Martin Luther King Jr.’s ties to New Jersey

Did you know that the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. once lived in New Jersey? He lived in Camden when he was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania from 1949-1951.

According to the New York Times, he filed a complaint against a tavern owner in Maple Shade who refused to serve King, his friend, and their dates. The tavern owner reportedly tried to scare them off by firing a gun into the air. The charges were dropped when witnesses refused to testify.

The house in Camden is still standing, but barely, according to WHYY. It is in need of extensive renovation just to make it viable. It is still owned by the same family who owned it when Rev. King lived there.

The owner of the house, Jeannete Lilly Hunt, has been trying to get the house designated a historical landmark, but the process is not progressing very quickly. Supporters hope the house can become a museum and part of Camden’s attractiveness to visitors (the Adventure Aquarium is about a mile away). It is estimated that renovations could cost between $200,00 and $500,000.

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