Paulsdale

Paulsdale is a historic estate and house museum in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. Built about 1840, it was the birthplace and childhood home of Alice Paul (1885-1977), a major leader in the Women's suffrage movement in the United States, whose activism led to passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1989, for its significance in social history and politics/government. Paulsdale was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991.

History
The main house at Paulsdale was built about 1800 by Benjamin Hooton. The Paul family purchased the 173 acre farm around 1883. The property remained in the Paul family until 1958, and served as a sort of "home base" for activist Alice Paul, who was born here in 1885. For much of her adult life she lived an itinerant lifestyle, driven by her activism for women's suffrage. Paulsdale was a place she regularly returned to, holding meetings and strategy sessions for her campaigns. It was sold out of the family in 1958, after her brother's death.

During the 1950s, the property was divided into two parcels: 167 acre of farmland and the remaining 6 acre which included the house and farm buildings. The larger became a housing development, while the smaller remained a private residence until it was purchased by the Alice Paul Institute in 1990.

The house has been restored to the condition when Alice Paul lived there. It now serves as a historic house museum and a home for the institute. The purpose of the institute is to make sure Alice Paul's legacy survives by enhancing the knowledge of future generations on the topic of human rights.