Cherry Hill Liquor Store With Colonial Ties Closes

CHERRY HILL, NJ - A liquor store that has ties to Colonial days has closed. Kress Wine at the v-neck shaped border between Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, has been associated with alcohol in the region for a long time, according to a Haddonfield Borough historian.

Bates Tavern stood on the lot in the early 1800s, and was modernized as the years went on, according to former librarian and Haddonfield historian Katherine Tassini. The society has images of it as at least three different structures over the years.

One of those structures was The Blazing Rag hotel, which may have served as a stagecoach stop for travelers. The photo depicts an old house which is facing Kresson Road in Cherry Hill, but part of the roof is facing what was then known as Long-A-Coming Road in Haddonfield. The road is now known as Haddonfield Road.

A few years ago, the Historical Society of Haddonfield asked for some timber from the structure in order to preserve it. While the structure is the same that stood in the area since the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Tassini said there's not a lot of character from the original building that can still be found.

There's not much to be found in the building at the moment at all. On Sunday morning, the business was boarded up on the outside and was vacant on the inside.

Kress Wine had been for sale since last summer, but the fact that it is now vacant should make it easier to market, the firm handling the marketing of the property told the Courier Post.

It closed over the weekend with a note from the owners thanking customers for their support and reminding them to shop local.

It isn’t clear what will happen to that site next. Cherry Hill Council authorized the transfer of its liquor license to MP Beverage LLC on Jan. 28.

Photo credit: Anthony Bellano