Camden People - Augustus Edwin Gondolf Sr.

AUGUSTIS EDWIN "GUS" GONDOLF SR. was born in Phialdelphia, Pennsylvania on March 8, 1892. His father, Edward Gondolff was the son of Peter Gondolff Sr., who brought his family to the United States from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. The family first settled in Pennsylvania. Most of the Gonfolff sons dripped the second "f" during their early years in the United States. In the 1890s Edward Gondolff, the only son who did not change his name, came to Camden and became the owner of 409 Market Street, adjacent to the Temple Theater, where he ran a bar and restaurant known as the Temple Saloon and later as the Temple Bar & Hotel. It was here that Gus Gondolf (who DID drop the second "f") grew up.

Gus Gondolf apprenticed as a stationary engineer on coal furnaces, and seeing which way the wind was blowing, became one of Camden's first auto mechanics. By 1917 he owned his own garage. At that time he and his wife Winifred resided at 414 Beckett Street in South Camden with their two sons, Edward and Donald. A third son, Augustus E. "Gus" Gondolf Jr. was born on March 29, 1918.

During the 1920s the Gondolf family moved to Parkside, residing at 1462 Belleview Avenue. By 1942 he was working as the Superintendent of the New Jersey state motor vehicle inspection station at 1140 Wright Avenue. Tragedy struck the Gondolf family in December 7, 1944 when oldest son Edward Gondolf was killed in action during the fighting around Lemberg, France.

Gus Gondolf Sr. died in 1951 and was buried at Harleigh Cemetery. His wife, last a resident of Somerdale NJ, joined him in 1976.

The "Old" Bar
at
409 Market Street

Thomas O'Hara's Saloon
The Temple Bar


Left: Grandson Gus Gondolf Jr., sitting on the bar of the Temple Saloon. Right: Jennie Gondolf at a second floor window. The bar's sign is at right. Click on Image to Enlarge

The Temple Bar & Hotel circa 1912

407 & 409 Market Street	Edward Gondolff (far left) standing in front of his bar

The
Temple Bar
and the
Temple Theatre


The Temple Theater as it appeared from 1892 though the 1920s. 409 Market Street, the old bar, is visible in the lower left hand corner of the pictures. Fire escapes on the theater are visible in the picture above of the "old" bar.

400 Block
of
Market Street

1890s Photograph

The Temple Bar & Hotel
can be seen just beyond the Temple Theater

Click on Image to Enlarge

407-409
Market Street

1930

World War I Draft Card

Click on Images to Enlarge

World War II Draft Card

Gus Gondolf and co-workers N.J. Auto Inspection Station - 1140 Wright Avenue, Camden NJ

Click on Images to Enlarge

Gus Gondolf and co-workers N.J. Auto Inspection Station - 1140 Wright Avenue, Camden NJ

Click on Images to Enlarge

Camden Courier-Post - February 23, 1954

City Court Scene:
Barrington Man Given 30 Days for Bad Check

A Barrington man went to county jail for 30 days after Judge Dzick ruled him guilty of passing worthless check for rental of an auto.

The sentence- 30 days and $25 fine- was imposed on Ralph Visco, 35, of 338B Barrington Manor Apartments. Visco, police said, operates a filling station at 100 Grove Street, Haddonfield.

He was arrested on complaint of Augustus Gondolf; manager of an auto rental agency, 35 North 5th Street. Gondolf charged Visco tendered him a worthless check for $178 last December 10.

When arraigned today, Visco told Prosecutor Anthony Lario he wanted to make restitution and took a check from his pocket.

Dzick said he thought Visco had "a lot of nerve offering to make good on a bad check with another check" and added:

"I'm getting a little tired of persons passing worthless checks and I don't care whether the checks are made good later ... the crime occurs when the check is first passed".

* * *

Alexander Chambers; 50, of 635 North 5th Street, was held for grand jury action, charged with rape on a 14 year-old girl. He pleaded not guilty, Chambers was arrested on a complaint of the girl's mother.

* * *

Judge Dzick fined two men $10 each for assault and battery. Fined were John Tubman, 635 Locust Street, and James Jones, 238 Chestnut Street.

1462 Belleview Avenue, Camden NJ - November 2002


The home of the Gus Gondolf Sr. family, in Camden's Parkside neighborhood, not far from Camden High School, and Farnham Park.

The Gondolf Family in the 1940s Click on Images to Enlarge
Gus Gondolf Sr. with sons Edward Gondolf and Gus Gondolf Jr.	Gus Gondolf Jr., Gus Gondolf Sr., Winnie Gondolf, & Donald Gondolf

Right: Gus Gondolf Jr.

Camden
Courier-Post

December 7, 1947

Gus and Winifred Gondolf rest together at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden NJ.

Thanks to Lynne Gondolf for her help in creating this page