Welcome!
April 30th Deadline approaches
for Maple Shade Historical Society
Everyday I check the mail for new membership forms and there are none. Out of the 70 mailers sent out which were mostly to historical houses who once had children attend the school and the Twp. Committee members- NONE. A few emails and phone calls but that's not a membership form or volunteering to be a Board of Director. Whoops, I am wrong- One past member rejoined from that mass mailer.
Out of all the staff at the Maple Shade Public School system who the Principal of Mill Road School and the Superintendent emailed- NONE.
Out of all the people who might have seen the "Maple Shade Twp. "Newsletter" webpage- NONE.
We have a new Secretary and a new Director who saw my website and phoned, mailed the membership form and met with me at the schoolhouse.
We still need some Directors!
We are a non-profit organization of people who care about Maple Shade history. The current world state makes me so sick. The symbol now for the people of Earth could be a giant cell phone. Employees at their jobs, people walking down the streets and everywhere- fixated. Anyhow.
Nobody has been donating to the Maple Shade Historical Society as well. For the year 2025 we brought in 200 dollars! Moorestown Historical Society gets much money from business "SPONSORS." and always seems to be getting new members. I go over there and people are researching and working on projects.
A "Community" becomes a community when you stop just thinking about YOU, YOUR bottom line, YOUR time etc. YOUR world.
And if you visited the schoolhouse on a school trip (We are trying to get that back- Third graders visiting the Little Red Schoolhouse each year. Moorestown has that. And we have a school!) I am a historian whereas former people in charge had a more limited view of the schoolhouse history. Well just some details anyhow.
-Dennis Weaver
President of the Maple Shade Historical Society
April 10, 2026
American Heritage Presidents books-
I purchased the complete set recently used. They were published in 1969. My Grandparents had them and then gave them to our family in the early 1970s.
There is much to love about these books. You think people are divided now concerning politics? It is nothing new. In the earlier times it was fair game for the newspapers to demonize a politician, drawn as some kind of gross animal character. The book series ends around John F. Kennedy.
These books and other United States of America related books are on a table at the Little Red Schoolhouse for people to look through and read at the schoolhouse throughout this year as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country.
-Dennis
Mayor visited the Little Red Schoolhouse-
https://www.facebook.com/TownshipofMapleShade/
You need to close the Facebook sign in box then Facebook usually lets you see the top item or so. I am not a member of Facebook.
The Mayor's question caught me off guard as the school years of being open were mostly way before there was a Maple Shade. No "settlement or community" as the old Twp. webpage stated etc. I tell the story of the Little Red Schoolhouse in the stages it went through.
I appreciate the advertisement. That mailer postcard the Twp. sent out left out the Maple Shade Historical Society. And... the Mayor with her statements etc. shows she never visited the Little Red Schoolhouse and heard an accurate account of its history. She visited here for several minutes with her pre-conceived thoughts. We are still waiting for the Twp. to move the fire alarm box.
Back to the Facebook page-
Yep, That is a serious lawsuit there.
A government using Facebook and not letting everyone see the content unless they become a Facebook member, which I am not planning on doing.
They let me only see the last posting.
-Dennis
Trouble facing the Maple Shade Historical Society-
By April 30th, the MSHS needs, as a non profit corporation of the State of NJ, to have a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and three Board of Directors. We have all of the above minus 2 Directors.
We need new members and new members who could help out as Directors as well (up to 10).
-Dennis Weaver
President of the Maple Shade Historical Society
Open Houses for April-
The Little Red Schoolhouse will be open on Saturday, April 4th & Saturday, April 18th from 1-4 pm, weather permitting. The schoolhouse is near Coles Ave. on West Main Street, Maple Shade.
Please note that the schedule for Open Houses is the first and third Saturdays of each month, however there is always a 50 percent chance it might be open on the other Saturdays as well.
Help Needed-
I sent out this MSHS newsletter mass mailer to about 70 people and contacted the MS Schools as well who are passing it along to their teachers, etc. We need Board of Directors and members in general as well.
-Dennis Weaver
President of the Maple Shade Historical Society
Little Red Schoolhouse attenders-
I am putting together some information on some of the farms that were perhaps not covered or covered well in any of my books. I'll be adding more.
Hintermeier Search
William Stiles (Levi Lippincott)
A Few Old website pages from years ago-
densdoor.html (2010 but I fixed two spelling errors now)
InterestingHouses/index.html (Mostly North Cedar Ave.)
Burlington County Parks Youtube channel-
This video is about Eastern Cottontail rabbits. But their channel also has historical videos.
The Train Station Condition
The train station is a historical building not only because it is a train station but because our town was named after it. The Railroad named that Maple Shade first.
We need to preserve the insides. The exterior needs a painting with an oil based primer to begin with. For years it has needed painting.
-Dennis Weaver
Timothy Hancock scribe of the Declaration of Independence
Coincides with NJ and other states going to soon begin teaching cursive handwriting again in the schools!
I think we should all start using handwriting again. Here is a super cool envelope of, Iam pretty sure, an invitation from Cropwell Meeting House Friends to their 200th Anniversary. Joe Laufer was the speaker under a big tent with about 200 guests. He mentioned my Burrough family research. Coles Roberts made his home-made ice cream. Betty Procopio was there sitting with me in the back.
FancyEnvelope.jpg
NJ Coppers-
Two of the three NJ Coppers (replicas) I own, scanned on a scanner.
Click on the images for a color corrected image showing more of a copper color.
Holiday Reflections-
I have a very good memory for a lot of things.
The first several years that I went to school we had two President's birthdays off in February. Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday. I just looked online at old newspapers and banks even observed each holiday and were closed.
Each year at school we would hear the Lincoln and Washington stories as well. I cannot tell a lie father. I chopped down the cherry tree.- Washington. And Lincoln walking back all those miles to return a few pennies or a nickel or whatever.
I remember standing in the kitchen at our house on South Church Street, Moorestown, near the refridgerator, (I remember because this was important stuff!) and my Mom told me that there was now only going to be one holiday and one day off from school and they were calling it "President's Day." The news brought a sadness that day.
I just wonder now if all the Presidents get lumped into the schools talks around this time of year. For many years, according to former teacher Betty Procopio, grade school classes had to have portaits in their classes of Lincoln and Washington. And this went back into the 1800s I am pretty sure.
I believe if we broaden it to All the Presidents then historical meaning is lost as Washington and Lincoln were involved in major wars, the War of Independence and the Civil War.
-Dennis
News from Den-
New Jersey schools are bringing back cursive writing instruction, following Governor Phil Murphy signing a new state law (S1783/A3865) as one of his final acts in January 2026, mandating its teaching to help students read historical documents, sign papers, and develop cognitive and motor skills, reversing the trend that began with Common Core standards. The law takes effect immediately and will apply starting the next full school year, ensuring students can read cursive and write legibly.
This is fantastic! I even published a book using for the font a script one- Pioneer Families Houses book
For the first 2 hours no visitors at the schoolhouse on an Open House day. To pass the time wisely I read a "McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader" from the late 1800s (reprint)
The book was in print writing and the students were to write on their slates in script.
The impression I got from all this is that perhaps what we call "printing" was the text used in printed books and newspapers and ALL other writing was done in script.
-Dennis
2026!
2026 is the 250th anniversary of our country. Here is one of the Maple Shade Historical Society's associations Woodland Farm Also in the 100 year catagory we have Mill Road School was started to be built in 1926 and was ready to open for the 1927 school year. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, then the Delaware River Bridge, opened in 1926.It was the largest suspension bridge in the world. Thomas J.S. Barlow Sr. was on the Bridge and Tunnel Commission.
Join the Maple Shade Historical Society-
Membership form for 2026
1929 Sanborn Insurance Maps released-
The 1929 Sanborns (in color) of Maple Shade and Moorestown (With Lenola) are available now. The 95 year copyright expired for some Sanborn maps, not just Betty Boop.
Maple Shade-
Maple Shade Sanborns 1929
They already released years ago the Maple Shade Sanborns 1923.
Moorestown (with Lenola)-
Moorestown Sanborns 1929
-den
Update Info-
I was at the second Burlington County History Roundtable meeting on October 3rd at the Burlington County Library. I went to the first one previously. It is a meeting of all the Burlington County Historical Society leaders to discuss their activities and plans. Besides learning what is going on, the meeting also serves to help, inspire and encourage each other.
In all my "history of Chester Township" reports, whether on this website or in my books, I have an error- I did not list Riverside as once being a part of Chester Township. I will fix this at my website but probably not in my past published books. Update fixed it on my "Chester Township" page.
Months ago I bought off Ebay four old Lenola photos and have yet to scan them and put them up at my Lenola page. I'll get to that this coming week.
Update- Lenola Additions folder added
-Dennis Weaver
October 4, 2025
Maple Heights in 1921-
Fullpage newspaper sized pamphlet detail scans. Beautiful Maple Heights This was just donated to the Maple Shade Historical Society by Frank Plumber of Texas. Thanks Frank!
Books for Sale-
I ordered 100 copies of the Little Red Schoolhouse and Maple Shade Historical Society book and will bring copies and sell them at Open Houses at the Schoolhouse. They cost me 6 dollars each by a bulk discount and combined shipping. The printing came out real nice. Your cost- 8-10 dollars (All money above the 6 dollars I paid goes to the MSHS.)
-Dennis Weaver
Maple Shade Brickyards-
I went to the Maple Shade Township Committee meeting to bring up ideas- June 26 meeting Look at about the 48 minute mark for me.
I made a PDF version (not exact but very close) of my Maple Shade Brickyard Deed History page at this website. I will probably combine that with the pages in the "Maple Shade, We Celebrate 100 Years" book and other newspaper articles I have also found over the years to make a book about the brickyards. Here is the PDF- Brickyards/MS Brickyards Deeds.pdf
Updated Municipal Building site page-
Coat Factory- Municipal Bldg.
A blessing to me was to find that the Philadelphia location of E.W. Twitchell was the building I worked at in the mid 1980s!
Immanuel Baptist Church-
I just fixed the link. It wasn't working. I guess nobody contacted me because it just said "The Oldest Church."
Oldest Church Building in MS
(Immanuel Baptist Church before additions)
Honoring Maple Shade's Brickyards-
GrahamBrickdestroyed.jpg One year after the last brickyard closed in 1956 the Twp. started destroying what was left. I always thought it would be so great if the old kilns etc. were left as an historic site. We do have part of the clay pits undeveloped east of North Pine Ave. and south of the RR tracks. A few years back it was for sale and I'd hate to see it developed and will propose to the Twp. to have it Open Space as undeveloped land for a memorial. The brickyards were formally in MS from 1858 to 1956. Another thing is the John Muffet and Son Brick and Tileyard house built in 1863 now 119 East Main Street. A business is now there which zoning wise it is best not to allow commercial use for a property with historic buildings on it. Perhaps a marker sign could be placed along the sidewalk to honor the house and persaude its current owners to respect it.
I have a few articles about the brickyard house over the years. There was a fire in the back that damaged the upper floors when Mr. and Mrs. Senior lived there. They were in bed sleeping at the time. A good article I have to find where I put it- John Pardee was living at the house and was going to sell it. The buyers wanted to tear out all the downstairs walls and make a big room I think for dancing and sell beer and for it to be a roadhouse and the Twp. said no.
Transportation to Work in 1924-
Many used the trolley to go to work in Camden
Hours People Worked in Different Times-
My Grandpop was born in 1902 in Philadelphia. He said his parents worked 10-12 hours a day (Mostly 10 hour days), six days a week. He quit school in the 6th grade to work in the factories and later on the ice wagon. Longer work hours and child labor were common in this time period.
hours-of-work-in-u-s-history
The Old Shade-
What someone told me Maple Shade was like when he was a kid-
All the bars up Main Street would have live orchestras and bands playing at them. It was like New Orleans.
There were woods in a lot of places all over town.
The kids would take wooden boxes and make scooters out of them.
When all the kids got together it was like "Our Gang."
My friend John Flack's Maple Shade Flicker photos-
MS on Flicker
Brickyard Page fixed-
I have been going over the Maple Shade Brickyards page. Much of it was from around 2005 so there was facts to fix, links to repair or eliminate etc. Making a better version in PDF form and most likely a book which will be about the brickyards or have a full chapter on them.
-Dennis
Arcadia book on Maple Shade partially corrected-
I asked to correct the book's incorrect captions. They said I could only correct 10 captions so I said please do these 12. It should take months probably before the various sellers sell out the already printed editions (even Arcadia still has a stack waiting for vendors) Here are my 12 selected caption corrections which they said they made for upcoming newly printed copies.
-Dennis Weaver,
President of the Maple Shade Historical Society,
November 22, 2024
Detail from a J.D. Scott's 1876 Burlington County Atlas, colorized- Princeton University- Burlington County, NJ maps)
From a book written in 1877-
The History of New Jersey
From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time ยท Volume 1
Benjamin Stiles moved from the Old Place of the Stiles which was at the end of Stiles Avenue, then a lane to the house, to the corner of what would soon be in 1850 the "Moorestown and Camden Turnpike" and Fellowship Road. Across the road from his farm was one of the two tollgate houses. The other on what is now Federal Street in Camden.
He had a blacksmith shop and house on the property which went through several owners until Christian Frech bought it in 1871.
There were other Stiles family farms in the area as well. When the railroad purchased the land at Forklanding Road in 1869 the station was named Stiles Station. The hamlet started to be called just that or "Stiles."
The railroad company renamed the station "Maple Shade" in 1874.
Charles Shuster began the development of Maple Shade with the "Shuster Tract" in 1887 dividing into lots the old Benjamin Stiles (then son Benjamin J. Stiles) farm which went out to the train station, exempting out the lots of the tollgate house and Christian Frech's and Johnathan Winter's land. (Houses between Spruce and S. Maple Avenues on Main Street plus bank land on other side of Spruce.)
Soon other German people, primarily related to Christian Frech's wife Louisa Fahr, came to live on lots.
Now we are in the Village of Maple Shade time...
Maple Shade in the 30s and 40s movie-
That is what we have been calling the movies ran by the Maple Shade Cable Company in probably the 1980s and it is one of the most watched videos at my Youtube channel. It looks like it is really "Maple Shade in 1941."
1941 newspaper articles and the movie as a MP4
At a March or month's prior 1997 Women's Club Meeting, Joe Johnson of the Maple Shade Fire Dept. presented pictures and a film entitled "Maple Shade As It Was." Hmm. wonder if he was showing the same movie.
Main Street and Forklanding Road, guessing late 30s to 40s
Main and Forklanding
Thanks George Conley for the image.
Stores in 1933-
From the Courier Post newspaper, Sept. 6, 1933
Thanks George Conley for the image.
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