Lawnside, New Jersey, originally known as Snow Hill, was established by formerly enslaved and free African Americans seeking independence, safety, and self-determination in the 19th century. This project focuses on land ownership and development in the community of Snow Hill in the antebellum period.

Early land development in this area began in the 1840s, including Ralph Smith’s purchase and the surveying of lots, a settlement dubbed 'Free Haven,' helped create a structured Black settlement where residents could own property and build stable lives (Prowell 1886, 708). However, this is only part of the story. Ralph Smith was not the sole proprietor of buying lots for Lawnside, Jacob C. White Sr., a prominent Black abolitionist from Philadelphia, purchased lands alongside him to grant to various Black families (1838 Black Metropolis). This narrative, however, is very limited in the source provided to articulate the true version of this story. It is with the help of the Lawnside Historical Society that a fuller picture of the history of Lawnside / Free Haven may be presented.