The Salem Road and Other Places

[Teegate]

All,

This morning Jessica and I, along with MikeBickerson, Jerseyman, and his friend Pete, visited a few locations of the Salem Road and other places in that area. Jerseyman and his friend gave Mike, Jessica, and I a tour. Our first agenda was jumping the bridge at the Brace road sign that Steve posted a photo of recently.


The Salem Road.

We visited a few other very interesting historic sites and then we visited Bonnie’s bridge. In the middle of a development just off of route 70 in Cherry hill there is a pre 1795 bridge that unbelievably still is intact. A woman named Bonnie purchased the house next to it and was asked if she wanted the bridge in her yard removed or kept, and she made a good decision. Hence Bonnie’s Bridge. It is on the National Register site and has a way cool stone

The brickwork on the right is recent to support the wall, but the rest is original.

Then one of our visits took us to to the John Kay house. I did not take any photo’s but I am mentioning it because Behr655 may have an interest in it. Does the Kay name sound familiar? It is very possible this was an ancestor of many of the Kay’s from the area. He has quite an interesting history.

Then we visited the Blue Hole. This is not the Blue Hole you might be thinking about...this one is in Cherry Hill. Jerseyman said this body of water is fed from an underground spring...hence a Blue Hole.

It was great meeting Mike and Pete for the first time, and as always a great experience meeting Jerseyman.


Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Pretty neat looking area for South Jersey. Some of the green really puts your mind off of winter.

Isn't John Kay the leader of Steppenwolf?

 

[BEHR655]

Yes, my wife is related to John Kay.
I recognize that blue hole. I did a couple of jobs around there. I didn't know it was considered a blue hole though.

Steve

 

[Teegate]

Yes, my wife is related to John Kay.
I recognize that blue hole. I did a couple of jobs around there. I didn't know it was considered a blue hole though.

Steve

According to Jerseyman he owned a sawmill across Brace road and his son was killed when a log hit him. He was so despondent he tore it down and sold the property and became a recluse in the house right near the Blue Hold. We visited it from the street and discussed the changes to it over the years. Apparently it may have had a fire and the discussion was that the portion that remained may have been the servants quarters.

That is an interesting area there. I can see why you would be getting work in that area.

Guy

 

[ecampbell]

Guy, where is Salem Road and that bridge?

Ed

 

[Jerseyman]

Guy, where is Salem Road and that bridge?

Ed

Ed:

Bonnie's Bridge is located in the Barclay Farms section of Cherry Hill just off Route 70. If you want more specific location information, please PM me in keeping with Ben's request not to provide detailed locational information for sites in a fragile state. During the tour we actually visited three sections of the Salem Road: the first is located just east of Brace Road in Cherry Hill near the Salem Road marker; the second section is the first part of Munn Lane leading towards Haddonfield, which you can actually drive on; and the third was a swale in which the Salem Road descended down to the Free Lodge milldam. This swale is located off North Park Drive in Cherry Hill between Kings Highway and Caldwell Road and today carries a drainage stream.

It was a most enjoyable tour! As I said to MikeBickerson, you really don't know what's in your own backyard!!

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[dragoncjo]

Having not known were salem road was I could tell it was in the cherry hill area just from the pictures of the forest, which have a unique look compared to other forest in south jersey. I wish there was some less disturbed areas in haddonfield, cherry hill, because the forest that do exists there(along the cooper river watershed) have a unique feel to them. They seem like very old forest similar to the mcarthur tract in haddon township, with nice cool streams running through them with little valley's here and there. I'd really love to know what kind of wildlife existed in these forest before the area became so developed. Very nice pictures and interesting post, always interesting to know what exists in my backyard. thanks
chris

 

[james ungehajer]

once again,great pics guy

 

[MikeBickerson]

Guy's are better than mine, but here are my pictures from the adventure. I really had no idea what was in my backyard (I live in an apartment... it's a figure of speach), so thank you Jerseyman and Guy for having me along!

While I was exploring Cherry Hill, and in between stops at the post office/store/bank/etc I made a few other stops in Cherry Hill at the Scarborough Bridge, the Barcley Farm, the Croft Farm, etc, so I put those pictures up too. That's why there are three pages of pictures...

Cherry Hill Adventure

 

[Jerseyman]

Guy's are better than mine, but here are my pictures from the adventure. I really had no idea what was in my backyard (I live in an apartment... it's a figure of speach), so thank you Jerseyman and Guy for having me along!

While I was exploring Cherry Hill, and in between stops at the post office/store/bank/etc I made a few other stops in Cherry Hill at the Scarborough Bridge, the Barcley Farm, the Croft Farm, etc, so I put those pictures up too. That's why there are three pages of pictures...

Cherry Hill Adventure

Mike:

Nice photos and I'm glad we inspired you to continue the tour solo! One of the sites we passed on our way in to see the Kay house was the home of Malcolm Wells, constructed in 1956 into the side of a hill. In case you didn't know it, Mike, Wells designed the covered bridge for Scarborough, which ties everything together quite nicely! If you have any questions about the other places you visited, just let me know.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[ecampbell]

I grew up in Cherry Hill and never knew of these places. I had friends who lived in Barlley Farms. I'll have to visit.

A sweetheart tree! I'm on one, about 1968, and it's in Cherry Hill. Maybe I'm famous.

Ed

 

[ecampbell]

Thanks Jerseyman,
I just wanted to have a mental picture of where in the township these were. It helps me place them in context when I'm reading about them.

Ed

 

[Teegate]

There were many trees in that area with writing on them with some old dates. (70's) Some of them were quite large and deep. Some were obscene.

Guy

 

[james ungehajer]

in my opinion,another instance of why they did not keep the original road for transportation to this day!! like tuckerton road,the old indian trails,half moon curves bypassing cedar bridge,at least we can still travel on old york road,oxmead road,rt.537,basically like the settlers did.

 

[Hinchman's Hill]

Thanks for the info and the posts

When I first moved to the Garden State in 1984, we lived in the Waterbug (a/k/a Waterford) apts, within easy walking distance of Munn Lane and the marker, but I never ventured into the woods until I read these posts. Thanks very much, I greatly enjoyed the experience.

 

[Teegate]

Glad you enjoyed the experience. Welcome!

Guy

 

[Jerseyman]

When I first moved to the Garden State in 1984, we lived in the Waterbug (a/k/a Waterford) apts, within easy walking distance of Munn Lane and the marker, but I never ventured into the woods until I read these posts. Thanks very much, I greatly enjoyed the experience.

Hinchman's Hill:

Welcome in! I'm glad you enjoyed the read through these posts and the thrill of walking the ground. History is all around us--we just need to open our eyes and find a guide to discover it!

Best regards,
Jerseyman