Haddon Heights-1907 Atlas
Until the 1930s, a small body of water known a Crystal Lake graced the western end of Station Avenue in Haddon Heights. It was framed by North and South Park Avenues and served as the terminus (and namesake) for Lake Street. This lake was created by the damming of Kings Run, the waterway which becomes the southern branch of Newton Creek, and served as the dividing line between Haddon and Centre Townships until the Borough of Haddon Heights was created from them in 1904. European settlements began in this area in 1682 with six Quaker families dividing what was then Newton Township. Four early farmhouse remain in Haddon Heights; the Hinchman-Hurley-Lippincott House at 1089 North Park Drive (built c.1699), the Colonel Joseph Ellis House at 1009 Sycamore Street (built c.1710); the John Thorn Glover House at 1212 Sylvan Drive (built before 1750); and the Isaac Glove House at 1908 New Jersey Avenue (built c.1750).
Crystal Lake was a popular site for swimming and ice skating, especially among youngsters. Many older residents of the area have childhood memories of summers skinny-dipping and winter days spent gliding on its surface and then warming themselves by bonfires near its banks. In the center of the lake was a tiny island with four swamp willow trees that provided shade for summer picnics. Surrounding the lake were grassy banks punctuated by groves of mature native trees. In the 18th and 19th centuries, King's Run provided water to the Glover Fulling Milling pond, downstream in the area currently between the bridge at Glover Avenue and the Haddon Heights Dell. Crystal Lake served as the background for a photograph of the first car in Haddon Heights, 1904 U.S. Long Distance Runabout owned by Mr. Luke Moore.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) drained the lake in the 1930s and removed many of the trees. Much of the new dry land eventually became part of the Camden County Park system, as it remains to this day. A rough outline of the lake can still be discerned if one considers the bowl-like terrain that the landscape assumes just behind the War Memorial at the foot of the park.
| HM Number | HM1ICX |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Placed By | Haddon Heights Historical Society in Memory of Lynn Laitman |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Monday, December 15th, 2014 at 5:02am PST -08:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 494561 N 4414307 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 39.87880000, -75.06360000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 39° 52.728', W 75° 3.816' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 39° 52' 43.68" N, 75° 3' 48.96" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 856, 609 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 1002 S Park Ave, Haddon Heights NJ 08035, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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