Broadway & Federal Street, Through the Years

By Camden NJ History
· 7 min read · Historical Accounts

Broadway and Federal Street is the intersection of the main north-south and east-west roads in Camden. If there is a “heart of the city,” this corner would probably be it. Here are some views of the intersection over the last 150-plus years.

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The First Camden County Courthouse

The First Camden County Courthouse
The first Camden County Courthouse

Built in 1853 and demolished in 1904 to make way for the second courthouse, its location on Broadway between Federal and Market Street ensured the importance of the intersection.

Henry Fredericks — Broadway and Federal Street

Philadelphia Inquirer — January 24, 1900

Henry Fredericks — Broadway and Federal Street — Philadelphia Inquirer, January 24, 1900
Henry Fredericks — Broadway and Federal Street — Philadelphia Inquirer, January 24, 1900
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A 1900 clipping naming Henry Fredericks, Broadway and Federal Street, and Camden Lodge 293, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

A 1900 clipping naming Henry Fredericks, Broadway and Federal Street, and Camden Lodge 293, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

The Munger & Long Building

The Munger & Long Building at Broadway and Federal Street, 1914
The Munger & Long Building at Broadway and Federal Street, 1914

The Carman Mansion stood on the southwest corner of Broadway and Federal Street. It was demolished in July 1902 to make way for the new store building of George A. Munger, to be used as a department store by Munger and Elmer Ellsworth Long. Munger & Long opened their big department store on April 12, 1904. The building was acquired by Stecker & Company in 1926, and by the J.C. Penney Company in the 1930s.

The Second Camden County Courthouse

The new Camden County Courthouse prior to its dedication, 1904
The new Camden County Courthouse prior to its dedication, 1904
The new Camden County Courthouse after completion, 1906
The new Camden County Courthouse after completion, 1906
View of Federal and Arch Street from the roof of the Catholic Lyceum at Broadway and Federal Street, published 1915
View of Federal and Arch Street from the roof of the Catholic Lyceum at Broadway and Federal Street, published 1915
The Camden County Courthouse in the early 1900s
The Camden County Courthouse in the early 1900s
The Camden County Courthouse, early 1920s
The Camden County Courthouse, early 1920s

The new Courthouse, shown prior to its dedication and after its completion in 1906. County business was conducted at Camden's City Hall during the period of construction. In these times, Broadway ended at Market Street, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception is visible on the far right. The center image is a view of Federal and Arch Street from the roof of the Catholic Lyceum at Broadway and Federal Street, published in 1915.

Looking East on Federal Street toward Broadway

Looking east on Federal Street toward Broadway from the 500 block, around 1909
Looking east on Federal Street toward Broadway from the 500 block, around 1909

Photographed from the 500 block around 1909. The Camden County Courthouse, Camden Catholic High School, and St. Mary's Parochial School are visible on the far side of Federal Street. The tall building at far left with the visible “M” is the Munger & Long building, built in 1903.

Federal Street and Munger & Long Postcards

Federal Street, Looking East From Court House — around 1900
Federal Street, Looking East From Court House — around 1900
Munger & Long Department Store, Broadway & Federal Street — about 1915
Munger & Long Department Store, Broadway & Federal Street — about 1915
Catholic Lyceum, Broadway & Federal Street, as seen from the Munger & Long Store
Catholic Lyceum, Broadway & Federal Street, as seen from the Munger & Long Store
Munger & Long Department Store, Broadway & Federal Street, as seen from the Catholic Lyceum
Munger & Long Department Store, Broadway & Federal Street, as seen from the Catholic Lyceum

Postcard views: “Federal Street, Looking East From Court House” (around 1900); the Munger & Long Department Store (about 1915); the Catholic Lyceum as seen from the Munger & Long Store; and the Munger & Long Store as seen from the Catholic Lyceum.

Elks and YMCA Buildings

Elks Buildings, Federal Street east of Broadway — around 1900
Elks Buildings, Federal Street east of Broadway — around 1900
YMCA & Elks Buildings, Federal Street east of Broadway — about 1910
YMCA & Elks Buildings, Federal Street east of Broadway — about 1910
YMCA & Elks Buildings, Federal Street east of Broadway — about 1910
YMCA & Elks Buildings, Federal Street east of Broadway — about 1910
Broadway looking north from Mickle Street — about 1930
Broadway looking north from Mickle Street — about 1930
Broadway looking south from Federal Street — about 1930
Broadway looking south from Federal Street — about 1930

The Elks Buildings on Federal Street east of Broadway (around 1900); the YMCA and Elks Buildings (about 1910); Broadway looking north from Mickle Street (about 1930); and Broadway looking south from Federal Street (about 1930).

City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks

Camden Courier-Post — August 4, 1936

Broadway and Federal Street, 1930s — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936
Broadway and Federal Street, 1930s
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Workmen at the start of the resurfacing of Federal Street from Haddon Avenue to Front Street, leveling the asphalt with rakes at Broadway and Federal Street. The work — part of the city-WPA program for repairing Camden streets — included covering the trolley tracks on Federal Street, as had recently been done on Broadway. During the work, vehicles were detoured over Market and Mickle Streets.
City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936, photo 1
City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936, photo 1
View transcription
Workmen at the start of the resurfacing of Federal Street from Haddon Avenue to Front Street, leveling the asphalt with rakes at Broadway and Federal Street. The work — part of the city-WPA program for repairing Camden streets — included covering the trolley tracks on Federal Street, as had recently been done on Broadway. During the work, vehicles were detoured over Market and Mickle Streets.
City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936, photo 2
City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936, photo 2
View transcription
Workmen at the start of the resurfacing of Federal Street from Haddon Avenue to Front Street, leveling the asphalt with rakes at Broadway and Federal Street. The work — part of the city-WPA program for repairing Camden streets — included covering the trolley tracks on Federal Street, as had recently been done on Broadway. During the work, vehicles were detoured over Market and Mickle Streets.
City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936, photo 3
City Begins Covering Federal Street Trolley Tracks — Camden Courier-Post, August 4, 1936, photo 3
View transcription
Workmen at the start of the resurfacing of Federal Street from Haddon Avenue to Front Street, leveling the asphalt with rakes at Broadway and Federal Street. The work — part of the city-WPA program for repairing Camden streets — included covering the trolley tracks on Federal Street, as had recently been done on Broadway. During the work, vehicles were detoured over Market and Mickle Streets.

Workmen at the start of the resurfacing of Federal Street from Haddon Avenue to Front Street, leveling the asphalt with rakes at Broadway and Federal Street. The work — part of the city-WPA program for repairing Camden streets — included covering the trolley tracks on Federal Street, as had recently been done on Broadway. During the work, vehicles were detoured over Market and Mickle Streets.

2 to 14 Broadway, 1937

2 to 14 Broadway, 1937
2 to 14 Broadway, 1937

By the time this photo was taken in the fall of 1937, the trolley tracks evident in the earlier picture had been removed.

Broadway and Federal Street

Camden Courier-Post — January 28, 1943

Broadway and Federal Street, January 1943 — Camden Courier-Post, photo 1
Broadway and Federal Street, January 1943 — Camden Courier-Post, photo 1
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Broadway and Federal Street, Camden, January 28, 1943. The Munger & Long building, then occupied by the J.C. Penney store, is visible on the right.
Broadway and Federal Street, January 1943 — Camden Courier-Post, photo 2 (Munger & Long / J.C. Penney visible on right)
Broadway and Federal Street, January 1943 — Munger & Long / J.C. Penney visible on the right
View transcription
Broadway and Federal Street, Camden, January 28, 1943. The Munger & Long building, then occupied by the J.C. Penney store, is visible on the right.
Broadway and Federal Street, January 1943 — Camden Courier-Post, photo 3
Broadway and Federal Street, January 1943 — Camden Courier-Post, photo 3
View transcription
Broadway and Federal Street, Camden, January 28, 1943. The Munger & Long building, then occupied by the J.C. Penney store, is visible on the right.

Broadway and Federal Street, Camden, January 28, 1943. The Munger & Long building, then occupied by the J.C. Penney store, is visible on the right.

Looking West on Federal Street, 1950s

Looking west on Federal Street from the southwest corner of Broadway & Federal Street, 1950s
Looking west on Federal Street from the southwest corner of Broadway & Federal Street, 1950s

Looking west on Federal Street from the southwest corner of Broadway & Federal Street, 1950s.

Broadway & Federal Street, Mid-1950s

Broadway and Federal Street, mid-1950s — courthouse demolition
Broadway and Federal Street, mid-1950s — courthouse demolition
Broadway and Federal Street, mid-1950s — view of the area
Broadway and Federal Street, mid-1950s — view of the area
Broadway and Federal Street, 1954 aerial view
Broadway and Federal Street, 1954 aerial view

In the early 1950s the old courthouse was demolished to make way for the Lit Brothers Department Store. Camden Catholic High School was destroyed by fire in 1961. The Munger & Long Building, occupied by J.C. Penney's since the 1930s, would also be razed in the 1960s and replaced by the Commerce Building. The stores and businesses, including the Broadway Theater, were leveled to make room for the Walter Rand Transportation Center in the 1980s.

Merchants Laud Crackdown on Street Peddlers

Camden Courier-Post — October 27, 1955

Nuisance Eliminated, They Say, Praising Action by Police

Camden City's police crackdown on the illegal operations of pretzel vendors and other peddlers in the mid-city business area was hailed today by the merchants. All merchants contacted agreed the problem had been eliminated and expressed hope the regulation would continue to be enforced, particularly through the Christmas shopping period. Many had complained previously against vendors standing in store doorways or in front of display windows selling wares such as pretzels, sewing bags, and produce.

On October 18, The Courier-Post published several photographs of teenage children hawking pretzels on the Camden Lits sidewalks during a heavy downpour. The problem was brought to the attention of Police Chief Gus Koerner, who ordered police to enforce the city ordinance requiring peddlers to keep moving at all times. Several weeks earlier, 19 merchants in the Broadway and Federal Street area had signed a Camden County Chamber of Commerce petition urging city officials to act, and a Chamber delegation met with Director of Public Safety Aaron to appeal for relief.

Broadway & Federal Street, 1962

Broadway and Federal Street, 1962 — workmen repairing traffic lights; Parkade Building visible
Broadway and Federal Street, 1962 — workmen repairing traffic lights; the Parkade Building visible
Broadway and Federal Street, 1962 — Chicken Delight, Shellenberger's Candy Store, HFC Loans on Broadway
Broadway and Federal Street, 1962 — Chicken Delight, Shellenberger's Candy Store, HFC Loans on Broadway

In these 1962 photos, two workmen repair traffic lights at Broadway and Federal Street. In the left-hand picture, the Parkade Building and the Food Fair grocery are visible. On the right are Chicken Delight, Shellenberger's Candy Store, and HFC Loans on Broadway, in the building that was razed to make way for the Walter Rand Transportation Center in the late 1980s.

Lit Brothers Department Store, 1960s

The Lit Brothers Department Store at Broadway and Federal Street, 1960s
The Lit Brothers Department Store at Broadway and Federal Street, 1960s

The Lit Brothers Department Store, built in the 1950s, closed in 1975. The building has been used by Camden County for office space since then.

The Commerce Building — April 2003

The Commerce Building at Broadway and Federal Street, April 2003
The Commerce Building at Broadway and Federal Street, April 2003

The Commerce Building, at the southwest corner of Broadway and Federal Street, sits on the land formerly occupied by the Munger & Long building — home of the J.C. Penney store in Camden for many years. By the mid-1990s the building had very few tenants. Structurally sound, it is one of the very few pre-1980s buildings left standing on the ground between Mickle and Federal Street west of 10th Street.

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