Moorestown, New Jersey

This whitewashed brick building did duty as the heart of Moorestown civic life for more than 150 years; 162 to be exact. It began life as a humble, one-story structure in 1812. Records indicate that the lot was purchased from Thomas Hooton for $138 and that the entire cost of the original building was approximately $1500. In the 1850s the Moorestown Literary Association bought into the building and in 1859 it was doubled in size. A stage was installed inside and entertainers and lecturers began appearing here. A jail was constructed at the east rear corner in 1876.

The building’s current appearance dates to 1888 when the Women’s Christian Temperance Union agreed to spruce up the old town hall in exchange for stock in its ownership. The front was pumped up to 2 1/2 stories and adorned with elaborate Romanesque billet molding formed by alternating projecting and recessed bricks, especially noticeable in the arched window hoods. Entry was achieved through a compound arch.

The anti-drinking crusaders stayed about ten years before ownership reverted back to the town. The first silent moving pictures in Moorestown were screened here. Flower shows were staged here. The town’s first police station was located here. The township offices eventually moved to a new municipal center in 1975.