 1860s. The Reeve House passed to a child of Edward and Mary, Esterbrook Reeve (1881-1980). Esterbrook learned carpentery building an annex to the back of the school in 1901. That annex served as local government offices and later as the Haddon Township Public Library. With his carpentry skills, Esterbrook went on to build over 1500 in the Westmont area. Esterbrook Reeve lived in the Reeve House until 1933.

Social Gathering in the "Rear of the Living Room" of the Reeve House (1899) Back Row(left to right) MacMillan, Ed (Reeve?), Esterbrook (Reeve), Mr. Garlnd, Mr CookMiddle Row (left to right)______, D. Atkinson, Tillie, ______,______,Front Row(left to right) Mrs. Garland, Anna Atkinson,_______, _______, Mrs. Cook [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ] The first floor of the Reeve House was described as having a parlor, setting room, and a wide hall with vestibules. The parlor was coated with gilt paper; the hall and setting room were decorated with ordinarily glazed paper and the vestibules were described as "hansomely papered". The late 19th century description said that, an open stair bay with mahoghany balusters leads up to a second floor with four chambers and an attic with three bedrooms.

The Reeve House (1898) [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ]

The Reeve House (1912) Photograph taken August 1912 Miss Hannah De Cou, Ms. Engle, Mrs. Mary C. Reeve, Christine Geary, Margurite P. Reeve. Since the time of 1898 photo, the large tree was removed from the front of the house and the sidewalk on that portion of Haddon Avenue was put in. [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ]

The Reeve House (1921) Samuel A. Reeve, Edward W. Reeve, Esterbrook Reeve; dedication of monument at school (Haddon & Reeve Avenues). Gone from the time of the 1912 photo are the picket fence and some of the ornamentatation near the front entry. The side entry had been greatly changed as well. [Source: Photograph by Ernest J. Fox 120 Ardmore Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ; Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ]

Haddon Township's First Municipal Tax Bill (1865) Haddon Township incorpared in 1865 as the remaining elements of old Newton Township. At the time Haddon Towhship included many of the surrounding borouoghs and townships which would later split off. One, Haddonfield, was part of Haddon Township at this time and the location of the Haddon Township town hall. THe tax bill is signed by Haddon Township's First Tax Collector, Samuel A. Reeve [Source: Glover-Branson Collection; Gloucester County Historical Society]

Esterbrook Reeve(c.1900) [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ]

History of Reeve Avenue Reeve Avenue is only one block long came in to existance in 1902, when Eterbrook Reeve took a horse and plough and created the street through the middle of his property. He put up a sign that said Reeve Avenue and the road was officially surveyed. The first new house built on the newly plowed street was built at 21 Reeve Avenue by Esterbrook's brother, Edward W. Reeve (1873-1961). Edward Reeve and his wife Dolly occupied the house until the 1930s. Another brother Samuel A. Reeve (1869-1959) built the second new house at 24 Reeve Avenue in 1908. Samuel's daughter Ester Reeve Sass Thomulka moved back to this house in 1959. Twin homes were built at the corner of Reeve and Virginia Avenue and one was to be occupied by Esterbrook's sister Rebecca B. Reeve (1878-1909), however she passed awy before moving in. The third new house was built in 1910 by the Grace Baptist Church as a Parsonage. [In 1914 a church was built next to the parsonage at a cost $3850.00 (but was later torn down and rebuilt in 1969 at a cost of $208,000.00 including furnishings. The education buidling behind the church was built in 1953 at a cost of $45,000.00)].The fourth new house on the street was built in 1911 by Esterbrook Reeve and sold to Father Alexander Wood. A daughter Elixabeth Wood remiained in that housefor more than 70 years. The fifth new house built on Reeve Avenue was built on land purchased from Mary C. Baker Reeve in 1911 by Benjamin (-1929) and Ella Matchell Fish (1864-1958). The Fish House is 20 Reeve Avenue. That house past to a daughter Marguerite Fish and her husband Conway Bennett. Marguerite had a 34 year career in the Haddon Township school system including 8 years as principal at the Bettelwood School (now Jennings) and 3 years as principal at the Strawbridge Avenue School, before retiring in 1968. The sixth new house built on Reeve Avenue was next door to the fifth and was the residence of one of Benjamin and Ella Matchell Fish's children--Ben and his wife Bertha Pack Fish. The seventh new house built on the street is a little bungalow built at 7 Reeve Avenue in 1921 by Esterbrook Reeve next to the main Reeve House. This house was later occupied by Helen and Harry Brautigam. Next to 7 Reeve was a lot that was sold and became the American Legion Building. The eighth house built on the street was at 13 Reeve Avenue and built by Esterbrook Reeve who sold it to Robert Read (-1949). Robert Read's daughter, Elizabeth was a teacher in the Haddon Township school system and one of the original teachers when the Haddon Township High School opened up and eventually Chair of the Social Studies Department.

Advertisement for Ice Sold at 28 Reeve Avenue(1931) [Source: Tri-City Sun; Courtesy of W.B. Brahms Collection]

The Reeve House on Cooper Street (built 1700s) [Source: Courtesy: Marguerite Bennett Collection, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, Haddon Township, NJ] The other Reeve property was bisected by Willis Lane (now known as Cooper Street). A tenant house, where Samuel A. Reeve (1814-) was born, sat on that property and was a country store from 1908 to 1950. Today this is 103 1/2 Cooper Street. Joseph and Mary Reeve moved into this house in 1780. Samuel A. Reeve was their grandson. Samuel A. Reeve was the son of Joseph (a son of Joseph and Mary Reeve).

[Sources: Raible, Dennis G., Down A Country Lane: Life in Camden County, New Jersey After the Civil War, Camden, New Jersey: Camden County Historical Society; Douse,Charlotte, "Personally Yours" (a series of 8 articles detailing the history of Reeve Avenue),The Ministry of Grace., Westmont, New Jersey: Grace Baptist church (25-27 Reeve Avenue), c. 1980]

©2005 Haddon Township Historical Society Policies