Meet the Hartings: Rooted In Art and Service
ANNA FIELDING | Haddonfield Living (Best Version Media) Date: July 1, 2025
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Tucked between the tree-lined streets and historic homes of Haddonfield lives a couple whose story is woven deeply into the town’s cultural and civic fabric. Stuart and Beverly Harting are not just long-time residents—they’re community builders, art champions, and volunteers whose passion has left a visible mark across the borough.
From modest beginnings to a life dedicated to family, public service, and creativity, the Hartings have spent decades enriching their surroundings. Their legacy is most visible through the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust, which has transformed sidewalks and public spaces into a curated gallery of imagination and beauty.
– Baltimore and Grit –
Stuart Harting grew up in Baltimore during a time when kids found their own way around the city. “I figured it out and hitchhiked to school every day,” he said. “That’s just what you did.” He attended Baltimore City College, a high school known for its academic rigor, and later enrolled at several colleges before settling down and moving with his parents to the Philadelphia area.
His early career began in real estate, and he quickly found his niche in commercial development.
Stuart’s upbringing was less about hardship and more about self-reliance. “We didn’t have buses, and I didn’t have a car,” he recalled, “so I figured it out.” Those early lessons in independence laid the groundwork for a future filled with entrepreneurial pursuits—and, eventually, community stewardship.
– Persistence In Love –
Stuart and Beverly’s love story began with a leap of faith—and a cold call. A mutual friend who had served with Stuart in the Air Force gave him Beverly’s phone number. They had never met, never even seen photos of each other. “He just said, ‘Call this woman,’” Stuart recalled. Intrigued, Stuart picked up the phone.
Beverly, polite but busy, turned him down—more than once. “I told him I didn’t have time to go out with anyone,” she said. But Stuart wasn’t discouraged. He called again, then again. “I wasn’t trying to be annoying,” he said, laughing. “I just had this feeling.” Eventually, Beverly relented—not because she was smitten, but because she wanted to put an end to his persistence. “I figured I’d meet him just to get it over with and get this guy off my back.”
They met at Scott Moss, a bar in Philadelphia. Stuart didn’t have much money—just enough for a drink and a burger—but that one meeting changed everything. “We just talked and talked,” Beverly said. “It was easy. Natural. Like we’d always known each other.” That was November. Eight months later, they were married. “Fifty-three years later, here we are,” said Stuart. “I guess it worked.”
– Rooted in Haddonfield –
The Hartings raised their children, Zack and Jami, in Haddonfield, where they moved after several years in Medford. The lack of walkability and community in Medford left them yearning for something more. “We were tired of not being able to walk anywhere except from one lake to another,” said Beverly. “Haddonfield offered the kind of neighborhood we wanted for our family.”
They found both a home and a community. Soon after arriving, Beverly became active in the Human Relations Commission and volunteered as a mediator for Haddonfield and Camden County. Stuart joined efforts to fundraise for the high school stadium lighting, joined the Historic Society, serves on the Haddonfield Planning Board, chairs the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust, and is a founding trustee of the Haddonfield Water Trail Association. For many years, Stuart and Beverly also funded a Rotary Scholarship and another for the Camden Schools Foundation, which in part funded the Creative Arts High School. Both became deeply embedded in local service, finding meaning in their contributions to the place they now called home.
– Sculpting a Legacy –
But perhaps their most enduring legacy is the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust, a community-focused initiative launched by Stuart that has reimagined public space through the lens of art. The idea took root years earlier, in 1985, when Stuart purchased an old hotel from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and converted it into offices.
Wanting to support young artists, Stuart invited senior student sculptors from the Academy to display their work on the deck of their Katmandu Restaurant and Nightclub on the Philadelphia waterfront. “It gave them exposure, and it gave us something beautiful,” he said. That idea stayed with him. Years later, after settling in Haddonfield, he revisited the Academy and asked if they’d be willing to loan sculptures to be displayed in town.
In 2014, Miguel Horn’s striking sculpture, Uno, became the first installation in Haddonfield. A local donor, inspired by the piece, purchased it for $20,000 and gifted it to the town. That gift became the seed for the Sculpture Trust, which now features dozens of pieces that delight residents and visitors alike.
And yet, as Stuart emphasizes, “The Sculpture Trust would never have happened and become an institution after eleven years without the community response.” From the start, neighbors, friends, and fellow professionals rallied behind the vision. Attorneys Michael Willman, Chris Leise, and Joe Murphy were among the first to step in, offering encouragement along with legal and marketing advice. As the Trust took shape, others joined: Architect Thom Wagner, Sculptor John Giannotti, and community-minded individuals Susan Baltake, Joshua Koffman, and Joe Levine brought energy and expertise. The board continued to grow with the additions of Joe Sikora, George Evearts, Rosie Hymerling, Jason Schaeffer, Doug Ivill, and Lisa Wolschina—each playing a role in elevating the Trust from a local initiative to a cultural institution.
There’s Happy the Hippo, a playful bronze creature who escaped the zoo, in imagination, that’s located just a few blocks down Kings Highway. The Heart, forged from longing by an artist whose wife was working in Japan. At a quiet bench at Tanner Street, two lifelike figures, Steadfast and Loyal—often dressed up by locals—keep silent company on the sidewalk. The Postman, patiently delivering mail, stands frozen in a moment of daily life. There’s grace in the Ballerina, strength in the Militiaman, and wonder in the towering pyramid forms The Trinity tucked beside Grace Church.
Stuart has given more than 45 sculpture tours to second-grade students and continues to lead efforts that inspire both creativity and community spirit. The Trust hosts four major annual events: Second Grade Sculpture Tours, Grandparents Day at the Zoo, the beloved Valentine’s Day Vow Renewal at The Heart, and Artwalk. Each is offered free to the public, powered by donations and the Hartings’ passion for service, and have turned into beloved regional attractions benefiting Haddonfield’s vibrant business district.
For Stuart and Beverly, volunteering is more than a hobby—it’s a way of life. “I always say, just give a couple of hours a month,” Beverly says. “It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. One event, one morning, even just once a year—those little acts make a big difference.” Stuart adds, “Volunteerism isn’t just good for the town. It’s good for you. It gives your life richness, purpose, and connection.”
Their hope is that by sharing their story, others will feel inspired to step into community life. “If someone reads this and thinks, maybe it’s time I gave a little something back—that would be the best outcome of all.”
Today, Beverly and Stuart Harting remain deeply engaged in Haddonfield. Whether through sculpture, volunteerism, or just a shared laugh at breakfast, they continue to shape the town in big and small ways—with heart, humor, and a deep love for the community they’ve helped build.
