Coates Street
Coates Street was once a two-block street in Camden. It ran parallel to Broadway and South 5th Street, starting at Cherry Street and going north across Spruce Street to Division Street. Today, Coates Street is only one block long, from Spruce Street to Division Street.
Many people confuse Coates Street with Coates Alley, which was originally called Daubman Alley. Coates Avenue was a separate, one-block street that also ran parallel to Broadway and South 5th Street. It stretched from 510 Cherry Street south to 512 Walnut Street. These two streets had similar names but were not connected.
There was also a short alley called Coates Court. It ran north from 313 Division Street and ended after about half a block. Coates Court had three houses on it, and at least one was still lived in as late as 1931. By 1940, those homes were no longer listed, but Coates Court itself was still mentioned in records through 1947.
Coates Avenue was probably named after John Coates, a Camden businessman who started out as a bricklayer. Over time, he became wealthy through real estate and other investments. He passed away in 1903. Daubman Alley likely got its name from Jacob C. Daubman, who was the Camden County Sheriff from 1874 to 1878 and was active in the community.
No buildings ever officially used Daubman Alley as an address in the city directories. But a 1906 map shows buildings with the addresses 510½ and 510⅓ Cherry Street. These were used by W. H. Wilkins & Company, a business that sold lumber and did mill work. They operated on both sides of Cherry Street at that time.
In September 1932, Courier-Post reporter E. Allen Hughes wrote a series of stories about Camden's small streets, alleys, courts, and other places. Coates Alley and Coates Avenue were among those he covered.
Tag: coates-street
Coates Alley
Coates Alley is a short street in Camden that originally ran parallel to Broadway and South 5th Street from Cherry Street north across Spruce Street to Division Street. Today it is one block long, running from Spruce Street to Division Street.