The Community House of Moorestown, an independent nonprofit that provides a gathering place for individuals, families, and organizations, is the recipient of a 2022 Historic Site Management matching grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.
The $34,163 grant – a first for the Community House – will be used for a preservation plan by Westfield Architects in Haddon Heights that will address the facility’s physical condition and maintenance.
The firm will then make recommendations for ongoing maintenance and the Community House can apply for capital grants to address the issues.
“The Community House of Moorestown is such a special place in the community; it’s really one of a kind,” said Caryn Lynch, executive director of the nonprofit. “Receiving this state grant is so important for us to continue to support our local organizations and the community at large.”
The Community House has a rich history in the township community. In October 1923, the Women’s Club of Moorestown was looking for land and financing to build a community center, so it approached Eldridge Reeves Johnson, founder and head of the Victor Talking Machine Co. in Camden.
Johnson agreed to donate the money if residents showed their interest by creating a permanent maintenance fund for the center’s building operations. Within eight months, more than $106,000 was raised town-wide, with donations from 740 individuals, 500 students and dozens of local civic and fraternal organizations.
Johnson donated what eventually became $250,000 to build the Community House, with the cost of maintaining it a key consideration in the architectural style of the building.
The current building of 25,000 square feet sits on 2.2 acres and has three floors, 40 rooms, seven bathrooms and an elevator. Behind its stately façade are a ballroom, meeting rooms, and office space for local groups.
“As can be expected, it is very expensive to maintain the large, old building and constantly be ‘event ready,’” Lynch explained “But through the support of the community, and now this grant, we have been able to operate for nearly 100 years and hopefully for the next 100 years.”
