Conaghy's / Davolos' Café

Conaghy’s at 950 South 5th Street was operated by Joseph and Theodosia Conaghy in the mid 1910s.

950 South 5th Street housed a bar as far back as 1887, when Adam T. Davis Sr. was proprietor. He was still there as late as 1888. The 1890–1891 City Directory shows that Hugh Lavery resided at and operated the bar at 950 South 5th Street. Walter S. Gillespie was the proprietor in 1905, and Joseph Henry Conaghy had the business when the 1914 City Directory was compiled and through at least the end of the year.

Joseph Henry Conaghy had been in the coal and ice business as late as 1906. Married to Theodosia Hunt, the daughter of city constable James Hunt, the Conaghys were then living at 246 Pine Street, where Joseph Conaghy also conducted his business, the Eagle Ice & Coal Company.

The 1910 Census shows that Joseph Conaghy had gone into the tavern business. He was then operating a bar at 601–603 Kaighn Avenue, where he and Theodosia made their home.

The 1912 and 1914 City Directories shows Joseph and Theodosia Conaghy were living at and operating a bar known, appropriately enough, as Conaghy’s, at 950 South 5th Street. The bar venture did not fare well, however. By September of 1918 Joseph Conaghy had purchased a home at 814 South 6th Street, next door to his brother James Conaghy, who had been at 812 South 6th Street as far back as 1914.

When he registered for the draft in September of 1918 Joseph Conaghy had gone into the bottling business at 435–439 Cherry Street. By the end of 1919 health problems had forced Joseph Conaghy into an early retirement. Joseph Conaghy died not long after the Census was taken in 1920. In 1923 the widowed Mrs. Conaghy was appointed to the position of matron at the Camden County Jail, adjacent to the courthouse at Broadway and Federal Streets.

Regarding the bar at 950 South 5th Street, Jacob Sax was managing the business for a Hyman Bloom as early as June of 1917 and by the 1920s owned the business. He still had the property as late as 1930. The bar was operated by Frank Davalos in the 1930s under the name Davolos’ Cafe.

A bar fight in which Mr. Davolos was injured resulted in his leaving the tavern business in 1938 or 1939. In the late 1930s and early 1940s the bar was known as The Upset Club, and was operated by Frank Tenerelli, who had boxed professionally under the name Frankie Blair. It was later known as the Walnut Cafe. The Walnut Cafe was one of the neighborhood’s many Italian-American bars. The business changed hands around 1990 and serves South Camden’s Hispanic community. The DiMattia family operated the bar for many years. In 1967 Marie L. DiMattia of Pennsauken NJ and Louis DiMattia of Haddon Township were the partners.

The Smart Set Club had the time of their lives at McConaghy’s, Fifth and Walnut Streets, last night when they enjoyed a turkey supper. Those who took part were F. Maira, D. Woefito, J. Mount, J. Benny, J. MacVain, T. Elliot, and P. Blair.