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Note: Thomas Nolan, Sr. ran the Nolan and Sons Grocers at the corner of Pennington Avenue and Calhoun Street in Trenton, NJ for many years. Prior to this his mother, Ann Connor Nolan, was listed as a grocer at that location. (see notes on Ann) The store was connected to the family homestead where he and Laura raised their seven children. This store was passed down to his two sons, Thomas Jr. and Louis, who continued to live in the family homestead with their families. The house was divided into two separate homes where Tom and his wife Stella Bowie Nolan raised their five children and Lou and Frances McDonald Nolan raised their seven children. The store was finally bequeathed to Tom and Stella's youngest son, Richard, who continued to run the store until his death @@ 1971. It is unclear at this writing what happened to the store and Tom Nolan's side of the house but Frances Nolan and her children Mary and Frank continued to live in Lou's side until Frances' death in Dec of 1977.
Thomas, Sr. was also an owner and partner with his cousin, John Donahoe, Sr. in a brick yard known as the Donahoe and Nolan Brickyard in Trenton. This was located at the corner of Calhoun & Kirkbride. Writer has numerous pictures of the early days of the brickyard.
According to my cousin, Jack Kelliher, the clay for this brickyard was mined from the family "farm" in West Trenton. Family lore has it that the farm was sold before WW II for approx. $6,000 and the buyer sold it to the county shortly thereafter for $75,000 to build the Municipal Airport that is still standing on that site.
Update from cousin, Sr. Laura: As son Tom reached maturity he would work in the brickyard (where his father was killed in 1859) which he would eventually own with his brother-in-law, John Donahoe.
His godparents were Thomas Bradley and Margaret Crawford per records received from Sacred Heart Church and he was baptized by Fr. J.P. Mackin.
Writer has copy of death certificate that states Tom died in St. Francis Hospital in Trenton at age 87 years, 5 months and 20 days at 4 PM. Most information appears correct except birth date is 12/12/1855 and mother's maiden name is listed as Conroy instead of Connor. IGI lists birth date as 10/11/1855 and Sacred Heart Church (St. John's) indicates 12/11/1855. He was baptized on 12/14/1855 according to church records.
He appeared in many Trenton Directories living at 169 Pennington Avenue as a brick maker and grocer. From 1920 through 1924 he was living at 228 N. Warren as a brick maker. In the 1925 & 1926 book he was living at 23 Delawareview and remained as a brick maker until the 1931 Directory.
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