Crosswicks Community House History

The History of the Crosswicks Community Association and Community House

1919: The Association is Formed

The Crosswicks Community Association was proposed April 4, 1919. Twelve persons were chosen to be a Committee on Organization and these 12 were to meet and choose 13 others to be associated with them, the whole committee of 25 to meet and adopt a set of by-laws and effect an organization. The 12 chosen were: Josiah E. Brick, Edwin Newbold, Charles W. Brick, Mrs. Charles W. Brick, Alexis Clark, Guy Mayo, Mrs. William H. Rogers, Mrs. Frederick W. Lewis, Miller H. Anderson, Miss Clara Thorn, Miss Mary Braislin and Dr. Charles A. Behringer.
That committee met April 8, 1919, selecting Josiah Brick as Chairman and Dr. Chas. A. Behringer, Secretary. The 13 persons chosen by the committee were: The Rev. H.D. Stratton, Samuel A. Wilson, William Wood, Harry Middletown, William Wallace, Richard Satterthwaite, Mrs. Susan Chapman, Lewis F. Klein, Charles Bradley, Howard M. Rogers, Miss Edith Faggart, Stanley Ellis and Mrs. Hannah DeCou, who represented all religious denominations and organizations in the community.
On April 22, 1919, the bylaws were read and approved. There were 40 persons present. Selected as Trustees were Josiah E. Brick, Chairman: Guy Mayo, 1st Vice-chairman: Edwin A. Newbold, 2nd Vice-chairman: Dr. Charles A. Behringer, Secretary: Samuel A. Wilson, Treasurer: Alexis Clark, and Rev. H.D. Stratton.
The Association was incorporated Oct. 7, 1919. An amendment to the bylaws Nov. 14, 1919, increased the trustees from seven to nine. Added were Miller H. Anderson and Benjamin Stiles.
Many events were planned and held before the Community House was built including the long running Father-Son Banquet and moving picture showings. These events were held in local churches as fundraisers for the Association

1919-1922: The Building Plan

In early May 1919, action was taken relative to securing tentative plans for a community building and for financing the project. There were several ideas put forward as to where the community building could be, such as building an annex onto the Crosswicks Schoolhouse or purchasing the Crosswicks Inn for a community building. In September 1919 an agreement was entered into with the Crosswicks Friends Meeting for the lease of the large plot of ground adjoining the Meeting House for a term of thirty years to be used as a community recreational center, with the privilege of erecting a community building upon it.

The building committee, consisting of Josiah E. Brick, Samuel A. Wilson, Rev. Charles A. Behringer, and Charles W. Brick went to work fundraising for the project. In financing the project, the plan of popular free-will subscription was adopted resulting in pledges of over $8,000 were received.
A community week of social events held in the late spring 1921 netted about $1600.

1922-1923: The House is Built

Robert A. Schumann, architect, of Trenton, was engaged to make sketches and plans for a community building, and after many meetings, and changes, the plans of the present building were adopted. It was at first thought that a suitable community building could be erected for about $7,000, but when the bids came in, the figures ranged from $21,000 to $36,000. After reconfiguration, on October 9th, 1922, a revised bid for $14,800 was awarded to Charles D. Anderson of Crosswicks to erect a community House according to certain plans and specifications, for the sum of $12,485, exclusive of plumbing and heating.
When the contractor broke ground for the building on October 23, 1922, a number of men and boys voluntarily appeared on the scene with teams, scoops, and shovels, and the excavation was practically complete in 24 hours. The foundation was finished Nov 10, 1922.
The cornerstone of the Community House was laid in a ceremony at the end of the Nov 11th Armistice Day parade in Crosswicks, when the body of Harry J. Chapman, Crosswicks' only casualty of WWI, was returned from France. There were reports that there were so many people in the parade, that there was no one left to watch it.

July 1923: Open House

The opening of the Community House was a big affair that brought in hundreds to the week long opening ceremonies. The week opened with a special religious service on July eighth that included music by the choir of St. Michael's P. E. Church of Trenton and an address by W.F. Overman, president of the Burlington County Y.M.C.A and Rev. Alphonso Dare, Pastor of St. Paul's M.E. Church of Atlantic City. Following in the week was entertainment by the staff of the Trenton Conservatory of Music, a chicken salad community supper, a dance featuring Hickey's Orchestra and many other features.
Interestingly enough, not enough chairs had been sponsored and purchased and an ad to booster sales was necessary in the opening week program. This was certainly not the only thing missing on opening day. receipts show that a curtain was not installed on the auditorium stage until 1924. This was likely due to financial concerns.

August 1923-1928: The Early Years

Moving pictures, dances, as well as stage productions were very popular in the early years of the Community House. In the first year of operation, twenty four moving pictures were shown and ten dances were held for a combined total attendance of 4,366 persons
Thing were going well, in fact at the annual meeting in March of 1927 ,the CCA was finally debt free and burned the mortgage at the annual meeting, but things were about to take a dark turn.
On September 06, 1927 the world changed drastically for not just the Association, but the entirety of Crosswicks. Josiah E. Brick, the original President of the Association, died suddenly of a stroke at the age of 61. Not only was he their fearless leader, he was also a big financial supporter of the CCH. In their own words the Association wrote:
"Whereas, by the death of our president, Josiah E. Brick, the community has suffered an irreparable loss, and we his fellow Trustees, cannot adequately express our appreciation of the great qualities which made him wise as a counselor, eminent as a financier and beloved as a friend and Whereas, By his fidelity to the trusts that he was called upon to discharge, his comprehensive grasp of the many important problems he was required to solve, the wisdom and vision which he displayed in their solution and his loyalty to his friends, he became widely known as a powerful factor in the important business of the community.”
Though the loss was immense, the board kept moving forward and continued holding many events now including school dances. At this point the main sources of income for the Association was membership and ticket sales. But hard times were ahead as the country and world was about to be thrust into the Great Depression.

1929-1938: The Depression Years

Not surprisingly, during the tough years of the depression, small town life went on. What most residents of the village may not have been aware of is how close they were to losing the Community House. Times were tough and The Community Association was struggling to offer cheap entertainment and wholesome family activities without hurting people's wallets.
Doris Runner spoke in an oral interview in 2003:
"...(T)hey had dances, and then they had movies on Saturday night. They were in black and white silent movies- they weren't in color naturally. And we would go and- I think it was ten cents or fifteen cents for a movie ... That was the depression time... We were so happy to see a movie in town."
In 1938 Gertrude Brick, Josiah's only Daughter, was asked to be the treasurer of the Association, but was not offered a place on the board. This did not bode well with her, as she was asked to prepare the reports for each meeting but was not allowed to attend. She made her frustrations apparent in the year end report- here is a snippet:

"Have we failed, are we stagnant, or are looking to the future of Crosswicks and its citizens? We must be one of these three. There are five times as many young people here today and more vital need, in these times of reduced finance individually, for a community club center than was even thought fifteen years ago. PLEASE realize this as your duty tonight the Eighteenth Annual Meeting, to resolve individually and collectively to put these by-laws into action, or else abandon them entirely, there are other organizations that will do the job if you do not meet the challenge, Youth will not wait, the world carries on while we mark time -Respectfully submitted your treasurer’s report and my challenge as a member at large of the association"
- Gertrude N. Brick- Treasurer. Officially but not legally.

Gertrude had certainly made a strong case, the events had slowed down, the money had stopped rolling, the Association was in debt, and the building was barely in use. Changes had to be made.

1939-1945: The War Years

The winter of 1940-41 was a very challenging time for the CCA as in December, President Ellis G Southard died. His Vice-President Edwin A. Newbold was then named President, then four months later in April Newbold passed away.
In the midst of the fear of war, the Community House is what most towns-folk cling to for some sense of normalcy as the world is once again thrown into World War. Crosswicks, despite being founded as a Quaker (pacifists) town, has always had a long history of supporting the troops. That tradition continued with World War II as seen by the Community Associations contribution to the National War Fund in 1945 and the other war efforts such as banquets benefiting the Red Cross.
Louise Temple spoke in an oral interview in 2003:
"The Community House was the center, of course, of a lot of the activities, especially during the War. Every time somebody would come home from being in the war, we would have a dance in their honor."
As they were for everyone, The war years were tough on the Community Association. Starting in 1942, the annual supper and fair was discontinued due to sugar and gas rationing. The town Christmas tree was not lit in 1942 due to defense regulations. Additionally, in the winters of 1943 and 1944, the water was turned off and the pipes were drained, due to the inability to get oil to heat the building due to war shortages. Meetings, including the CCA annual meeting were held at the firehouse because the CCH had no heat.
In May 1943 a beautiful roll of honor was constructed on the corner of the CCA property honoring those fighting in the War. Senator Howard Eastwood was the speaker at the dedication ceremony. The cover dish supper held before the ceremony netted over $100 for the Red Cross.
The Community Association and the Methodist Church sponsored a special celebration service for V-E Day where Rev. Corson was the speaker.

1946-1955: Post War High

The end of the War brought renewed interest to the struggling Association. The influx of some much needed funds from some endowments certainly helped as well. Following the end of WWII, the Community Association held a Veterans' Banquet on Friday November 8, 1946. About 60 veterans were present. Lena Blackburn of the Philadelphia Athletics and George Case of the Cleveland Indians were the speakers
Much like the country at large, the years after the War were brighter and the community came together for some much needed fun following the long years of war. Once again large community plays and events were the focus of the town and were enjoyed by many.
Another interesting note, the town Christmas tree was not lit in 1946 due to the ban on outdoor lighting due to the coal strike. However, Christmas festivities were still held in the building.
1948 was the first year the Halloween Parade and Party was held, though it has not always been continuously annually held.
In March 1950, the Crosswicks Athletic Association held a baseball rally at the the Community House with speaker "Lefty" Lloyd, scout for the Philadelphia Athletics and the film of the 1949 World Series was shown.
Following several years of inactivity, the Crosswicks Community Association took over the sponsorship of the library in April of 1950- approx. 1966.
Chesterfield also decided to give Boy Scouts a second try, (that troop was in Chesterfield in the 1920-30s) this time the Troop was chartered in Crosswicks to The Community House on October 1, 1951. Troop 55 meets at the Community House to this day every Wednesday.
In June 1955, The Crosswicks Men's Club was formed. The group would meet monthly at the Community House for the next 33 years. This group would take over the Annual Christmas tree Lighting for the same time period, in addition to their other events such as the Christmas tree burning, Easter Sunrise Service and breakfast, Crosswicks Canteen, Little League baseball, and their monthly breakfast. The Crosswicks Men's Club Chorus was very popular and had many engagements around town.
However, the post war community wave that the CCA had been riding was about to crash. With the popularization of television and other things, interest in the CCH slowed just as the Board was looking to finance improvements to the CCH. The building was only 35ish years old but in the next few years it would go through the biggest changes and challenges to date

1956-1959: A Fresh Face

By 1955 the Community Association was already feeling a financial pinch. The Board was already needing to borrow money to cover interior cosmetic changes and it was around this time that changes were necessary to the front of the Community House. Dating as far back as 1924, the front porch of the Community House had proved to be of poor design and problematic. An anonymous "old timer" in town told stories of in his youth watching friends race their bicycles down the porch steps of the Community House, which probably did not help with the near constant maintenance issues of the structure.
John D. Ward was named chairman of the finance drive, assisted by CCA President C. Edward Christian and Secretary George W. Goodenough.
Despite not securing enough funds, the Association proceeded with the renovation anyway. The majestic front porch was removed and an enclosed flat structure with twin internal staircases with restrooms was constructed in its place. The existing internal staircase was removed and storage closets were constructed in its place.
Throughout the construction, various organizations and events such as 1959's 181st anniversary of the Battle of Crosswicks, continued to use the Community House grounds. 1959 also marked the first Eagle Scout in Troop 55.

1960-1962: Time for (loose) Change

1960 was the year the first woman was elected onto the CCA Board of Trustees: Evelyn A. Schultz. At the 1961 annual meeting, retiring from the board was secretary George W. Goodenough, having served on the board for 32 years. Also in 1961 the Association amended the constitution to provide that two additional board members be named, bringing the number of trustees to 11, and providing that at least two of the board shall be members of the Crosswicks Friends Meeting and at least two shall be women. The two new women elected in 1961 were Annette L. Rue and Dorothy K. Wolff.
The Community Association entered the renovation period already not in stable financial standing and the renovations exceeding budget put the Association in financial crisis. A story in the Trenton Evening Times stated "Income in 1961... was $3,145 against expenditures of $3,780.12, which included $1,500 on a note to pay for work on a new façade; $548 for fuel, $80 for custodial service, $372 for repairs and $273 for general expenses. Another reason for the lack of income was due to membership rates amounting to only $.50 or equal to about $4.00 today. The Association needed more income and it was decided in early 1962 to hold a large membership campaign. Harry H. Williams Jr. was appointed chairman of the Committee. Those working with him were Mrs. Richard Dill, Mrs. Norman W. Garwood, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hepner, Mrs. Alice Bumbera, and Mrs. William Youngs. It was decided at an April meeting of the Committee to name the drive "The Crosswicks Community House Membership Budget Drive" The drive was proven to be successful.
With the budget well on its way out of the red, another big decision was made; by the fall of 1962, the Crosswicks library had outgrown its quarters in the firehouse and permission was given by the Crosswicks Community Association for the Library Association to renovate the balcony of the Community House for use for the library. Early in 1963 the move across Main Street was made.

1963-1975: Revitalization

With the Community Association in a better financial direction, the board decided to continue with their original goal, to serve as a community hub and host community groups and fun Community events, such as Fourth of July festivities with the Union Fire Co and donkey baseball.
It was evident by the mid sixties that Crosswicks had yet again stepped up and supported The Community House.
1965 saw an additional group make The Community House their home: the newly-formed Pack 55 Cub Scouts were chartered to the Community Association. Along with cubs came several fun events including the annual kick-off BBQ and the pinewood derby.
In 1966 the Library Association entered a lease with the Union Fire Co. for use of the entire old firehouse building and moved out of the balcony of The Community House.
The 1970s brought several long running traditions to the Community house including CRP training taught by Shirley and Charles Fisher, dance classes, and also the introduction of the CCA summer program in 1972. Throughout the 1970s the Girl Scouts started meeting regularly at the Community House as well as the Chesterfield Republican Club. Residents in District 1 also voted at The Community House. In the early 1970s, the antique car club started holding regular meetings at the Community House, which they do till this day. The Fourth of July festivities continued through the 1970s and included bringing a wrecked car onto the village green and allowing teenagers to attack it with sledgehammers. Crosswicks is truly unique.
In 1973, The Community Association sponsored two performances of "The Royal Wild West Circus" at Chesterfield Elementary School.

1976: God Bless America & Crosswicks Too

1976 brought widespread patriotism across the country with the bicentennial. Given the Community Association's work with Veterans and war efforts, it was all but certain that they would play a large role in the celebrations. A large parade containing bands, floats, clowns, and a rifle group marched around town, ending at the judges stand on the basketball court, where welcoming ceremonies and awarding of prizes were held. The Community House was well used. Two showings of a specially written play "Jerz" were given by The Half Penny Playhouse, at the Community House upstairs hall. Downstairs held collections, the Bicentennial Committee table and the Bicentennial Quilt. In the Kitchen, busy Chesterfield Hose Co and Aux members were preparing for the Chicken Bar-B-Que served in a tent outside the building. Games were played, funnel cakes were eaten, animals were ridden, cakes and white elephants were sold, crafts were displayed and movies were shown in the Friends Meeting House. A great day ended with a square dance and closing ceremonies on the basketball court.

1977: We make 300 look good

The Crosswicks Community House and grounds were again the scene of a township celebration. In 1677, the first settlers came to share the area with the Lenape Indians. On September 10, 1977, township residents honored those first settlers. The celebration was sponsored by the Chesterfield Township Historical Society. An original play was written by community members and portrayed by local youth in the Friends Meeting House. On the grounds were: organized children's games and crafts people and displays. In the Community House downstairs were exhibits from the New Jersey State Museum and various private collections. Scattered around the grounds were family groups enjoying the covered dish picnic. After a short program, square dancing and folk dancing were enjoyed by all ages.

To Be Continued...