An educational resource for teachers and students interested in learning about the contributions women from Haddonfield, New Jersey, made to their community, country, or world.
1. Women’s History Month
Haddonfield, New Jersey
An educational resource for teachers and students
interested in learning about the contributions women
from Haddonfield, New Jersey,
made to their community, country or world.
Prepared by: Christie Castorino, HMHS Class of 2017
Illustrations by: Jennifer Cossaboon, HMHS Class of 2008
2. Why women’s history?
“Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to
history, culture and society. The United States has observed it annually
throughout the month of March since 1987.”
SOURCE: http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month
5. Elizabeth Haddon
• Born March 25, 1680 in Bermondsey, England
• At the age of 21, traveled to America to claim her Father’s land
• Elizabeth called the land “Haddon Field”
• Married John Estaugh in 1702
• John was a Quaker minister and they never had children
• Built home on Wood Lane for Elizabeth’s parents in 1713
• Elizabeth named it “New Haddonfield Plantation” and her parents never visited
• In 1721, on behalf of her father, donated one acre of land for a Quaker
Meetinghouse and burial ground
• In 2016, the Meetinghouse and burial ground is still in use
6. Why is an apron used to represent Elizabeth
Haddon?
The only article of clothing known to belong to Elizabeth Haddon is an
apron. The apron has the initials “EH” embroidered on it. To see the
apron in person, visit the Historical Society of Haddonfield located at
343 Kings Highway East in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
7. Beulah Sansom Morris Rhoads
• Born in 1829, her family home was located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia
• Her childhood home was declared a National Park Service site because President
George Washington lived there during the 1793/1794 yellow fever epidemic
• At the age of 42, she married Charles Rhoads, they lived in Haddonfield
• Beulah and her husband noticed African American children from Saddlertown had to
walk many miles to get an education in Haddonfield
• Beulah and her husband donated money to build a two-story school house in
Saddlertown which, in 2016, is still in use as a church on Rhoads Avenue in Haddon
Township, New Jersey
• In 1875, Beulah was elected a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences in
Philadelphia
• Beulah made donations of $100 in her own name to the Academy in 1896 and 1900
• In 1902, she was one of seven donors who helped the Academy acquire valuable
birds including the Galapagos penguin. The bird collection continues to help with
educational studies in the 21st century!
8. Why is a road sign and bird used to represent
Beulah Sansom Morris Rhoads?
The Borough of Haddonfield named Rhoads Avenue after Beulah and
her family. The bird represents the contributions Mrs. Rhoads made to
the study and continuing education of ornithology (the study of birds)
at the Academy of Natural Sciences which is located at 1900 Benjamin
Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
9. Margaret Bancroft
• Born on June 28, 1854
• At the age of 25, Margaret rented a house in Haddonfield and started a private boarding
school for one student
• In 1883, acquired property on Kings Highway East as headquarters for the first private
school in the United States for children with developmental disabilities or neurological
impairments
• Died on January 3, 1912
• Margaret left specific instructions in her will for her school to continue forever
• In 2016, with multiple locations throughout the Southern New Jersey region, Bancroft
Neurohealth continues to help thousands of children and adults with autism, acquired
brain injuries and other intellectual or developmental disabilities
10. Why show a child reading a book to represent
Margaret Bancroft?
Margaret Bancroft recognized the need to create a safe environment
with specially trained instructors to provide all children, no matter what
their economic situation may be, with a compassionate place to learn.
11. Joan Aiken
• Born on October 10, 1911 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• In 1967, founded the Haddonfield Preservation Society
• In 1971, Joan helped Haddonfield establish a historic district which was the second
historic district in the State of New Jersey (Cape May was 1st)
• 488 homes are in the Haddonfield historic district
• No home in the historic district may be torn down
• The historic district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the New
Jersey Register of Historic Places
• Joan is remembered for challenging a homeowner for painting their home located within
the historic district purple
• The homeowner won, purple is a Victorian color!
Additional source:
http://articles.philly.com/2000-07-11/news/25608998_1_historic-district-historic-buildings-preservation-council
12. Why is a “no purple” sign used to represent
Joan Aiken?
In a very public and controversial debate between a homeowner and
Mrs. Aiken, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Historic
District in Haddonfield, Mrs. Aiken did not believe homeowners should
paint a historic home purple. In the end, the homeowners had the right
to paint their historic home any color they desired. In fact, purple is
considered a Victorian color!
13. Dorcas Bates Reilly
• Born on July 22, 1926 in Camden, New Jersey
• In 1947, graduated from the Home Economics program at Drexel University
• Today the program is called Goodwin’s Hospitality Management Culinary Arts and Food Science
Program
• Worked as a test kitchen supervisor at Campbell’s Soup Company
• In 1955, her team was tasked with creating a side dish using Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom
soup, green beans and fried onions
• After the first taste, Dorcas added a dash of soy sauce to the side dish
• This side dish recipe became the most requested recipe in the history of the Campbell’s and is
now known as the Green Bean Casserole – a Thanksgiving tradition in the United States!
• In 2002, Dorcas was inducted in the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame
• In 2013, Drexel University created the Dorcas Reilly Scholarship and presented her with the first ever,
Drexel University Cultural Contribution Award
14. Why use a dragon to represent
Dorcas Bates Reilly?
Take a closer look at the dragon. You will see a scholarship scroll in one
talon and green beans in the other! The dragon is the mascot of Drexel
University, where Mrs. Reilly is an alumni. Drexel University also created
a scholarship in her name for her innovative work leading the team that
created the Green Bean Casserole.
15. Rosedale “Rosie” Hymerling
• Born in Vineland, New Jersey on April 29, 1946
• Rosie is the daughter of first-generation immigrants
• As a daughter of immigrants, love of country is an important lesson for Rosie to share
• Rosie taught kindergarten for 40 years
• In 1971, Rosie started teaching at the J. Fithian Tatem Elementary School in Haddonfield
• After retiring, Rosie serves on the Board of Directors at The College of New Jersey
• Rosie has led kindergarten students in patriotic songs at the annual Flag Day ceremony in
Haddonfield for over 40 years
• Rosie and her husband Lee are philanthropists and enjoy supporting the arts, such as the
Markeim Art Center, the Garden State Discovery Museum, the Symphony in C and
Interfaith Care Givers
• In addition, Rosie and Lee are known for their annual Halloween open house, since 1987,
when hundreds of ghosts and goblins are invited inside their home to receive fresh, hot,
homemade sugar doughnuts made by Rosie and friends
16. Why use a pumpkin surrounded by
doughnuts to represent Rosie Hymerling?
Since 1987, Mrs. Hymerling has opened her home to thousands of
ghosts and goblins on Halloween. Each visitor is offered a fresh, hot,
homemade doughnut while they trick or treat.
17. Debra Hill
• Born on November 10, 1950, Debra was a 1968 graduate from Haddonfield Memorial High School
• During her high school years, Debra would babysit her neighbor’s children on weekends. While
babysitting, neighborhood kids would try to scare her by knocking on the doors and windows
after she put the children to sleep
• Debra took writing classes and her instructor suggested she write about what she knows as a starting
point – she used her babysitting experiences as a baseline story for a screenplay
• In 1978, Debra and director John Carpenter co-wrote the scary film, “Halloween” about a psychopath
terrorizing a babysitter in a fictional town called Haddonfield, Illinois.
• In 2003, Debra was honored by Women in Film for breaking barriers in an industry dominated by men.
Debra was one of the few women in the filmmaking industry
• Debra formed a production company that produced “Adventures in Babysitting,” “Heartbreak Hotel,”
and “Clue”
• Debra passed away at the age of 54 from cancer
18. Why use a scary slasher to represent
Debra Hill?
Ms. Hill rose to fame as a groundbreaking writer and producer in Hollywood
with the film, Halloween, which was released in 1978. Today, Halloween
remains the top, cult classic in this genre.
19. Letitia Colombi
• Born on February 10, 1945
• Grew up in Odessa, Texas
• Best known as “Tish” Colombi
• First woman elected to the Haddonfield Board of Commissioners in
1985
• 2001, became the first female mayor
• Held the office of mayor for 12 years
• Served the residents of Haddonfield for 28 years
• Retired from public service in 2013
20. Why use a ballot box to represent
Letitia Colombi?
Letitia “Tish” Colombi is the first woman to serve as an elected official in
the Borough of Haddonfield. First, as a Commissioner and later as Mayor,
when “Tish” received the most votes after all of the ballots were counted!
21. Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh continues to influence the Haddonfield
community, 300+ years after her arrival in in the United States.
The Elizabeth Haddon Impact
22. “I feel a strong connection to Elizabeth Haddon, who we all should be
indebted to for being brave enough to come to Haddonfield at 21-years-
old [in 1701] and establish this community. Hopefully I have been a role
model for other women who I hope will step forward in the future.”
Letitia “Tish” G. Colombi
First female mayor of Haddonfield, New Jersey
The Elizabeth Haddon Impact
24. Answers to icon match
Dorcas Reilly Margaret Bancroft Elizabeth Haddon Beulah Sansom Morris Rhoads
Joan Aiken Debra Hill Letitia Colombi Rosedale Hymerling
25. Additional Haddonfield icons to research:
• Aimee Belgard
• Joanna Cassidy
• Betty Cavana
• Erin Donahue
• Julia Bedford Gill
• Debbie Meyer
• Sarah Kay Norris
• Mary Previte
• Bess Taylor
26. Acknowledgements
• Special thanks to:
• My 8th grade history teacher: Mr.
Travis Thomas, for the idea to create
this presentation
• Mrs. Kim Custer, for her review and
input for historical accuracy
• Ms. MaryEllen DeMille, for
sponsoring my Gold Award
• My mom, who I asked to lead my Girl
Scout troop when I was in first grade
and she saw me through to the end
• The Borough of Haddonfield, for a
wonderful place to grow up and live
• Additional sources:
• History.com: Women’s History Month
• Philly.com: Obituary of Joan Aiken
• Heroines of Haddonfield, 2013
• Rosedale Hymerling, interview
• Dorcas Bates Reilly, interview
• Academy of Natural Sciences website:
Beula-Morris-Rhoads
• The Historical Society of Haddonfield
Research Library
27. For more information
Visit your local library, the Historical Society of Haddonfield or visit a living icon for
a live discussion and add her to the list of Haddonfield women who have made the
world a better place.
2016 Gold Award Project, Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey: Christie Castorino
