Largely forgotten today, Deptford’s Isaac Tatum Hopper was a well-knnown and respected abolitionist and reformer in the 19th century. Before the Civil War Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley were hubs of the Underground Railroad, and Tatum became a leading member of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. He was said to have aided over 3,000 Freedom Seekers and was a friend and advisor in all emergencies. He also became a major figure in the cause of prison reform. His deep concern with the welfare of others had its roots in his Quaker upbringing here in Gloucester County.
On Thursday, November 10, 7 p.m., Brian Perucki will bring to light the fascinating story of this forgotten social reformer at the Harrison Township Historical Society’s Old Town Hall Museum in Mullica Hill. Perucki is a History and Education Major at Rowan University and was selected to lecture at the museum through a new partnership between the Society and the University’s
History Department highlighting the Department’s outstanding students. This past summer Perucki participated in the Red Bank Battlefield archaeological dig and enjoyed unearthing historical artifacts. His presentation unearths the life and work of Isaac Hopper and raises the question of who and what it takes to address issues of social injustice.
Hopper is one of the Gloucester Countians featured in the Society’s current exhibition, Hometown Revolutionaries: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. This new installation explores the themes of America’s Semiquincentennial by examining the lives of local people who have done revolutionary and pioneering things from 1776 to the present day. The exhibition is open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m. through December 5 as well as before and after the lecture. The exhibition and lecture are supported in part by a grant from the Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Rowan College of South Jersey in partnership with the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State.
Old Town Hall Museum is located at 62 S. Main St. in the heart of Mullica Hill’s Historic District. Admission is free and information can be found at harrisonhistorical.com, 856-478-4949 and hthsmhnj@gmail.com.
