To commemorate the beginnings of Oliver Station, award-winning poet Shawn R. Jones wrote a poem inspired in part by the years she lived in Camden. Shawn read the poem, titled “I See You” at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Learn more at shawnrjones.com.
The name Oliver Station pays homage to the Reverend Thomas Clement Oliver (1818 -1900), a conductor on the Underground Railroad who briefly lived in Camden. He once presided over the Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church, Camden’s oldest African American institution and a refuge for freedom seekers, according to the State of New Jersey.
To read more about the Reverend Oliver’s legacy, consult these online resources from Rowan University, and Salem County’s 7 Steps to Freedom project.
The name Oliver Station acquired a second meaning in August 2023, following the death of New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver. Elected in 2017 alongside Governor Phil Murphy, she previously served in the N.J. General Assembly for more than 15 years.
“Lieutenant Governor Oliver recognized the link between safe housing and sustainable health, and she advocated for those who encounter barriers to achieving both. We are grateful for the opportunity to pay tribute to her – and the Reverend Thomas Clement Oliver – with this beautiful addition to Camden’s Whitman Park neighborhood.”
— Victor Carstarphen, Mayor of the City of Camden.