New Jersey is home to a number of African American historic sites and, since February is African American History Month, I plan to feature a number of these sites on Things To Do In New Jersey this month. Many of these sites are free or inexpensive to visit and offer an important perspective on the role New Jersey and its citizens played in the quest for freedom for enslaved blacks, the struggle for civil rights for 20th century African Americans, and African American citizens who played a prominent role in the history of New Jersey and our nation. Today, I’d like to feature the Peter Mott House in Lawnside, New Jersey.

Peter Mott was born in Delaware in 1807. He and his wife, Elizabeth Ann, settled in the free black community of Snow Hill (which would later become Lawnside), New Jersey in the 1830s. He established a small farm and conducted other business in Snow Hill as well as in other nearby communities. Mott was also an ordained minister and served as the first superintendent of the Sunday School at Mount Pisgah AME Church.

In 1844, Peter Mott built his home on land purchased from Jacob C. White, Sr., a wealthy African American dentist who was also an active participant in the Underground Railroad. The Mott farm and home became an important stop along the Underground Railroad, where fugitive slaves headed toward more northern states and Canada found refuge until Rev. Mott carried them in his horse-drawn wagon to their next stops in the nearby Quaker communities of Moorestown and Haddonfield.

The Peter Mott House is a rare example of an Underground Railroad site owned by a free black man in an African American community. Even more unusual is that the historic home survives to this day, thanks to the Mount Pisgah AME Church, the Lawnside Historical Society, and other members of the Lawnside community. The house is maintained by the Lawnside Historical Society and serves as a museum, offering visitors the opportunity to experience what life was like for both free and enslaved blacks in pre-Civil War America and to learn more about the great risks taken by “conductors” and travelers along the Underground Railroad in order to secure freedom for fugitive slaves.

The Peter Mott House is located at 26 Kings Court (off of Moore Ave.) in Lawnside, New Jersey and is open to visitors Saturdays from noon to 3pm and on weekdays by appointment. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students. For more information, visit the Peter Mott House online or call 856-546-8850.