Parkside

Another work in progress page, this one is a result of popular demand, one might say. This page will include articles and pictures about the past and present of Parkside.

— Phil Cohen, Camden NJ

While today Parkside is remembered as Camden's Jewish neighborhood, this perception is quite flawed. Parkside was Camden County's first ethnically diverse neighborhood, and by 1915 it was home to every ethnic group, with the exception of African-Americans, who had remained in the nearby Kaighnton and Centerville neighborhoods.

The neighborhood known as Parkside was originally one of the Cooper family plantations, and Pomona Hall, home of the Camden County Historical Society, was its seat. In the late 1890s the Diocese of Camden purchased a large tract of land upon which it built the Convent of the Order of Perpetual Rosary, and later, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

In 1901 a group of developers which included David Baird Sr., Cooper B. Hatch, John M. Kelley, and Patrick J. Farley incorporated the Parkside Land Company. Lots were being advertised for sale as early as March of 1902. Hiram E. Budd, who owned the City Line Brick & Lumber Company on the site of the High Speed Line station on Ferry Avenue, bought some of the first lots on the newly laid out Baird Avenue. Park Boulevard was formally dedicated on March 1, 1909. Camden builder and contractor James H. Reeve built many houses in Parkside, having moved his own family into a large three-story twin at 1446 Haddon Avenue in 1904.

David Baird’s business partner, banker T. Yorke Smith, started the Forest Hill Realty Company which took part in the development of Parkside. He put together the deals that provided the city of Camden the land that became Forest Hill Park and Camden High School in 1904. Forest Hill Park was renamed Farnham Park in December of 1927, in memory of Levi Farnham, long-time city engineer.

Although early advertisements promised services such as city water, sewer, and trolley lines, they were slow in coming during Parkside's early years. This changed after the incorporation of the Parkside Trust Company, whose directors included Camden streets commissioner Alfred L. Sayers, lumber company president William C. Coles, patent medicine tycoon Leon Goff, and Theodore T. Kausel, who held a position with the Castle Kid Company, one of Camden's leather works. Kausel partnered with Teresa Walsh and sold many houses to middle-class German-, Irish-, and Polish-American families in the neighborhood between Belleview and Haddon Avenues and along Princess Avenue. Charles Kauffman developed properties in the area, and was the first to build a mansion on Kaighn Avenue opposite Farnham Park.

In the early 1920s Congregation Beth El built their synagogue on Park Boulevard, opposite Farnham Park, on the site presently occupied by the Boys and Girls Club. A small building was soon followed by the larger main sanctuary, and after World War II, a school building. Congregation Sons of Israel also moved to Parkside after World War II, to a building at Park Boulevard and Kaighn Avenue. Many upwardly mobile Jewish families moved to Parkside to be near the houses of worship, which perhaps contributed to the perception regarding the ethnic makeup of the neighborhood.

After World War II, families began a slow migration to the suburbs. A poorly conceived and worse-executed urban renewal plan saw the destruction of homes in the Centerville neighborhood and the influx of poor families in subsidized rental apartments into Parkside. This accelerated the flight to the suburbs. A similar decline occurred business-wise along Haddon Avenue.

The end was ugly. Agitators such as H. Rap Brown and Charles ‘Poppy’ Sharp advocated and incited violence against white residents and businesses. Many white students were assaulted during and after a May 30, 1968 sit-down demonstration. Camden High School, which at that time had a fairly well-integrated student body, saw almost half of its white students leave, and also reflected the change in population in Parkside. Congregation Beth El had moved to Cherry Hill by 1968, and many families who had remained in Camden followed after the riots of 1969 and 1971. The Beth El synagogue was used by the Parkside Catholic School in the early 1970s, and was renamed St. Bartholomew’s Roman Catholic School within a few years.

Parkside today is still home to many fine houses, and there are many blocks with little or no outward signs of the blight that has engulfed much of the rest of Camden. Farnham Park was taken over by Camden County, and is well maintained. The Camden County Historical Society on Park Boulevard is a treasure, and while Congregation Beth El’s once-lovely synagogue was razed, a new Boys and Girls Club was erected in its place, with money donated by Parkside native Lewis Katz. Parkside has been for many years the home of the BUFF Hall, which has played host to many weddings and social events of Camden’s black community. Parkside is also the home of Corinne’s Place, an award winning soul-food restaurant, and since the 1940s Donkey’s Place, which is known far and wide for its steak sandwiches.

In 2004 the winds of change that have blown across Camden are touching on Parkside, with plans announced for the preservation of the Pearlye Building, built by Benjamin Natal and named after his daughter Pearlye, and the nearby garden apartments between Park Boulevard and Wildwood Avenue, to be renamed Faison Mews. Construction began in 2005, and was completed the following year.

A play, “Tea Topper Tea Room” will be presented by the young people of Parkside in the Hatch Junior High School auditorium this evening at 8:00 o’clock.

The play is sponsored by the Community Brotherhood of Parkside Inc., with L.O. Rittenhouse, chairman of the entertainment committee. The organization has as its purpose the furnishing of entertainment to 250 members each month.

Mrs. Margaret E. Campbell heads the Parkside Branch of the W.C.T.U. for the 1931–32 year, as a result of the annual election. Other members of the executive board are: vice president-at-large, Mrs. Esther Anderson; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Anna Griffiths; recording secretary, Mrs. R. T. Miller; treasurer, Mrs. Cornelius Willetts; vice president from the Methodist Church, Mrs. Mary Myers; from the Lutheran Church, Mrs. Ethel Rittenhouse, and from the Baptist Church, Mrs. C. Dannenhauer.

Mrs. Harold Gilpin, president of the Camden County Council of Parent and Teachers, will address the Parkside Association this afternoon in the school building.

Preceding Mrs. Gilpin’s talk, installation of officers will be held and further plans will be made for the participation of the Parkside School in the Washington Bicentennial celebration on June 14. Arrangements have been made to enter two floats and more than 200 pupils in the parade to be conducted that day. A float also is being planned by the pupils at the Camden Home for Friendless Children, which is included in the Parkside district.

Mrs. Rocco Palese is chairman of the women’s committee for the program June 14, assisted by Mrs. Kirk B. Barb, Mrs. Clyde Bateman, Mrs. E. Cress, Mrs. A. Miller, Mrs. Harry Nurock, Mrs. Portiz, Mrs. R. Staples, Mrs. John Locke, Mrs. R. Norris, Mrs. William W. Kaminski, Mrs. E. May, Mrs. J. Furer, Mrs. E. Hill, Mrs. R. Bellitz, Mrs. L. Reiffe, Mrs. Phillips Brooks, Mrs. J. Rosen, Mrs. W. Johns, Mrs. Benjamin Natal, Mrs. M. Flynn, Mrs. A. Lewis, Mrs. Herbert Schoellkopf, Mrs. Philip Auerbach, Mrs. P. Simonds, Miss L. Hutton, Mrs. F. Kocher, Mrs. T. Bantivoglio, Mrs. M. Hanheimer, Mrs. E. Anderson, Mrs. H. Tyler, Mrs. H. Baas, Mrs. A. Goodman, Mrs. F. Hartmatz, Mrs. Theodore Hyland, Mrs. R. Reeve, Mrs. Herbert Richardson, Mrs. Sinclair Condie, Mrs. Walter Poor and Mrs. R. Fortrice.

The men’s committee, headed by Fred Stanton, included Herbert Schoellkopf, W. Mackey, Clyde Bateman, G. Hilliard, J.W. Sharp, W. Hunsinger, Thomas Colsey, John Reynolds, S. Macintosh, H. Bellitz and Rocco Palese.

Members of the Parkside Auxiliary to Cooper Hospital will meet Friday in the board rooms of the hospital to make surgical dressings and to complete plans for a party to be held on Friday evening, February 28, in the board rooms. The members will entertain their husbands at that time and a program of progressive games will be conducted.

The monthly meeting of the Parkside auxiliary to Cooper Hospital will be held tomorrow in the board rooms with Mrs. Herbert J. Schoelkopf, president, presiding. Plans will be made for a card party to be held in the near future at the home of Mrs. Hiram E. Budd, 1407 Baird Avenue.

Camden Drive Brings $14,575 to Recreation Fund For Service Men

Contributions to the United Service Organizations continued to flow in yesterday.

The money will be used for recreational programs for men in the armed forces of the nation through clubs, which are being established adjacent to army and navy cantonments.

Total receipts as announced by Ralph Vasso, chairman of the volunteer gift committee, were $14,575.58. The goal set up for Camden in the nationwide appeal for contributions is $21,000.

Funds are being sent by mail, and delivered in person to headquarters of the U.S.O. in the Camden County Chamber of Commerce offices, Sixth and Penn Streets. Sidney P. McCord, city comptroller, is treasurer of the committee.

Yesterday’s contributors are: Louis Seitchik, $50; employees of Louis Seitchik, $125; Camden County Girl Scouts, $5; Alice B. Eaton, $3; Mrs. T. T. Eaton, $2; Dealers Liquor Company, additional $5; Minters Distributors, $10; John W. Whitecar, $10; Loyal Order of Moose, $10; General Chemical Company, $25; house-to-house collection, Parkside section, $7.35; collections by cans in motion picture theatres, $21.65; Sam Slutsky, $5. Bishop Bartholomew J. Eustace, $50; Father J. P. Fallon, $5; Camden Section National Council of Jewish Women, $10; Camden Realtors, $51; James Scarduzio, $1; John A. Neff, $5; additional from employees of MacAndrews and Forbes, $43.40; office employees of Warren Webster and Company, $24.54; factory employees of Warren Webster and Company, $55.06; Gustav Schwoeri, Jr., $2; Monsanto Chemical Company employees, $51.25; Budget Plan Corporation, $10.

Jean Johnson provided a few pictures from the late 1940s, when Joseph and Margaret Coskey lived at 1504 Park Boulevard.

• Parkside Elementary School
• Cooper B. Hatch Junior High School
• Camden High School

Here are some of my memories from Parkside:

Haddon & Kaighn: The Rexall drugs where there was a mini post office and Belle’s drug store where one could get a great breakfast or other meal at the luncheonette inside. Donkey’s Steaks, London Men’s Shop clothier store. Parkside Billiards where you could shoot pool or play table tennis (“Ping-Pong”).

Parkside School: arts and crafts during the summer, playing “hide the belt” and “stick ball” or “half ball”.

Jesse, the ice cream vendor who bicycled his ice cream treats, and the hot waffle wagon pulled by a horse which you could hear from over a block away as they signaled their coming by banging on a frying pan in this rhythm: bang, bang…bang-bang! (2 regular beats, then 2 quick ones).

Camden stymies rehab of houses — Click on link for PDF file of this article.