Lawnside is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Lawnside was developed in 1840 and incorporated in 1926 as the first independent, self-governing Black municipality north of the Mason–Dixon line. As of the 2020 United States census, approximately 75% of the borough's 2,955 population still identified as Black or African American, although this percentage has declined over the past two census periods.https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/assets/PDFs/census/2020/2020%20pl94%20Tables/2020_Mun/MCD%200_All.pdf Total Population: Census 2010 - Census 2020 New Jersey Municipalities], New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022. The population in 2020 had increased by 10 (+0.3%) from the 2010 census count of 2,945,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Lawnside borough, Camden County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 7, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Lawnside borough , New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed October 7, 2012.
History
Lawnside has been home to African Americans since the late 18th century. Methodist gatherings were established by 1797, and in 1811, Bishop Richard Allen of Philadelphia founded the local African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), which eventually became the Mount Pisgah AME Church today.Romisher, Jason. "Lawnside, New Jersey", The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Accessed February 18, 2025. AME churches were premised on abolition and civil rights, primarily serving former slaves and their descendants. Additionally, freedmen often sought safety and support by concentrating near Quaker allies, which in the case of Lawnside was the Haddonfield Quaker Society of Friends, with support from the Gloucester County Abolition Society and Vigilant Association of Philadelphia. In 1840, these latter abolitionists further advanced the settlement by purchasing land to convert into inexpensive lots for sale to African Americans. The original name of this community, Free Haven, was due to its crucial role as a stop (or even destination) along several routes of the Underground Railroad. Indeed, the home of Peter Mott, now a nationally recognized refuge of the underground railroad, was saved by the Lawnside Historical Society from demolition in 1992 specifically to preserve this important legacy of the town.The Story of Peter Mott, Peter Mott House. Accessed February 18, 2025
The early village was later known as "Snow Hill" after the Civil War and eventually "Lawnton." After a train station was constructed by Reading along the Atlantic City Railroad in 1907, the town became known as Lawnside, either from the presence of a spacious lawn at the station or as a shortened description of the stop's exit on the "Lawnton side" of the tracks.Home Page, Borough of Lawnside. Accessed September 2, 2015. "The current name of Lawnside was coined in 1907 when the Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad built a station stop there."Engel, Edward. "Rewinding Times Of Lawnside And Role As Ex-slave Haven E. Muneerah Higgs Focuses On A Town She Loved As A Child. Her Video Is Part Of A Film Festival Today.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 15, 1992. Accessed September 2, 2015. "Once known as Snow Hill, the town now had a new name: Free Haven. It took the name Lawnside in 1907 from the borough's station on the Reading Railroad's old Atlantic City line."
In 1919, John Lawson, a prominent Philadelphian and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service during the Civil War, was laid to rest at Mount Peace Cemetery in Lawnside. The exact reasons behind this location remain uncertain, with possibilities including family connections to Lawnside or the restrictions on burying black veterans in certain Pennsylvania cemeteries at the time.
On March 24, 1926, Governor of New Jersey A. Harry Moore signed into law New Jersey General Assembly Bill 561, dissolving Centre Township, of which Lawnside was a part, and incorporating the Borough of Lawnside, which also included portions of the borough of Barrington.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 107. Accessed May 29, 2024. One month later, on April 20, 1926, an "Official Special Election" was held making Lawnside the first independent, self-governing African American community north of the Mason–Dixon line."Lawnside: Rich and deep progress", Courier-Post, October 19, 2006. Accessed July 9, 2008. "In 1926, Lawnside was incorporated as a borough and became the first independent, self-governing black municipality north of the Mason-Dixon Line."
Despite historic discrimination from banks against African Americans, the incorporation of the town as a Black community allowed residents to achieve home ownership with minimal bureaucratic obstacles. This was also facilitated by local mortgage lenders like the Home Mutual Investment Company, established in 1909, and the Lawnside Mutual Building and Loan Association in 1915.
Lawnside's existence and reputation as a distinctive community was supported in the 1930s through the presence of a thriving jazz and barbecue scene in the wake of prohibition, with venues named the Cotton Club, The Hi-Hat Club, Dreamland Café, and Club Harlem. These establishments attracted visitors from across the northeast, offering the opportunity to enjoy performances by influential African American artists and celebrities who were not allowed to play at white establishments, including such superstars as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, LaWanda Page, Billy Eckstine, Arthur Prysock, and champion boxers Joe Louis and Jersey Joe Walcott.Walsh, Jim. "When Lawnside Jumped", Courier-Post, August 13, 1996. Accessed February 18, 2025, via Newspapers.com.
During the 1960s, Lawnside's young people, influenced by the Civil rights and Black power movements, led sit-ins, protest marches and media campaigns against the discrimination they faced at the regional Haddon Heights High School, which resulted in changes in school administration, increased representation in student life, the introduction of Black studies courses, and the formation of the Afro-American Cultural Society. On April 9, 1968, Lawnside civic leaders became the first governmental entity in the United States to declare the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. to be a holiday, just days after King's assassination.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.43 square miles (3.70 km2), all of which was land.
Lawnside borders the Camden County municipalities of Barrington, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Magnolia, Somerdale, Tavistock and Voorhees Township.Areas touching Lawnside, MapIt. Accessed February 25, 2020.Municipalities within Camden County, NJ, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Accessed February 25, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Lawnside borough, Camden County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)31921891.15%3.12%6.40%Black or African American alone (NH)2,4982,5722,21692.79%87.33%74.99%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)251500.93%0.51%0.00%Asian alone (NH)1442590.52%1.43%2.00%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)0010.00%0.00%0.03%Other race alone (NH)712180.26%0.41%0.61%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)53831321.97%2.82%4.47%Hispanic or Latino (any race)641293402.38%4.38%11.51%Total2,6922,9452,955100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Lawnside had a population of 2,955. The median age was 42.9 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 79.4 males.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,148 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.0% were married-couple households, 16.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 44.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,231 housing units, of which 6.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 2,945 people, 1,103 households, and 762 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,174 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 4.21% (124) White, 88.83% (2,616) Black or African American, 0.65% (19) Native American, 1.43% (42) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.66% (49) from other races, and 3.23% (95) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.38% (129) of the population.
Of the 1,103 households, 25.7% had children under the age of 18; 37.4% were married couples living together; 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households, 26.7% were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.23.
23.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 84.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 78.1 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $56,006 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,232) and the median family income was $58,790 (+/− $6,229). Males had a median income of $46,705 (+/− $9,519) versus $43,239 (+/− $9,333) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,086 (+/− $3,210). About 12.3% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Lawnside borough, Camden County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 7, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 2,692 people, 1,026 households, and 700 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 93.61% African American, 1.75% White, 1.00% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Lawnside borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 7, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Lawnside borough, Camden County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 7, 2012.
There were 1,026 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 22.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.23.