Barclay Farm History & Events

History of Barclay Farm


In 1826, Joseph W. Cooper, a sixth-generation descendant of the founder of Camden and the owner of Camden's Cooper Ferry, acquired the 168-acre property in Cherry Hill as a retreat to escape the city's hot summer days. Eventually, "Chestnut Grove Farm," as it came to be known, was passed along to Joseph Cooper's great-granddaughter, Helen Champion Barclay, who sold more than 100 acres of the property to developer Bob Scarborough in the 1950s, resulting in the Barclay Farm development. Helen Barclay sold the remaining 32 acres of the Farmstead property to the Township of Cherry Hill in 1974, where it has since been maintained as a park and history museum. .

The Scarborough development story began in 1946 when Bob Scarborough constructed his first house in Collingswood, NJ.  Having flown B-17 bomber aircraft in WWII, Bob returned home with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to build houses to meet the huge post war demand.  His first business took the form of home additions and small single family houses. Bob garnered a following and a reputation for building houses of exceptional quality with traditional colonial features; he regularly traveled to New England for architectural inspiration. By the early 1950’s, Bob started Scarborough Corporation. Larger planned developments and subdivisions came soon thereafter, including Barclay Farm which offered a blend of colonial charm and modern conveniences. There were 6 basic models to choose from back then, the Salem, Buckstone, Northfield, Winthrop, Nantucket & the Eastwick.  Now Barclay is home to 29 different models of homes and approximately 2000 enthusiastic families who have made Barclay Farm their home!

Upcoming Events


Feb 2024 - SMOOCHFEST

at the Covered Bridge.  It's the Scarborough Covered Bridge's 65th BDay!