What a great opportunity for our E2PM Cultural Resource Staff to be involved in a special public Archaeology Day at Rutgers University – Camden on September 27, 2024. This archaeology day took place within the area of the proposed “Cooper Street Gateway Project,” in Camden, New Jersey. The day offered a chance to explore the past through archaeological discoveries before the area is developed into a new $60 million state of the art Faculty of Arts and Sciences building that will provide space for faculty, students and the neighboring community as part of a 2023-2028 Strategic Plan for Rutgers-Camden.
As Rutgers-Camden has shared with the public, the project will unite thirteen (13) lots and eleven (11) contributing structures along Cooper and Lawrence Streets into a cohesive building through the construction of a new three-story structure, with an event plaza in the rear yards of the existing buildings. By limiting construction primarily behind the existing buildings, the project retains the historic streetscapes. The new addition will consolidate faculty spaces currently spread across five campus buildings for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, enhancing educational access for students. The project will also offer public‐facing spaces including event space for community nutrition, violence prevention, well‐being, the arts and culture as well as other neighborhood features that build strong, healthy communities.
This project lies within the designated Cooper Street Historic District and requires full compliance with historic preservation standards while renewing and revitalizing Camden’s historic urban fabric. The Cooper Street Historic District, covers approximately six (6) blocks along Cooper Street, containing dwellings, offices, and commercial buildings that represent the development of Camden, NJ, between 1810 and 1937, the years when industry, commerce and agriculture combined to make this city the economic and urban center of Southern New Jersey. Rutgers-Camden intends to fully protect the integrity and character of the historic district.
E2PM’s team of Archaeologists, Architectural Historians, Historians, and field technicians have been providing archaeological and historic architectural consulting services throughout the various stages of this project. As part of the ongoing efforts of the project, E2PM hosted a public archaeology day on behalf of Rutgers-Camden to help share and disseminate the history and archaeology of the Cooper Street properties. E2PM staff spent the day sharing their professional expertise and historical knowledge about the project and site through conversations and tours.
For further information please visit Rutgers-Camden reference pages for more details.
