Introduction

Coates Alley was originally a two block street that ran parallel to Broadway and south 5th street from Cherry Street north across Spruce Street to Division Street, where it ends. Today Coates Alley is only one block long, running from Spruce Street to Division Street.

Coates Alley is sometimes confused with Coates Avenue, originally known as Daubman Alley, which was a one block street that ran parallel to Broadway and South 5th Street from 510 Cherry Street south to 512 Walnut Street. The two similarly named throughways do not, however, line up and are, or rather were, distinct and separate streets. A similar circumstance existed for a time when Welsh Street, sometimes referred to as Welch Street, another non-contiguous street that ran from Division Street north to Pine Street was sometimes referred to as Coates Avenue.

Adding to the confusion was the existence of Coates Court, a short alley that ran north from 313 Division Street for about half a block before it dead-ended. Coates Court had three dwellings on it, with at least one occupied as late as the 1931. By 1940 these were no longer listed in City Directories, although Coates Court itself was still being mentioned as late as 1947.

Coates Avenue was possibly named for Camden businessman John Coates, who parleyed a bricklaying business into real estate and investments, and was one of Camden’s wealthiest men when he passed in 1903. Daubman Alley appears to have been named after Jacob C. Daubman, who was Sheriff of Camden County from 1874 to 1878 and who was prominent in real estate and other civic affairs.

No addresses using Daubman Alley as an address seem to have appeared in Camden City Directories. A building is shown in the 1906 Sanborn Map with addresses of 510/2 and 510/3 Cherry Street, which appear to have been previously used by the W. H. Wilkins & Company, who engaged in a lumber and mill work business at 513-515-517 Cherry Street and who also utilized a property building across the street at 506-510 Cherry Street.

As early as 1904 Daubman Alley was used to make deliveries to the rear of 933-935 Broadway, the site of the N. Fuhrman Company furniture store, which operated there as late as 1945. The N. Fuhrman Company built a storage warehouse on the west side of Coates Avenue (Daubman Alley) at some point after 1906. The Red, White & Blue Thrift Store operated in the N. Fuhrman Company’s Broadway building and utilized Coates Avenue into the early 1980s.

In September of 1932, Courier-Post reporter E. Allen Hughes wrote a three part series of articles about the small streets, alleys, courts and places of Camden, including Coates Alley and Coates Avenue.