The Material Culture Museum

Morgan’s Hall was located at the corner of Fourth and Market Streets in Camden.  Construction on Morgan’s Hall was completed on October 5, 1848.  Originally named Odd Fellows Hall at a dedication ceremony on November 8, 1849, the three-story building was designed to host local lodges.  After a lack of interest, Odd Fellows Hall was sold to John Morgan in 1851 for $6,000.  Morgan, who appropriately enough renamed the building after himself, remodeled it and added space for private residences.  By 1867, the building had undergone these changes and also had a new stucco outer covering.

The hall was “considered the fanciest public meeting place in Camden,” that is, until the opening of the Temple Theater across the street in 1892 (“Morgan’s Hall”).  In the mid-1930’s, Walter and Ernestine Griffins began managing the building.  Ernestine is believed to have opened The Owl’s Studio (a dance instruction facility) around 1933.  During the 1930s, the Griffins promoted many dances in Morgan’s Hall.  Throughout the 1930s and 40s, Morgan’s Hall hosted many weddings, contests, and other public and private events.

Morgan’s Hall was located right next to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, which remains in service today.  The latest records of activity at Morgan’s Hall date back to 1947.  According to the New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory, no listing for Morgan’s Hall exists after 1959.

Although there’s little evidence that Whitman spent much time at Morgan’s Hall, it was the site of his often written-about seventieth birthday celebration.  On May 31, 1889, a large crowd gathered to salute Whitman and partake in revelry that included an array of fine foods, desserts, and cigars—not to mention the company of a diverse crowd of writers, lawyers, and businessmen.

Many credit Whitman’s residence in Camden for having brought many notable writers and artists through the city.  According to biographer David S. Reynolds, Whitman’s visitors included Oscar Wilde, Edmund Gosse, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (3).  Reynolds opens his Walt Whitman’s America: A Cultural Biography with a detailed account of the celebration.  He describes not only the attendees, mood, and atmosphere of the day, but also provides us with some images of the inside of the hall:

The heavy skies that day threatened rain, but the atmosphere inside Morgan’s was festive.  Three long rows of dinner tables, two of them parallel with the third crossing them at the top, were the picture of elegance, with dazzling whit tablecloths and flowers everywhere.  Banners festooned the walls, and a band played from a platform. (3)

Although the hall was beautifully decorated and the party enthusiastically attended, Whitman had, by this point, begun to tire of such public celebrations.  In fact, he intended to only stay at the party for a few minutes, but ended up spending two to three hours there.  During the festivities, an ailing Whitman sipped champagne and listened to the greetings and toasts of those in attendance and those who had sent remarks.  According to Reynolds, “When he left Morgan’s Hall that stormy May evening he took with him a rose and a memory of a grand occasion.” (6).  Although the setting of this grand occasion is not longer in business here in Camden, this major literary event drew a great deal of attention to the city.  Like the Walt Whitman House and Harleigh Cemetery today, Morgan’s Hall, in its heyday, drew residents and out-of-staters alike to its offerings of a glimpse into Whitman’s literary career. 

Today, the building next to St. Paul’s is considered 400 Market Street.  The unmarked building houses several small business and medical offices.

Works Cited

Reynolds, David S. Walt Whitman’s America: A Cultural Biography. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Print.

“Morgan’s Hall.” Delaware Valley Rhythm and Blues Society. Web. 7 November 2009.