Museum is Open
2024-09-14 11:00 - 14:00 UTC, 2024-09-17 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York), 2024-09-21 11:00 - 14:00 UTC, 2024-09-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York), 2024-09-28 11:00 - 14:00 UTC, 2024-10-01 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York), 2024-10-05 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York), 2024-10-08 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) and 18 more dates | HSH Museum, 333 Vine Street, Hammonton, 333 Vine Street, Hammonton, NJ, 08037, United States
Stop by our historic Museum; built in 1887, it served as a former-Town Hall, library, and kindergarten. Browse the exhibits, talk to our volunteers, and share your stories. We’d love to see you!

Monthly Membership Meeting
2024-10-03 18:00 - 18:45, 2024-11-07 18:00 - 18:45 (America/New_York) | Canoe Club at Hammonton Lake Park, 100 Sports Drive, Hammonton, 08037
Join us for our FREE-to-the-public Historical Society of Hammonton (HSH)’s monthly membership meeting which is held at the Canoe Club, Hammonton Lake Park.

The Historical Society of Hammonton Museum preserves the rich social, political economic and multi-cultural heritage of our town and its people. Our mission is to increase awareness of Hammonton’s history, and to establish public access to that history by collecting, conserving, interpreting and promoting it to the widest possible audience. Our historic 188s (former Town Hall/Library/Kindergarten) Museum, a treasure itself, is located behind Hammonton Veterans Memorial park in Leo Club Park at Veterans Memorial Park open to the public Tuesdays 10 a.m. to noon and every Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. New volunteers always welcome! Join the fun and learn about our great town!

Monthly Speaker Series Presentation - Railroads of Hammonton, Presented by Tony Macrie
2024-10-03 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Canoe Club at Hammonton Lake Park, 100 Sports Drive, Hammonton, 08037
The Historical Society of Hammonton (HSH) presents another fun FREE-to-ALL Speaker Series event on Thursday, October 3, at 7:00 PM at the Canoe Club Senior Center, Hammonton Lake Park. No pre-registration required.

Tony Macrie, owner of the Seashore Lines R.R., will focus on the railroads that built Hammonton as we know it. His mother’s back yard on Washington St. was just feet away from the Reading Railroad line, where “The Seashore’s Finest Train”, the famous Central of N. J. RR Blue Comet, with its unique low-pitched steamship whistle, caused children to race to the tracks on their bicycles and “children young and old” to step outside along the line to take in the wonderous site. The train brought vacationers back and forth from New York and points in between, crossing 12th St. in each direction twice a day in its early years, stopping at the beautiful Reading Station on West End Ave. It’s gone now, torn down after 1933, but concrete traces next to Mazza’s Antique Marketplace parking lot are silent reminders.
Tony had trains in his blood early on, visiting the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL) staging yards where multiple steam engines would idle all night waiting for their morning assignments. Signs of these yards are still very recognizable today, including the paved expanse behind the 12th St. Wawa, the New Jersey Transit Station parking lot, and the strip between N. Egg Harbor and Railroad Ave. Tony witnessed the 1950’s arrival of the PRSL rail diesel cars (RDC’s) that changed the face of rail service in the area. His Tuckahoe-based Seashore Lines owns all nine surviving PRSL RDC units, and many other historic railroad treasures.
This month’s presentation will also pay tribute to the Camden and Atlantic Railroad, the rail line that originally transformed Hammonton in the 1850’s, literally moving the ‘center of town’ for a third time in less than fifty years, this time from the present super Wawa site on White Horse Pike, then called Main Road. The railroad brought hundreds of thousands of travelers to enjoy the new resorts of Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore. For Hammonton, the railroad opened up Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Boston, Albany and Portland and far beyond to the region’s agricultural and manufactured goods. Commuting became much easier too.
Two parallel lines would soon follow, each competing for the fastest service, with speeds of 90 mph common. At peak times, over 30 passenger trains a day would pass through town, plus multiple extras and freight trains. The two lines were merged in 1933 for safety and economic reasons. Previously, as more automobiles plied the byways, crossing the two high-speed lines passing through town, barely two blocks apart, and both double-tracked, was extremely dangerous, and crossings expensive to man. Americas’ new automotive freedom began the railroads’ struggle to attract passengers that continues to this day. The streets, lands, buildings, and forests around Hammonton uncover so much about this incredible period of history that built “our world” as we know it.
Our Museum, built in 1887, is a treasure in itself. Formerly the Hammonton Town Hall, it also served as a Town Library and Kindergarten. Located in Hammonton Veterans Memorial Park, it is open to the public on Tuesdays from 10 AM to Noon and Saturdays from 11 AM to 2 PM.
We are always looking for new member and volunteers, even if you’re new to Hammonton. Volunteering with us is a fun way to learn about and appreciate our great town. We uncover exciting new bits of Hammonton history every week! Our Museum also sells many books highlighting local history, including out-of-print titles. All proceeds support the Historical Society of Hammonton.

Monthly Speaker Series Presentation - Doctors of Hammonton, Dr. Biren Tandan
2024-11-07 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Canoe Club at Hammonton Lake Park, 100 Sports Drive, Hammonton, 08037
The Historical Society of Hammonton (HSH) presents another fun FREE-to-ALL Speaker Series event on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Canoe Club Senior Center, Hammonton Lake Park. No pre-registration required.
Join us for a fascinating journey through Hammonton’s medical history! From the town’s earliest days, dedicated doctors have been at the heart of the community. Some traveled to remote settlements, while others, like the legendary James Still—known as the “Old Black Doctor of the Crossroads”—offered remedies beyond conventional training. Hammonton’s first resident physician, Dr. Joseph H. North Sr., arrived from Maine in 1858, creating a legacy that lasted for generations. Over the years, Hammonton has been home to many similarly devoted doctors.

Our speaker, Dr. Biren Tandan, M.D., is a renowned Urological Surgeon who immigrated from India to the United States in 1972. Establishing his practice on White Horse Pike in 1973 and later moving to Bellevue Avenue in 1980, Dr. Tandan has been a dedicated physician in Hammonton for decades. A long-time member of Kiwanis, he now “semi-retired,” serves as a consultant to Ancora Hospital, volunteers at a charity clinic in Cape May Courthouse, and participates in the Health Tap network, supporting patients worldwide. Dr. Tandan will share stories of Hammonton’s notable doctors, spanning from the town’s founding to the present day, in what promises to be an enlightening evening.

The presentation begins at 7:00 PM, following the HSH Monthly Membership Meeting at 6:00 PM, open to all. If attending just the lecture, we recommend arriving around 6:45-6:50 PM. Refreshments will be available.

Don’t miss this chance to learn about Hammonton’s rich medical heritage and Dr. Tandan’s inspiring contributions to the community.

The Historical Society of Hammonton is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich, multi-cultural social, economic, and political heritage of our town and its people. Our mission is to increase awareness of Hammonton’s rich history and to establish public access by collecting, conserving, interpreting, and promoting it to the widest possible audience.
Our Museum, built in 1887, is a treasure in itself. Formerly the Hammonton Town Hall, it also served as a Town Library and Kindergarten. Located in Hammonton Veterans Memorial Park, it is open to the public on Tuesdays from 10 AM to Noon and Saturdays from 11 AM to 2 PM.
We are always looking for new member and volunteers, even if you’re new to Hammonton. Volunteering with us is a fun way to learn about and appreciate our great town. We uncover exciting new bits of Hammonton history every week! Our Museum also sells many books highlighting local history, including out-of-print titles. All proceeds support the Historical Society of Hammonton.
