The themes of Dr. James Still, the first Black Doctor of the Pines, as he is best known, are service and community.
Both themes came together when the Medford Historical Society moved forward with the opening on Sept. 22 of the Medford Historical Society Center for Education at the Bunning Farm on Church Road, immediately neighboring Still’s original office.
The opening of the educational center is the first step in the Dr. James Still Preservation Project, according to Bill Stauts, president of the historical society.
“The project has been moving along for quite a few months. It’s been quite successful,” Stauts said. “We still have more to do.”
According to Stauts, the open house event was well attended with hundreds of people on the property throughout the day.
“This was a successful kick-off day,” Stauts said.
The society’s plan is to fully restore Still’s office to its original state, with three rooms where Still would practice his medicine.
According to Janet Carlson Giardina, the historical society’s project coordinator at the Bunning Farm and now the educational coordinator, the center for education is an opportunity for the community to gather and learn.
Additionally, it is the gateway to restoring Still’s office.
The center will feature speakers, workshops, events and educational programs for students.
The Bunning house features a lecture hall, formerly the living room, which faces directly north or in line with the office.
John Trontis, assistant director of the state division of parks and forestry, described the positioning of the room as “fate,” or “alignment of the stars.”
“I’m thrilled and so excited to see the groundswell of support for a historic site that has been ignored for so many years,” Trontis said. “The preservation of the Bunning Farm is just the first step.”
The office, which is historically registered, must go through a different process of restoration than the Bunning Farm, according to Trontis, and will cost a “great deal of money.”
“The state had the money reserved prior to Hurricane Sandy,” said Janet Jackson-Gould, the historical society’s vice president of programs. “We’re waiting for the money to come through.”
ShopRite of Medford and Medford Subaru made donations, but the project will cost into the millions, Trontis said.
According to Giardina, the center for education would never have had the chance to open if it weren’t for members of the community donating money, furniture and volunteering their time.
“What was amazing was people from all different walks of life were inspired and helped out,” Giardina said. “One gentleman stopped by and offered to repair the windows. He would take one home, repair it, come back and reinstall it and take another section when he left. It’s amazing acts like this that helped get the project where it is.”
Shawnee boys’ soccer team did a cleanup at Bob Meyer Park. As a result, it received a $500 Clean Communities grant, which was donated to the historical society, Giardina said.
Giardina said the community could be tied to a cedar fence, which lines the front of the property. Multiple volunteers offered their time to remove, install and paint the fence.
“You don’t know how it’s going to happen, but it did. They just wanted to do this,” Giardina said. “The project touched their heart one way or another.”
According to the historical society, Dr. Still was the son of former slaves. He trained himself in the healing power of plants and herbs, and succeeded in the practice of medicine beginning around 1845. In spite of prejudice and pressure from traditional doctors, who rejected herbalism as an unorthodox practice, he administered herbal remedies to patients of all races. Additionally, the doctor owned land throughout Burlington County, which was valued at more than $20,000 at the time of his death in 1882.
Members of the Still family attended the open house, including Dr. Still’s great-great-great-great niece Machelle Still-Pettis.
“I started crying here, on the Bunning property, just knowing these people knew my family members,” Still-Pettis said. “They helped each other. It’s so unbelievable.”
According to Still-Pettis, the Still women are strong, hard workers.
Her great-great-great-great grandmother had 19 children, leaving no room to “take anything from anyone.” They’re also loving. “They had 19 children,” she said, caring and always willing to help someone.
“It’s amazing that you can be a part of this tapestry, this history,” Still-Pettis said. “This is so beautiful to see everyone come out and see progress. We’re thankful to the Bunnings, to everyone.”
“We want to create a venue where anyone can come to learn about the township and a man who overcame hardships,” Giardina said. “He’s so inspirational, and we can take his lessons through life.”
To learn more about the Dr. Still office or the educational center, visit www.medfordhistory.org. Visitors to the site can make a tax-deductible donation.
