Tour Point B (no. 5-8) E. Corner of Bellevue Avenue & S. Egg Harbor Road
Tour Point B
E. Corner of Bellevue Avenue & S. Egg Harbor Road
5. Widow Russo’s Building
1 Twelfth Street at Railroad Avenue
ca. 1920. Two-story, flat roofed corner commercial building of red and gray brick. The daughter of Widow Russo has shared the following story. The lot where this building stands was up for auction. Many of the townsmen were interested in buying it. However, when they heard that she was interested, they let her take the bid. She had this building constructed with a store on the first level and an apartment on the second level for her and her daughter.
6. Trowbridge Building/Godfrey’s Drug Store
101 Bellevue Avenue
ca. 1903 – 1904. Two-story, flat roofed corner commercial building with decorative pressed metal panels along the entire length of both floors of the east façade and corner elevations. The first floor façade is made up of rectangular raised panels that hold the plate glass display windows. It was built by Henry Trowbridge. In 1906, it was acquired by Swain T. Godfrey and known as Godfrey’s Drug Store. According to Nick Varga, former owner of Bellevue Drug Company, when Harold Godfrey retired he sold the pharmacy business to Nick and the building to Nick’s mom. Nick operated both pharmacies for a few years. This building was a pharmacy until the early 1980s after which it saw multiple uses. Gene Gullo, the current owner, has enhanced the façade with decorative detailing.
7. Monastra Building
107-109-111 Bellevue Avenue
ca. 1925 – 1930. Two-story gray brick Neo-Classical Revival style commercial building, now with 3 storefronts with an ornate parapet. Built by Carl and Rose (Widow Russo) Monastra, the building housed their store, Hammonton Cash Market, in the smaller section. According to the family, the large storefront was built for the W. T. Grant Department Store. The family lived on the upper floor.
8. William Rutherford’s Store
127-129 Bellevue Avenue
ca. 1880 – 1885. Two-story front gabled dwelling with two, first floor storefronts surrounding and incorporated into the original structure. This is one of the town’s original commercial buildings. Through the years it has housed a tinware shop, paint store, barbershop, butcher shop, hardware store, and a hairdresser. Although its storefronts have been highly altered from their original historic appearances, the original structure behind them remains reasonably intact.
