Boxwood Hall is one of the few remaining 18th century dwellings still standing in Haddonfield, and if approved the exciting redevelopment plans will bring a nine room Bed & Breakfast Inn to the main building, as well as a small restaurant within the rear carriage house building.
The application by R&S Boxwood Hospitality will also include several small additions to the existing buildings, an outdoor pool and patio area for the bed and breakfast guests. An area already allocated for parking will be rebuilt to support a 20 passenger car parking lot. Significant landscaping improvements are also accounted for.
The project is being spearheaded by Haddonfield residents Michael and Jeniphur Pasquarello… successful restauranteurs who own Café Lift in Haddonfield and Philadelphia, Prohibition Taproom in Philadelphia, La Chinesca in Philadelphia… and are also working on an ambitious project in Merchantville to bring La Chinesca to a large former Bank building!
The Haddonfield Planning Board will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday May 6 2025, starting at 7:30 PM in the Haddonfield Borough Hall Meeting Room. The applicant is looking for preliminary and final major site plan approval for the project.
Located at 65 Haddon Ave the Boxwood Hall property is a very short distance walk to the popular King’s Highway Downtown District of Haddonfield, where a variety of restaurants and retail shops are located.
And while Haddonfield is famously known as being a “dry town” with no full liquor licenses authorized, the immediate blocks around the intersection of Haddon Ave and Kings Highway also include the Kings Road Brewing Company, Wildfether Distillery, and the Heritage Winery Tasting room!
Plenty of things for Boxwood Hall Bed & Breakfast guests to do in Haddonfield and the surrounding communities!
Boxwood Hall Redevelopment
In January 2023 the Borough of Haddonfield put out a Request For Proposals, looking for developers interested in redeveloping the Boxwood Hall property (which is owned by the borough)
Haddonfield stated a key requirement of any submitted proposal was it needed to rehabilitate and preserve the buildings and property.
The Borough is seeking well capitalized, motivated, and creative partners in redevelopment who share the Borough’s vision to preserve, adaptively re-use, and develop Boxwood Hall for residential, professional office use, art gallery, civic or commercial use.
Borough of Haddonfield 2023 RFP for Boxwood Hall Redevelopment Plans
Haddonfield says the main house was constructed in 1799 and is a 2 1/2 story structure of approximately 4,200 square feet.
Originally constructed by John Estaugh Hopkins, he was the grand nephew of Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh who was the founder of Haddonfield!
Developed in a simple colonial style the home features a prominent foyer and principal staircase, 6 bathrooms, a full basement and multiple crawl spaces.
For almost 200 years the Boxwood Hall home moved through generations of family ownership until around 1965 when it was sold.
Most recently the property was used for professional offices but has been vacant since 2015.
The existing Historic Boxwood Hall, including the main building and the associated smokehouse is on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Structures. It is also listed as a contributing structure within the Haddonfield Historic District.
Applicant documents submitted to the Haddonfield Historic Preservation Commission states that the plans call for the creation of an Inn in the current structure with 9 suites on three floors.
Submitted drawings show that the first floor will feature 4 units all with bathrooms. At the back of the house an area is allocated as a lounge which opens up to a rear deck.
The second floor offers 5 units. Four of them are fully located on the 2nd floor with their own bathroom. The 9th unit is even more interesting as it has an entrance on the 2nd floor into a private small living room space, and then steps take you up to the very private third floor which has TWO separate bedrooms and TWO bathrooms!
At the rear of the home is a 1950s era Carriage House structure that is currently in poor condition but plans are to rehabilitate that structure and convert it into the restaurant space. The restaurant will include a 566 square foot addition, 455 square feet of outdoor seating area, as well as space allocated for administrative offices.
Renderings provided with the plans show a glass patio enclosure addition for the restaurant. The outdoor dining patio is positioned with views of the rear of the property… which will be beautifully landscaped.
The parking area will be accessed from Haddon Ave and be on the left side of the property.
Lake Ave borders the property on the right. The plunge pool and restaurant will be positioned on the right side, closer to Lake Ave.
Links and Location
Boxwood Hall – Haddonfield Planning Board Hearing
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 7:30PM
Haddonfield Borough Hall Meeting Room (2nd floor)
242 Kings Highway East
Haddonfield, New Jersey 08033