Walk down the sidewalks of Haddonfield’s portion of Kings Highway and there’s a lot to see. But one item consistently grabs the attention of visitors and residents alike.
The Haddonfield Militiaman is a large bronze sculpture that stands to the left of the Indian King Tavern and depicts a member of the South Jersey Brigade militia during the eight years of the Revolutionary War.
The piece – complete with musket – was unveiled in June 2023. Its creator, Brian Hanlon, is a Toms River-based master sculptor and the founder of his own sculpture studio.
Hanlon has created more than 550 public and private art pieces over nearly four decades, and his specialty in realistic pieces and bronze statues is what got him the job of creating the borough sculpture.
The idea for a piece outside the tavern that pays tribute to the borough’s Colonial roots came from Joe Levine, current vice chair of the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust (HOST) and president of the Haddonfield Civic Association. He also wanted to honor community figure Joe Murphy, who has a particular interest in the town’s Colonial history and in preserving and honoring its traditions.
“I had been thinking about wanting to do a sculpture around a Colonial theme,” Levine shared. “The main reason for that is I joined HOST probably a couple years before that, and I was inspired by a lot of the things that Joe Murphy was doing.
“He’s just done some fantastic things in our town … And I know Joe’s (Murphy) really into the whole Colonial thing as well.”
Levine initially contacted 15 New Jersey sculptors to find one who could authentically depict the state’s historical contributions to the Revolution and the nation’s founding.
Hanlon stood out, so Levine and HOST chair Stuart Harting invited the sculptor on a tour of the borough that highlighted Indian King Tavern.
“… (Hanlon) loved the idea,” Levine recalled, “and he was really all in.”
The initial idea was merely for a Colonial-themed sculpture, but after Hanlon’s 2021 tour, he decided on the life-sized Militiaman. It had already been determined that the piece would feature not a famous figure, but an average man of the era.
Hanlon was so inspired by Haddonfield and excited by the project that he dropped his standard fee from $150,000 to $50,000, a more affordable price for HOST.
“It was almost just materials that he was putting in,” Levine noted. “So we were just super thrilled.”
The project was funded by donations and the fee was secured by January of 2022. Planning began that involved photo shoots, sketches and approvals before Hanlon could begin work on the initial clay model.
The position and location of the Militiaman proved the third time was the charm.
At first, the idea was for the sculpture’s soldier to be at the ready, musket pointing straight ahead. But that positioning was scrapped after HOST and Hanlon realized how tempting it would be for children to hang from the bronze weapon.
Another idea that didn’t feel right, according to Levine, was to have the musket point skyward, tight to the soldier’s chest. The middle ground reached was for the Militiaman to be shown preparing his musket for battle.
HOST and Hanlon also took time to ensure the sculpture would be authentic and historically accurate, down to where the buttons sit on the soldier’s uniform. Hanlon then created a clay model and HOST worked with borough officials to settle on a location. The first thought was to have the sculpture directly in front of the tavern, but that idea was scrapped because the facility’s basement extended out and under the sidewalk past the building.
Harting and Levine chose another spot on the walkway near some bushes in front of the tavern. The borough approved, but when digging started beneath the sidewalk, Harting and Levine discovered a large concrete block with a handle.
“…I pull it up and it turns out it’s a big hole in the ground,” Levine recalled. That hole turned out to be an old 3-foot-wide and 30-foot deep well. Another spot would have to be found for Militiaman; planners finally settled on the left side of the tavern.
“We couldn’t build on the basement,” Levine recounted. “We certainly can’t build on a well. So we were told we had to cover the well back up …. The town administrator had suggested the area right next to the Indian King Tavern.
“… That space worked out great.”
Hanlon then embarked on the final stage of the sculpture’s creation: casting in bronze. The Militiaman’s unveiling and dedication were held on June 20, 2023. Some Haddonfield officials donned Colonial attire for the event, and Levine remarked on the spirit of volunteerism that helped the project come to pass.
“I’ve joined several volunteer organizations in Haddonfield,” he explained, “and I encourage people to do that, because if you just want to meet some of the cream of the crop in our town, these people give because they really, really care. “What we’re doing at HOST is working to build something for the future that (will) still be there when we’re long gone.”
