Capital Campaign

 

Help Preserve the Walt Whitman House Historic Neighborhood!

 

The Walt Whitman Association, stewards of the legacy and home of one of America’s greatest poets has announced a major capital campaign. Funds raised will be used to assist in the restoration and expansion of the three 19th Century homes attached to the Walt Whitman House in Camden, New Jersey. The expansion will protect and preserve the Walt Whitman House which is flanked on both sides by the three town homes. The project will allow for a better visitor experience including handicapped accessibility, educational and exhibit areas, rest rooms and archival space for the historic site’s extensive collection of Whitman artifacts.
Walt Whitman moved to Camden in 1873 where he later bought the only house he ever owned and lived there until his death in 1892. Walt came to Camden due to circumstance but said “Camden was originally an accident, but I shall never be sorry I was left over in Camden. It has brought me blessed returns”.
A National Historic Landmark, the Walt Whitman House and the other buildings are owned and managed by the State of New Jersey, Division of Parks and Forestry, with daily tours and events for students and admirers of the “Good Gray Poet”. Each year almost 4000 guests visit the house with 20% of them coming from out of the USA. Walt’s house www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/historic/whitman helps put Camden on the map!

One of the three homes to be restored in the Walt Whitman Neighborhood project was also the home of Stephen Decatur Button, a well known area 19th Century area architect credited with the design of the recently restored Arch Street Presbyterian Church which sits at the base of the Comcast Towers in Philadelphia. Button also designed many of Cape May’s finest hotels and homes after the devastating fire of 1878. Fully restored, the Walt Whitman Neighborhood will be a jewel of Camden and contribute to Camden’s ongoing revitalization.

The Walt Whitman Association is a 501c3non-profit organization with donations eligible for tax deduction as allowed by law. Donations can be mailed directly to the Association at the address below. Funds raised by the campaign will be restricted to the campaign to augment eligible NJ State funds to complete the restoration by Walt’s 200th birthday in 2019. The Association will be seeking major gifts but a social media campaign has also been established – gifts may be made through our GO FUND ME site as well by clicking the link below.

Walt Whitman Association, 326 Mickle Blvd., Camden, NJ 08103

For more information and press ready photographs contact John McPeak at jfmcpeak@outlook.com