On a lonely stretch of overgrown ground just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge stands a building built in 1734 that played a major part in the Revolutionary War.
Built by the grandson of Camden’s founder William Cooper, the Benjamin Cooper Tavern offered food and beverages to people crossing the Delaware River from Philadelphia on the Cooper’s Point Ferry.
It continued to serve as an inn, a tavern and ferry headquarters, and was the center of many battles in South Jersey during the English Army’s Philadelphia Campaign 1777-78.
“Welcome to North Camden. Today we are reclaiming Camden’s story,” Mayor Vic Carstarphen said during groundbreaking ceremonies for a $4 million restoration project to the historic building at 75 Erie Street on Monday morning, July 7.
The objective is to transform the building into the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey ahead of America’s 250th birthday in July 2026.
“The Coopers have a long history in Camden and the city has played a huge role in maritime history,” the mayor said. “It is great timing to begin this work with the 250th anniversary approaching.”
“This is a great day. We are reclaiming a piece of Camden’s soul,” Councilwoman Jannette Ramossaid. “This is a new chapter of preserving and protecting our history.”
“It is so good to be here. This piece of land is so important. This tavern is about the story of our country,” said US Congressman Donald Norcross (D-1), who helped get a $500,000 grant from the Community Development Fund for the project.
“I coached for four years with the North Camden Little League, and passed this building hundreds of times. Thanks to the Camden County Historical Society for giving us guidance,” said NJ Assemblyman Bill Moen (D-5), who was able to obtain as $650,000 state grant to help restore the tavern.
“We are honored and very excited” about the restoration, said Jennifer Fleisher, a member of the Camden County Board of Commissioners that awarded a $350,000 grant to help fund the project.
“The Benjamin Cooper Tavern is one of Camden City’s most significant historic sites, so it is imperative that we preserve it for generations to come,” Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said. “This project will keep an important piece of regional history alive and will allow residents and visitors to learn more about the history that surrounds them on a daily basis. We are thrilled to see this project move forward and cannot wait to visit the museum once it is completed.”
“This is the most historic surviving building in Camden,” said Chris Perks, president of the Camden County Historical Society Board of Directors that was able to secure a 30-year lease for the property and get a $1.4 million grant from the NJ Historic Trust.
Society Executive Director Jack O’Byrne said they learned that someone had purchased the 17-acre industrial site the tavern was on and “we were concerned that they may have plans to demolish it. The owner was supportive of our plan to raise money to restore it and create the new museum.”
The building was in terrible shape and there was a 2012 fire that tore through the roof. The temporary roof was put on two years later, so the interior was exposed to the elements all that time, he said.
“It’s amazing that the floors did not collapse and the walls didn’t cave it. In February 2024 we started the stabilization of the interior and restoration of the exterior,” said O’Byrne, adding that the original 1734 building is all there, as well as the 1830’s expansion and the 1917 wing.
The Skirmish at Cooper’s Ferry happened there in March 1778 and the Hessians came and went through there for the Battle of Red Bank. Some 15,000 troops went through during the evacuation of Philadelphia on the way to the skirmish in Haddonfield and the Battle of Monmouth. The New Jersey Militia attacked the British encampment there, and 32 were taken prisoner or killed at the site, O’Byrne said.
Plans for the museum include displays about the many Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes in South Jersey during the Philadelphia Campaign.
“We’ll finish the exterior masonry and the first floor interior and open before July 4, 2026. When we first did our preservation plan in 2021, the estimate to complete the project was $2.9 million,” O’Byrne said. “Because of construction increases, inflation, tariffs, etc., the final cost will be closer to $5 million, and we still need to raise $1.5 million more to finish. If we raise the additional funds, we can finish the project by the 250th anniversary of the British occupation of Philadelphia in September 2027, which is the start of our local American Revolution history.”
In the early 19th century, the Benjamin Cooper House served as a pleasure garden and was open in the springs and summers to the public. It served as the last ferry tavern in Camden and as a saloon in its later years, known as the Old Stone Jug.
In the 21st century it will become a museum, thanks to a group effort by the Camden County Historical Society and local, county, state and federal agencies, and it will continue its life teaching future generations about the history of the United States of America.
