The history of the property provided to me goes back to October 24, 1839. Prior to that date, Camden County and Gloucester County in New Jersey were one county. The previous owner only researched the Camden County records. At some point, I want to get to the Gloucester County archives and see what I can find.
The original tract of land ran from the tavern in Williamstown to the creek on the other side of Route 73. Long, narrow tracts of land were purchased by developers in Philadelphia to cut wood to construct houses. This fact makes the presence of the oak tree in the front yard (reputedly the oldest and largest tree in Cedar Brook at approximately 200 years old or more) and the ones that border the rear of the property (100 to 175 years old) all the more remarkable!
October 24, 1839…..Joe Nicolson purchased the land in then Gloucester County
December 16, 1841..James W. Lamb bought the land from Joe Nicholson
December 5, 1843…Edmund and Robert Brewer bought the tract from James W. Lamb
1844…………………….Jacob Parke bought 38.28 acres for $2,400 which included 10.35 acres from James W. Lamb
May 1, 1848………….Thomas Parke bought the tract from Jacob Parke
July 29, 1848………..Joel Bodine bought 30.28 acres from Thomas Parke selling 12.29 acres of it to Isaac Park
May 4, 1849………….Thomas Smith bought the tract from Bodine for $500
June 2, 1856…………Simon Rammell bought a 3 acre tract from Smith which included a tavern
October 14, 1864…..Simon Rammell and Sam Tomblesoro paid $400 for a wheelright shop and blacksmith shop located on the tract
April 8, 1865………..Randal Morgan and John Bodine sold 644.69 acres to Robert Wilson for $4,000
This date seems to actually represent the date of John Bodine’s death. Randall Morgan had granted the deed to John Bodine. When Wilson died, Mary Adlerman and Gertrude Bodine (widow of John Bodine) and Charles Duffel and his wife, Phoebe, Sam Garwood and his wife, Joanna, and Hercules Atkin and his wife, Emma, conveyed all titles and interests to Peter Voorhees on December 20, 1886 (see below).
December 12, 1886…Gertrude Bodine sold the tract to Peter Voorhees for $3,200. Gertrude conveyed all interests to Voorhees on December 20, 1886. The tract included 600 acres and 44.6 acres.
December 20, 1886…Peter Voorhees sold the tract to Sam Garwood for $3,200. The tract ran to Old Egg Harbor Road (now Grove Street). Garwood was the attorney who held the property and trust for Luther and Alice Halsey, Sam and Joanna Garwood, Isaiah and Mary Alderman, Charles and Phoebe Duffell, and Hercules and Emma Atkin with power to sell. Bodine left the property to Emma Atkins, Phoebe Duffell, Alice Halsey and Joanna Garwood. Sam and Joanna were trustees of the property and sold 20.6 acres to Charles Duffell.
1893………………………The original house was built.
January 5, 1898………Charles Duffell started a fruit farm.
The fruit farm became known as Cedar Brook Fruit Farm under Teresa and George Francis Anglage. George died on August 9, 1920. There is still a cherry tree (that has reverted back to wild) and a pear tree on the property. The pear tree bore fruit into the 1990’s but has been barren for many years now. Teresa bought the property for $1.00 on October 9, 1933. There were woods and many buildings. The floor to the barn is now used as a patio in the yard of the neighbor on the cul-de-sac.
There is an anecdotal story that after Teresa passed away, an old German man resided in the home by himself. He used only the kitchen area and blocked off the rest of the house. When the previous owner was packing up her items from the crawlspace, her son found a German newspaper scrap stuck between the floor boards of the living room.
German newspaper clipping found by previous owner
1907………………………Rear two story addition built.
Early 1980s…………….Vincent “Buddy” Pino bought the property of 2.02 acres for $12,000.
The house had a pump at the sink and a privy. Buddy renovated the house somewhat adding a metal kitchen and a bathroom. He also added wallpaper.
October 21, 1985……..Buddy sold the property to Diane and Robert Baker.
The Bakers completely renovated the home. There was a doorway to the 1907 addition that they converted to an archway. On the eastern exterior wall of the addition was a door to a porch. They removed that and installed French doors. They added the closet and half bath on the first floor. They divided the one large bathroom on the second floor into a master suite bath and main bath. They also built the garage/workshop.
The original driveway was Old Farm Road which is the main road through the development at the rear of the property. At some unknown point, a gravel driveway was installed. The Bakers shared the driveway with the neighbor to the west of the property. However, the neighbor, who had horses, continually tore up the driveway with the horse trailers according to the Bakers. The Bakers found a loophole in their deed that allowed them to fence off the property necessitating the neighbor to reroute their entrance to Fripps Road.
February 24, 1995……Diane and Robert sold the property to Barbara and Larry LeMaster. The LeMasters divorced in 2003 and Barbara retained the property as part of the divorce settlement.
May 29, 2013………….Barbara sold the property to Michelle Jones.
April 2014………………Property officially renamed Oak Haven Farm.
Oak Haven Farm - der Eechehaafe Bauerei 