State Street, established in 1856, stretches from the Delaware River to Cooper’s Creek (now known as the Cooper River) in North Camden. Before its construction, farmers and residents in the eastern and northern lands near the Delaware had to travel long distances to reach markets on Vine Street and the ferry across the river, as the only bridge over the Cooper was at Federal Street. In response to petitions from citizens, the State Legislature and County Freeholders authorized the building of a bridge and an extension of State Street to connect with Federal Street, which was then outside of Camden’s city limits and referred to as the “Moorestown and Mount Holly Road.” The newly constructed road was designed to join the existing Ellisburg-Marlton Road, which had been laid out in 1796, resulting in State Street on one side of Federal Street and Marlton Avenue on the other.
The owners of the Federal Street Ferry and Market Street Ferry initially opposed the bridge and road construction, fearing it would lead to a loss of business. Despite the opposition, a wooden drawbridge was authorized in 1857, and the road was completed. In 1892, the wooden bridge was replaced with a steel drawbridge, and in 2013, another bridge replaced the 1892 structure.
In the 1947 Camden City Directory, State Street’s starting point was at Delaware Avenue.
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