Lawnside Heritage Day

Lawnside Heritage Day festival will be held both in Lawnside Park and at the Peter Mott House.

In 1840 the land developed as Lawnside was purchased by Abolitionists for freed and escaped slaves with the still standing Peter Mott House being a safe haven for escaped slaved traveling the Underground Railroad. March 23, 1926, New Jersey Governor A. Harry Moore signed into law State Assembly Bill 561, dissolved Center Township – of which Lawnside was a part – and incorporated the Borough of Lawnside. This first election propelled Lawnside into the local and national spotlight and claimed its place in history, becoming the first independent self-governing African-American community north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Lawnside continued to remain a staple and landmark throughout the Civil Rights Era while still maintain their rich historic roots.