The Historical Society of Moorestown is dedicated to preserving the history of Moorestown Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, and to providing opportunities for the community to learn about the past and further understand and appreciate the history of Moorestown and the surrounding area. The Historical Society library, housed in the Smith-Cadbury Mansion, serves as a local repository for all things Moorestown including genealogical resources, local and state historical documents, photos and books, local family scrapbooks, information about historic buildings and houses in the area, historic maps, local school yearbooks, and city directories. One of the Historical Society’s first acts after forming in 1969 was, in 1970, to purchase one of the oldest houses in Moorestown which happened to be for sale at the time. Today the Smith-Cadbury Mansion sits off of Main Street in Moorestown on a tiny pie-shaped lot, surrounded by 19th and 20th century homes. But when the house was built in 1738 or before, it was the centerpiece of a large farm located just to the south of the old Kings Highway (now Main St.), with the front door (now a side door) facing the road. Because of modern development, the house is now entered off of High Street, just south of Main Street. The center portion of the dwelling is the original section, with the parlor and kitchen wings added sometime before the late 1760s. Even with a few Victorian porch amenities and some interior changes during the 20th century, the house still retains the ambience of the mid-eighteenth century. The house was built by Joshua Humphries, possibly on the foundation of an even older home. In 1766 the 160-acre property was purchased by Samuel Smith of Burlington, who was a state provincial assemblyman, Treasurer of the Province of West Jersey and the author of the first comprehensive history of New Jersey. Although Samuel never lived in this house, the farm was inherited in 1775 by his son, Richard S., who lived here for all of his adult life. Richard was a merchant, a farmer, a state assemblyman and township freeholder and committeeman. Today the Smith-Cadbury Mansion, so named by the Historical Society, is the headquarters of the Society. The home is fortunate to contain much of the original paneling, floorboards, fireplaces and even window glass. As a dwelling continuously lived in from 1738 to 1969, today the furnishings of the museum-house reflect styles from the 18th and 19th century and are not pristine to a particular time. There are many items in the collection that have passed through the Cadbury and other local families. Among the important pieces in the Historical Society collection are samplers including one of the earliest schoolgirl samplers made at the Westtown School, quilts, early Quaker clothing, tall-case clocks such as a Peter Stretch clock from Philadelphia, and a Morgan Hollingshead clock from Moorestown, a William McElroy Windsor chair made in Moorestown, and other fine antique furniture. Off the 1738 dining room, the Historical Society maintains a lovely Gift Shop in a Victorian enclosed porch. Here visitors can purchase a variety of items for house and garden and books on local history. The Smith-Cadbury Mansion is listed on the New Jersey State and National Register of Historic Places and has been recognized by the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century with an official plaque.