274 West Main Street, Moorestown

The house at 274 West Main Street is a contributing property in the Moorestown Historic District listed on the National and State Historic Registers.

The frame Elisha Barcklow House at #274 was built c. 1765 and was a witness to the Revolutionary War. The oldest part of the house was built of logs which are now covered by siding. It was named after Barcklow who lived there in the late 19th century. Barcklow and his son J. Harry Barcklow ran a butcher shop in a small building in front and to the west of the house, which is no longer there.

Barcklow House, 1890s

Barcklow Meat Market

William Roberts purchased the house from Thomas Matlack in 1792 and built the eastern brick addition c. 1795. Oral tradition holds that the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad during the residence of Quaker William Roberts and his family and the house is recognized as such by the New Jersey Historical Commission in its “Guide to the Underground Railroad in New Jersey.”

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Another notable resident of #274 included Jeremiah “Al” LeConey, who won a gold medal as the anchor for the American 4 x 100 meter relay team in the 1924 Olympics.

Photo of Al LeConey used to create a postage stamp commemorating the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games

Commemorative 3 cent postage stamp, 1932

Additional notable residents include Richard R. Wood, president of the National Peace Conference and former editor of the Quaker publications “The Friend” and the “The Friends Intelligencer.” William W. Cadbury, another resident from 1949-1959, was a physician, professor, researcher, author, and medical missionary who, along with his wife Catherine Jones Cadbury, spent 40 years in Canton, China, improving the quality of healthcare at Canton Hospital.

Barcklow House, present day