Wildey Hall, at 500-506 Pine Street, was built in 1868, by the Wildey Lodge No. 91, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It derived its name from Thomas Wildey, who formed the first Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge in New Jersey in Camden in 1829. The Odd Fellows had been previously been connected to Morgan’s hall at the southeast corner of Fourth and Market Streets and other locations.
Wildey Hall was used by the Odd Fellows and other groups well until 1923. The building had been sold during the 1880s to a stock company which ran it for 35 years. It was sold in 1919 to Anna Hurley, who was not connected with the nearby Hurley department store.
Edmund J. Alff ran his real estate and insurance business out of 502 Pine Street from 1901 until August of 1920. He also managed the building. In April of 1922 the Borstein Electric Company completed the relocation of their business from 930 Broadway to the former Wildey Hall. The building was acquired by the Harry Pinsky & Son Co. in 1923 and all lodge and social activities ceased as the building was converted into a warehouse, and the Borstein business moved back to Broadway. Isadore Borstein, of Borstein Electric, acquired the building during the 1930s and rented space to retail and industrial tenants.
Wildey Hall was destroyed by fire in 1956. A two-story building was built on the site and in recent years has been utilized by the social services industry,
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Wildey Hall
Wildey Hall was built in 1868 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was named for Thomas Wildey who formed the first Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge in NJ, in Camden, in 1829.
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