Butcher's Alley

Butcher's Alley runs from South 4th Street east toward Broadway, between Liberty and Mechanic Streets. Prior to 1993 the alley ran all the through to Broadway, however, when the City of Camden built its new firehouse, Liberty Station, it was cut short.

The alley carried no name until after 1891. At some point in the 1890s, William A. Butcher, who owned and operated a shoe manufacturing business in the 400 block of Mechanic Street that backed out to the Alley, had a two-story factory and another building built on it. Either through ordinance or through common conversation, the alley became known as Butcher's Alley. In 1903 the name Butcher's Alley began appearing in Camden City Directories.

William A. Butcher's buildings on the alley used 467 Mechanic Street as the business address. William A. Butcher passed away in February of 1915. It is unclear as to who took over the business after William A. Butcher's death. City Directories from 1918 through 1926 show Jonathan Roberts operating a shoe factory in the rear of 467 Mechanic Street. After 1927 directories do not indicate any business operations on Butcher Alley. At some point prior to 1961 the shoe factory was destroyed, although whether this was by accident or intent is unclear as of this writing.

By 1961 all of William A. Butcher's buildings were gone except for the two dwellings on Butcher's Alley. In the early 1990s the City of Camden built their new firehouse, Liberty Station, which took the land from 459 to 465 Mechanic Street, 465 and 467 Butcher's Alley, 450 to 468 Liberty Street, and 1301 to 1325 Broadway. Traces of the foundation of the building on the north side of Butcher's Alley can still be observed in 2014.