Community Corner

Vacant Buildings Were Once Hub and Home of Church Street Neighborhood

South Orange Avenue buildings are empty now, but held businesses.

The buildings between and Church Street on West South Orange Avenue are empty now, and a vacant lot replaced the building at 110-112.  There are signs that the buildings were once cared for, as 114 is decorated with initials A. C. and flourishes near the roofline. Street directories from the at the tell the story of businesses and residents who once called the buildings home and work.

By 1930, the earliest date for which information is available, Carmine Cuozzo ran a butcher shop at 112. Joseph Vignola ran a shoe repair shop at 114, and Samuel Santine, confectioner, ran his business at 116. The corner shop held A Colato cabinetmaker and Abraham Volk, tailor.

Eight years later, 106 was vacant, and 108 held Morel's beauty shop. V. Commercio's shoe repair was located at 110, with Cuozzo's meat market, J. Juliano's barber shop, and South Orange Italian American Republican Club just up the street. The cabinetmaker remained, but is listed now as A. Cocolatto.

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A decade passed, and a number of businesses changed. 106 and 108 belonged to the Argand family and their fur business. Cuozzo meat remained, now neighbor to Cuozzo, mason. 114 was home to Cocolotto, yet a third spelling of the same, with Askew Cleaners located at 120.

At the turn of the 1960s, 104 held The Arts Corner, art materials, 106 was Bon Marche clothes, and 108 held both DeSantis shoe repair and Anthony of Fifth Avenue beauty shop. Cuozzo meat remained, while both 112 and 114 held realtors. 116 became Lerner men's fashions while 120 was Rocket Cleaners.

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1975 saw changes, with Antiques Ltd. and Silvio's Coiffures at 108. The Cuozzos lived and worked at 110, while 112 became Adler's law office. 114 became Roberta Willner's antiques, while 120 remained a cleaner renamed L&G.

Numerous families lived above the shops throughout the decades, many names -- such as Cuozzo, Carew, DeSantis, Salvaggi, and Michetti -- remaining unchanged throughout the years. The final families and last businesses in place departed years ago, before I arrived in South Orange. The buildings' stories ended, and they remain vacant and dark today.

Share your memories of the buildings and neighborhood in the comments below or at marciaw@patch.com.  We'd like to know more about this part of town.


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