Fairview Street

FAIRVIEW STREET at one time ran east from Broadway, opposite the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards, through to Mount Ephraim Avenue, south of the railroad tracks at Bulson Avenue and north of Morgan Street. It has lent its name to the neighborhood between South Seventh and South 10th Street sometimes referred to as Morgan Village, and in time the name Fairview came to be applied to the much larger area built during the 1910s and afterwards originally known as Yorkship Village.

The 500 block of Fairview Street was one of the blocks in what was known as “The Terraces,” four blocks of row houses built that included the 500 blocks of Lester Terrace, Gordon Terrace, and Woodland Avenue. Many of these homes had been abandoned by 1990, and were all for the most part razed by the end of the decade. The balance of the homes, perhaps a dozen or so, were acquired by local government and had been taken down by the end of 2008.

Building Inspector Day yesterday issued permits for the erection of eight dwellings by T.G. Coulter from 530 to 544 Fairview Street. Martin Bergen Stone was given a permit for six dwellings from 1486 to 1498 Louis Street.

NOTE: These houses on Fairview Street were never built. New York Shipbuilding Corporation built offices on this land.

Young Girls Accuse Married Man of Attacking Them in Bungalow

Three pretty girls, a married man and two youths were arrested last night on charges growing out from an extended whoopee party in a Blackwood Terrace bungalow.

Two of the girls, all of whom are related, are said to be runaways from Philadelphia. One of these and a Camden schoolgirl charge they were attacked by the married man.

The girls gave their names as: Julia Barkowski, 17, of 923 Florence Street, Camden; Mary Holod, 16, and her stepsister, Vera, also 16, both of 1325 Tyson Street, Philadelphia. Both Julia and Mary allege they were criminally assaulted early last week by Samuel Read, 31, who gave his address as 2847 Congress Road, Camden.

Linked as material witnesses in the case are John Barwick, 19, of 543 Fairview Street, and William Murdock, 19, of 548 Gordon Terrace, Camden.

According to the story gathered by Police Sergeant John Skolski and Patrolman John Larson, the three girls were strolling along Broadway on the night of October 12, when they were “picked up” by Barwick and Murdock, in an automobile. The girls related they were taken to a bungalow in Blackwood Terrace where they said they met Read. The two youths then left, they said.

The Barkowski girl and Mary Holod allege they were attacked by Read while Vera Holod told police she averted assault by fighting.

Return of the girls to the Barkowski home yesterday was followed by arrest of all six revelers. Mrs. Bertha Barkowski, mother of the Camden girl, summoned police. Read was lured to the house and placed under arrest and apprehension of the two youths was then made.

Julia was charged with being incorrigible by her mother. Police held Mary and Vera as runaways and as witnesses against Read. The Philadelphia girls are said to have been missing from home several weeks.

All are to be given hearings today before Police Judge Garfield Pancoast.

Charles Ball, 711 Fairview Street (1914–1915), Camden Fire Department. Injured in Kaighn’s Point Ferry Terminal Fire, January 3, 1915.

Four men and a woman were fined $25 each yesterday after they perplexed Police Judge Pancoast by pleading guilty to a disorderly conduct charge, but denied that they had been disorderly.

The defendants are Joseph and William Greenan, brothers, 38 and 24, respectively, both of 741 Fairview street; Edward Covey, 24, of 2221 South Seventh Street; Walter Koscianski, 28, of 966 Bulson Street, and Mary Johnson, 18, of 224 Morris Street, Gloucester.

They were arrested Sunday night by Motorcycle Policeman Thomas Kauffman at Tenth and Bulson Streets. Earlier, he had stopped them on Admiral Wilson Boulevard and because they had been drinking but were not drunk, he told them to go home.

Later someone called police headquarters and said that Kauffman was drunk. He was suspicious and arrested the five. Yesterday they pleaded guilty to charges of disorderly conduct, but denied they had telephoned headquarters or had done anything disorderly.

In 1920 census the family lived at 848 Tulip St. in Camden, having moved from Brooklyn. They are in the house by 1924. It was previously owned by the TICE family. My great grandfather William Henry Carson and his wife Mary Catherine nee Bridgeman lived there with their children Joseph (went by Ed), Mary, Cecilia, Harriet and Marjorie. After William died, Ed continued to live there with his mother. After she died and after Mary’s husband died, Mary and Ed, brother and sister lived there until their deaths. Mary died in 1994 and Ed in 1997. The parents had left this house to their children and the children never sold it. This left my grandmother w/ the house. She died in 2000 and the house was sold to the trucking company for about 10k. It was demolished, and is now part of the trucking lot.

Darbeau Douglas, October 2009

Mary left some diaries that are in the Camden County Historical Society. They are from the 70’s and she talks about the noisy kids in the band at the school across the street. She talks about going to the market and the prices of food. She talks about my uncle Ed walking across the bridge to go to Philly. She talks about the neighbors on Sylvan Street, the Stechs. They were robbed a few times, as they were easy prey, with their advanced age. My mother reports there was not a single thing in that house that was not broken. They talk about the noise and the exhaust fumes from the trucks. They were offered “good money” years earlier, when the trucking company actually wanted the land as they were the last to sell. The houses seen behind the parked car are on Sylvan Street.

Darbeau Douglas, October 2009

This picture shows 965 Fairview Street from the side, and the rear of a house on Sylvan Street, which also was razed for use by the trucking company.

Darbeau Douglas, October 2009

Homes built in the 1950s.