Camden Streets - Rand Street

RAND STREET is in East Camden, and runs parallel to Marlton Avenue and the Admiral Wilson Boulevard, from Watson Street across Westminster Avenue, Baird Boulevard and Thorndyke Street to the city limits, between Boyd and Pfeiffer Streets, and continues for a short distance into Pennsauken.

Rand Street dates back prior to 1899, when Stockton Township was joined to Camden. The street was originally called George Street, but by 1906 had been renamed Rand Street. As late as 1924 there were no homes standing on Rand Street. Around 1927 twenty houses were built by the firm of Markeim, Coles, and MacEwan in the 200 and 300 block of Rand Street. By the time the 1929 City Directory had been compiled 18 homes had been built and occupied. Thirteen other homes were occupied east of Baird Boulevard, in the 400 block. Many more houses on Rand Street were built by 1947, including a number of duplexes. Construction was still going on for a time thereafter, as another series of duplexes were built in the 500 and 600 blocks.

In 1954 the Peter J. McGuire Gardens public housing project was built on the land between Watson Street and Westminster Avenue. By the 1980s the project had become a notorious haven for drug dealing and other criminal activity. This soon spread along Rand Street all the way across Thorndyke Street. Although McGuire Gardens was literally razed and rebuilt beginning in the late 1990s, the area remains a hotbed of criminality and has been the site of several murders, the last two taking place in June and July of 2007.

Do you have an Rand Street memory or picture? Let me know by e-mail so it can be included here.

Phil Cohen

300 Block of Rand Street
	300 Block of Rand Street Camden Courier-Post January 28, 1928
	300 Rand Street 1929
	301 Rand Street 1929 1947
	302 Rand Street 1929 1947
	303 Rand Street 1929 1947
	304 Rand Street 1929 1947
	305 Rand Street 1929 1947
	306 Rand Street 1929 1947
	307 Rand Street 1929 1947
	308 Rand Street 1929-1933 Isadore Waronker
BANDITS TAKE CAR, USE IT IN HOLDUP Steal Merchants's Auto and Cash, Get Only Tin Box From Bus Driver Three masked men, one with a nickel-plated revolver, held up Edward Rosenfeld, wholesale grocer, as he was backing his car into the garage in the rear of his home, 308 Rand street, last night. They took $12 from his pockets, forced him out of his new machine and drove it away. Rosenfeld told police the bandits had handkerchief-type masks, but appeared youthful, of medium height. A short time before two men similarly masked, one also brandishing a nickel-plated revolver, approached Sidney Bauman, of 272 Boyd street, a block distant from the Rosenfeld house as he was putting his car into his garage. "They told me it was a stickup," Bauman reported to police, "but I gave them an argument and they turned away and beat it. One was wearing a cap and one a hat. It was hard to get an accurate description in the dark, but they seemed youngish and about five feet five or six." At 1:00 AM today a car answering the description of the one stolen from Rosenfeld was used by masked men who held up Edward Heaton, 824 Woodland Avenue, a bus driver, as he was turning in his receipts at the Newton avenue car barn of Public Service. There were four men in the machine, Heaton told police. Two jumped out, each handkerchief masked and with a revolver, and stood on either side of him. He was carrying a tin box, in which were his change carrier and other articles, but no money. He had placed, the receipts in his pockets. 11 The men grabbed the tin box and jumped back into the car, which sped away. At about the same time two Negro men wearing masks, one with a gun, entered a taproom at 673 Ferry Avenue. Philip Knast, the proprietor, was behind the counter and there were four customers in the place. The masked men moved quickly toward Knast and told him "This is a stick-up." He dodged behind the bar and escaped into a room in the rear. One of the bandits then went behind the bar and rifled the cash register, getting between $5 and $6, Knast told police. They fled, apparently on foot.	308 Rand Street 1936 Mrs. R. Rosenfeld 1939-1960s Edward Rosenfeld accountant
	310 Rand Street 1929 1947
	372 Rand Street 1947 Dr. Leopold S. David physician
	396 Rand Street 1947

400 Block of Rand Street
	400 Rand Street 1929 Louis A Wright
	401 Rand Street 1929 Vacant 1947 Arthur G. Whelpley
	402 Rand Street 1947 Alfred Corsi
	404 Rand Street 1947 Harry Denny
	406 Rand Street 1947 Anthony Pietrafesa
	408 Rand Street 1947 Nick Ordille
	410 Rand Street 1940s-1969 Edward Y. Scott Fire fighter
	412 Rand Street 1947 Morria Albert
	414 Rand Street 1947 Albert Kroskove
	416 Rand Street 1947 Louis Birrer
	418 Rand Street 1947 Charles Drourr
	420 Rand Street 1929 1947 Albert R.Mantini contractor
	422 Rand Street 1929
	424 Rand Street 1929
	425 Rand Street 1947 Edwin Hampton 1947 Ivan Morris
	426 Rand Street 1929
	427 Rand Street 1947 Dr. Saul Artis dentist 1947 Nathan Blank
	428 Rand Street 1929 1947
	430 Rand Street 1929 Vacant
CLERK USES FISTS TO ROUT BANDITS Victim Continues Fight Despite Blow on Head From Pistol Two armed bandits and an accomplice took on a tough job last night when they attempted to hold up Walter J, Brown, 38, of 430 Rand Street. Brown. a sturdy clerk employed by the T&B Tobacco Company, of Kaighn Avenue near Broadway, slugged one of the holdup men, suffered a gash when slugged by a second, and caused the three thugs to retreat. In a report to detectives, Brown said he drove his automobile into the garage at the rear of his home and was about to close the doors when he was confronted by a masked man who ordered him to "stick 'em up." Instead, Brown let both fists fly. Thereupon, a second thug appeared and struck Brown with a pistol. He battled with the pair with his fists and observed a third man appear from behind the garage. So furious was Brown's attack that the three bandits took to their heels running in the direction of Baird Boulevard. After summoning Detectives John Trout and John Kaighn, Brown received treatment from a nearby physician. He described the masked man as five feet six inches in height, weighing about 150 pounds. He wore a tan overcoat, Brown said. The second bandit who wielded the pistol was described as five feet eight inches tall, weighing 140 pounds and wearing a gray overcoat. Brown was unable to give a description of the third man.	430 Rand Street 1936 Walter J. Brown Camden Courier-Post February 29, 1936
	430 Rand Street 1947 No Listing
	432 Rand Street 929 1947
	434 Rand Street 1929 1947
	436 Rand Street 1929 1947
	438 Rand Street 1929 1947
	438 Rand Street 1947-1960s Hyman & Adele Leon
	445 Rand Street 1947
	442 Rand Street 1947
	444 Rand Street 1947
	445 Rand Street 1947
	447 Rand Street 1947
	449 Rand Street 1947
	451 Rand Street 1947
	453 Rand Street 1947
	455 Rand Street 1947

400 Block of Rand Street
	464 Rand Street 1947
	466 Rand Street 1947
	468 Rand Street 1947
	470 Rand Street 1947
	475 Rand Street 1947
	478 Rand Street 1929 Walter A. Dietrich 1947 James Corrigan
	486 Rand Street 1947
	487 Rand Street 1947
	488 Rand Street 1947
	489 Rand Street 1947
	490 Rand Street 1947
	491 Rand Street 1947

200 Block of Rand Street
	278 Rand Street 1947
	288 Rand Street 1929 1947
	291 Rand Street 1929 1947
	292 Rand Street 1929 1947
	293 Rand Street 1929 1947
	294 Rand Street 1929 1947-1956 Carl Auerbach lawyer
	295 Rand Street 1929 1947
	296 Rand Street 1929 1947
	297 Rand Street 1929 1947- Dr. Israel Barbel dentist
	299 Rand Street 1947

500 Block of Rand Street No Homes Built Prior to 1947

600 Block of Rand Street No Homes Built Prior to 1947