Collingswood

Officially established in 1888, Collingswood was built on strong Christian values, as evidenced by its many houses of worship and its longstanding ban on serving or selling alcoholic beverages--a policy still in effect today. The town's proximity to Camden and Philadelphia and a beautiful expansive park in the center of town helped to feed its early growth. In fact, at the beginning of the 20th century, town fathers proclaimed Collingswood "the fastest growing community east of the Mississippi River." Collingswood chronicles the early development and remarkable growth up to the mid1900s of this southern New Jersey town through treasured images of the downtown district, church life, community affairs, government, streetscapes, Knight Park, and more.

Janet M. Spavlik grew up in Collingswood and graduated from Collingswood High School. An alumna of Rutgers University, she has been a writer and editor for more than a decade, including six years on the staff on the StarLedger, New Jersey's largest daily newspaper. In Collingswood, she has drawn largely upon the Collingswood Public Library's extensive collection of historic materials as well as her own and other private collections.