Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Until 1961, Cherry Hill was known as Delaware Township. From its inception in 1844, Delaware Township was an agrarian community dotted with gristmills, blacksmith shops, and taverns. Many farmers earned their livings by selling produce to the Campbell’s Soup Company, which had its canning plant in Camden until the 1980s. Delaware Township remained relatively quiet until the 1920s, when the first residential building boom resulted in neighborhoods such as Colwick, Erlton, Woodland, and Barlow. It was changed forever in 1942, when Vineland businessman Eugene Mori opened the Garden State Park racetrack, which became a popular destination for war-weary workers. Mori also opened the Cherry Hill Inn in 1954. The old Cherry Hill Farm and its brilliant cherry trees would inspire the township’s residents to change their community’s name to Cherry Hill seven years later. Cherry Hill, New Jersey captures the growth of this charming suburban community from the early 20th century through the 1990s. See local landmarks that have long since vanished, such as the Latin Casino, the Cherry Hill Inn, the original Garden State Park, and the Cherry Hill Arena, as well as old farmsteads, street scenes, and the people that helped shape the community.