THE YEAR 1881

SPAN OF A CENTURY
1828-1928
100 YEARS IN THE HISTORY OF CAMDEN AS A CITY

COMPILED FROM NOTES ANDS DATA COLLECTED BY
CHARLES S. BOYER
PRESIDENT CAMDEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLISHED BY
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE
OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND NOTES BY PHILLIP COHEN IN 2003

The Bethany Methodist Episcopal Church, an outgrowth of the Third Street Mission, was formed on January 9, 1881. 

J.B. Van Sciver & Company commenced business in Camden in 1881 at 210 Federal Street, moving to 124 Federal Street in 1883. The first building at Delaware Avenue and Federal Street was built in 1888. The company was incorporated in 1898.
      By 1928 the Van Sciver plant, with its retail store, warehouse, and factory practically under one roof, occupied over ten acres of floor space, and is believed to be the largest plant in the country, if not the world, devoted exclusively to the manufacture and sale of household furniture. An addition had just been completed in 1923.

J.B. Van Sciver Furniture Factory & Store

A large revolving light in the tower of the J.B. Van Sciver building was completed and turned on early in January of 1927. The lamp contained 2700 electric bulbs and was said to be visible at a distance of thirty miles.

The curb line of Cooper Street, from Front Street to the tracks of the Camden & Atlantic Railroad Company, were moved twelve feet towards the center, and the street paved with Belgian blocks in 1881. In 1927 the curb lines were moved back twelve feet from 4th Street to 9th Street. This improvement was completed in September of 1927.