CAMDEN NJ - MAP - An Early Map of Pennsauken East of 36th Street between Camden Avenue and Federal Street

This map appears to date from between 1899 and 1920. It obviously was made after the merger of Stockton Township and the City of Camden, as the land marked "City of Camden" was part of Stockton prior to the 1899 merger. J. Howard Kirkbride, who lived and conducted a real estate business in the Stockton/East Camden area west of 36th Street, laid out many of the building lots depicted on these maps, after setting up shop locally in 1893.

Of particular interest on the map are which street names survived, which were changed, and, in the case of the numbered streets, the mapmaker simply got wrong!

What is called "Cove Road" is North 36th Street, and both "Merriel Avenue" and "Elm" on the map are Camden Avenue. "Williams Street" is today's Rudderow Avenue.

In the case of the numbered streets in the area north of Chestnut Avenue (referred to on the map as Lea's Extension and Second Rosedale Extension) one must add one digit to each of the numbered streets to have them correct, that is 36th Street on the map is 37th Street today, and so on. A cross street that runs through the "Second Rosedale Extension" area that is named "Ogborn Avenue" is Madison Street Avenue.

On the other hand, in the case of the numbered streets in the area south of Chestnut Avenue, 39th Street then is still 39th Street today. What is referred to as 42nd Street, however, may be modern-day 41st Street. Go figure!

An Early Map of Pennsauken East of 36th Street
between Camden Avenue and Federal Street

Several buildings, noted by yellow rectangles, that were there when the map was drawn, remain today or were standing until very recent times. At the corner of "Cove Road"- our 36th Street- and Federal Street a building is labeled "Toll", this was the toll house that stood on Federal Street when it was a toll road. The building stands today, as the Mexico Lindo Restaurant. Across 36th Street, the yellow rectangle indicates the site of an tavern, known from 1917 until it was razed in 2003 as the Rosedale Tavern (sometimes people referred to it as the Rosedale Inn). At 39th Street at Federal, there is a grouping of three buildings in an area designated "Joseph Rich". One of these buildings, the one furthest from Federal Street and west of 39th, remains in use today, a residence that has been occupied for well over 100 years. On our 36th Street, at the railroad tracks, in the "Daniel Rich Estate", a building is marked as the office of a coal yard. This building, still standing today, was used by companies in the coal and fuel oil business into the 1990s. It is also interesting to note that Highland Avenue had been named as such already, but Myrtle Street is not named on the map.

Also of interest is what is NOT on the map, what had not been conceived of or built at the time. There is no overpass over Route 130.... in fact, there is no Route 130! Crescent Boulevard, at one time State Highway 25 and in our time US Route 130, was a long way off when this map was drawn, in the time when the idea of most people owning an automobile was a fantasy! The National Guard building and the New Jersey Department of Transportation facility came much later.

39th Street as seen from Federal Street - March 13, 2004

The building to the right was a bar, nightclub, and restaurant that operated under a number of names over the years, including O'Donnell's, the Ron Day Voo, Dio's Supper Club, Dr. Jekyll's High Times, and G. Whilikers.

At the end of the block can be seen the communication tower of the New Jersey National Guard facilty on Federal Street, and part of the Guard's motor pool. The house on the left was one of the buildings depicted on the map as being part of the Joseph Rich estate.

Another segment of the Map of Pennsauken East of 36th Street
between Camden Avenue and Federal Street

Moorestown Toll Gate, 36th & Federal Street	Mexico Lindo Restaurant - July 2003