French Quarter

The French Quarter was built along the Admiral Wilson Boulevard in the early 1960s. It originally operated as the Holiday Tavern & Lounge and appears under that name in New Jersey Bell Telephone Directories as late as 1964. By 1966, the bar had been renamed The French Quarter, most likely an effort to capitalize on the popularity of the nearby Latin Casino, located just minutes away on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. As early as 1966, NACE Inc. was listed as the management company for the establishment.

By the 1970s, the nightclub business throughout South Jersey began to decline. The Latin Casino eventually closed, along with many other venues that featured live music. The French Quarter, along with the Admiral Lounge and the Oasis Lounge (later known as the Harem Lounge), transitioned into go-go bars. By the mid-1970s, another go-go bar, Minnie's Lounge, opened on the westbound side of Admiral Wilson Boulevard. Of the four establishments, Minnie's became the most well known, largely due to “Miss Vicki,” the ex-wife of entertainer Tiny Tim, who danced there for several years.

By the early 1980s, the Admiral Wilson Boulevard had developed a very poor reputation. An X-rated bookstore featuring “live, nude girls” opened in nearby Pennsauken, and limited prostitution was present in and around the three westbound-side motels: the Four Winds, the Oasis, and the Wilson Motel. Despite this environment, the French Quarter was often referred to as the “Sunday School” of the strip, as its owner, Mike Minerva, was known for operating a comparatively clean and orderly business.

The French Quarter was briefly closed in 1993 after its parent corporation, NACE Inc., was cited for nonpayment of New Jersey state sales tax. The property was later sold to a church, which operated at the site for several years.

In 1999, then–New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman ordered the seizure of every property on the eastbound side of Admiral Wilson Boulevard, citing an effort to “clean up” the area. No comparable action was taken on the westbound side. As a result, the French Quarter, the Admiral, and the Harem Lounge were demolished, along with numerous other commercial properties. The loss of these tax-paying businesses further deepened the City of Camden’s financial difficulties.