Charles Kaufmann

Charles Kaufmann was born around 1861. He came to Camden from Philadelphia while a young man. In the 1887-1888 Camden city directory, he is shown at 620 North 2nd Street, working in a spice mill. He soon went into business for himself, and the 1888-89, 1889-90, and 1890-91 directories show him as operating a grocery at North 2nd and and Arch Streets. He next operated a café on Jefferson Street in South Camden, near the Howland Croft & Sons Company textile mill. 

Charles Kauffman’s next enterprise was to operate a large café at 1299 Kaighn Avenue, the northwest corner of Haddon and Kaighn Avenues. He was living there at the time of the 1910 Census. This building was demolished in part in 2002. When Prohibition was enacted in 1919, he sold this business, and devoted his full attention to construction and development. 

In the early 1910s Charles L. Kaufmann opened up a movie theater, which he called the Forest Hill, at 1187 Haddon Avenue. Not long after th 1914 City Directery was compiled he built a new Forest Hill Theater at 1189-1191 Haddon Avenue, which was renamed the Parkside Theater in late 1926 or early 1927. Charles Kaufman also developed, built and owned many other properties in the Parkside section of Camden.  

After retiring from business, Charles Kaufmann built a large home at 1540 Kaighn Avenue, opposite Farnham Park. It was the first home built in that section of Parkside. 

Charles Kaufmann passed away in a Philadelphia Hospital after a long illness, at the age of 81, on January 13, 1943, only a few days after his wife Kathryn died at their home. Owing to the seriousness of his own illness, he was unaware of his wife’s passing. 

Mr. and Mrs. Kaufmann were buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden NJ. Charles Kaufmann was survived by his brother, John Kaufmann, of Camden.

Philadelphia Inquirer - December 12, 1897

Photo taken May 5, 2003

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