200 N. 34th Street

 

The History of the Building

 

200-206 N. 34th St.: “Both these buildings are three-story, four-bay red brick doubles. Horizontal bands of pressed brick ornament the building. Stepped bricks advance outward towards the flat roof line giving the appearance. of a slightly flared upper story. The houses have original wood porches. 204-06 has some altered posts, altered balustrades and roughcasted base.

(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the national register of Historic Places)

 

1969: The houses on the west side of the 200 block of 34th St. were saved from condemnation and demolition by an agreement between the Powelton Village Homeowners Association and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. (see Powelton Quarterly, vol 1(1); pp 1 &3.)

 

Previous Residents of 200 N. 34th Street

 

1887 Directory: John A. Wiedersheim, solicitor of patents, 919 Chestnut, 265 Broadway, N.Y. & 514 F St Washington, h 200 N 34th.

            In 1881, he lived at 3817 Powelton Ave.

1890 Directory: John A. Wiedersheim, patents, 919 Chestnut, h 200 N 34th

            1890 Dir of Washington DC: John A. Wiedersheim Location: Phila. Business Name: Robert Aiton & Co; John A Wiedersheim & Co

 

1890 Census Veterans Schedule: Wiedersham, John A., Corporal, F Co., 119th Pa., Aug., 1862-Dec., 1864.

(ED 511, p. 5)

            In 1884, he took part in the ceremonies at the burial of President Grant. “Junior Vice-Commander John A. Wiedersheim (laying a rose or flower upon the coffin): ‘Symbol of purity, we offer at this sepulcher a rose. May future generations emulate the unselfish devotion of even the lowliest of our heroes.’"

(From the Tannery to the White House: Story of the Life of Ulysses S. Grant ... William Makepeace Thayer. 1889. P. 399)

 

1893: John A. Wiedershiem was elected to serve as a director of the Powelton Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton History Blog.)

 

1900:

John A. Wiedershiem               57        Solicitor of patents; owner, free of mortgage

Josephine B. Wiedershiem       57        Married 27 years, one child

Lilian A. Wiedershiem            23

Mary Mustin                            60        Sister-in-law; single

Margaret Marley                      26        Cook; born in Ireland

Mary Mc Donald                     24        Chambermaid; born in Ireland

“…John A. Wiedersheim, Esq., of Philadelphia, one of the oldest established attorneys of that city, in the practice of Patent Law, the offices of the firm being at 917 and 919 Chestnut St. On the first of March 1896. the firm name was changed to Wiedersheim & Fairbanks.”

(Genealogy of the Fairbanks Family in America, 1633-1897. By Lorenzo Sayles Fairbanks. American Printing and Engraving Co., 1897, p 794.)

 

1905 Passenger list: “Col John A. Wiedersheim - Former commander of the Veteran Corps, First Regiment Infantry, N.G.P.. Miss Lilian Wiedersheim”

(Transcribed List of Passengers for the 16 August 1905 Westbound Voyage of the steamship Friesland of the American Line from Liverpool, England to Philadelphia.. Morton Allen Directory, Page 102].)

 

1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. John A. Wiedershelm

                           Miss. Lilian A. Wiedershelm

 

1909, June 2: Marriage of Lilian Allison Wiedersheim to Rev. Arthur W. Warner (424 N. 34th St.) at St. Andrew's Church, by the Right Rev. Alexander Mackay-Smith.

 

1910:

John A. Weidersheim               67        Patent attorney; parents born in Germany; owner with mortgage

Josephine B. Weidersheim       63        Married 37 years, 2 children, one surviving

Lilian A. Warner                      33        Daughter; married less than one year

William A. Warner                   38        Son-in-law; clergyman; born in NY, father in NY, mother in England

Ella G. Marbin                         32        Cook; born in Ireland

Mary J. Nolan                          21        Waitress; born in Ireland

            In 1911, Rev. William Arthur Warner was Secretary to the Bishop and of Diocesan Committees for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. In 1888-‘89, he was a special student at the [Episcopal] General Theological Seminary in New York City. In 1899, he was the minister at S. Vineland, New Mexico which had 28 communicants and in 1906 he lived with his mother at 424 N. 34th St. Josephine B. Wiedersheim died July 11, 1917. The funeral was held at her son-in-law’s home, 4408 Pine St. In 1920, John Wiedersheim lived with Lilian and Rev. Warner at 4408 Pine St.

 

1920:

John McLay                 39        Self-employed chauffeur; owner with a mortgage

Hattie McLay               42        Born in N.C.

Philip Combs               23        Step-son; singer in theater; born in Del., father in Del., mother in N.C.

Southard Combs          20        Step-son; chauffeur; born in Del., father in Del., mother in N.C.

 

1930:

Lurdia Smith                24        Battery charger; married at age 19; born in Illinois; renting for $100 per month

Cecile Smith                24        Married at age 19; born in Illinois

Anton M. Smith             4        born in Illinois

Benjamin Switzer         50        Lodger; clerk for a steam railroad; born in Illinois, father born in Virginia, mother in Missouri

Alice Sharp                  22        Lodger; stenographer; born in Virginia

Wilson V. Gates           52        Lodger; accountant for steam railroad

Helen C. Baker            27        Lodger; supervisor for steam railroad

 

1940:

William V. Gates         62        Single; 4 years of high school; renting for $18 per month

_ 2nd Hh.

William T. Dobinson   63        Unemployed; born in NY; 8 years of schooling; renting for $18 per month

Ester M. Dobinson      55        Unemployed; 8 years of schooling

 

2009: home of the Drexel chapter of ΣΦΕ, Sigma Phi Epsilon, fraternity

 

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8/7/2022

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