Also Known as 3507 Race
St.
Simpson’s
Apothecary Building
The
Pharmacy was run by Robert Simpson from 1904-1934.
The
History of the Building
“three-story. two,-register--brick- building with first floor
commercial front." Brownstone base, carved brownstone band -below
first-floor cornice and plain band around Race Street side. Pressed metal shop
front with Colonial Revival motifs and
the word Chemicals. Original
bracketed dormer.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the national register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1875, May. 21: Title transferred to Michael Kelleher by George G.
Gerhard
1874, May. 28: Death of Henry L. Rockey
The
1857 census of Minnesota shows them living in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sept.
25, when they are shown with a one-month-old daughter named Sarah (probably
Lydia). The 1870 census shows them living in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he
was a sash, blind and door maker. The 1874 directory of Philadelphia lists him
as a flour merchant at 3524 Market St. but does not give his home address He was the second-cousin
of John A. Rockey who lived at 3317 Baring St.
1880: 3507 Race
Sarah L.
Rockey 51 Widowed
L. Augusta Rockey
22 Born
in Minnesota, parents born in Pa.
H. Chester Rockey
19 Store
clerk; born in Minnesota, parents born in Pa.
Charles H. Clark 32 Boarder;
apothecary
Miriam Clark 27 Boarder
Helen T. Clark 4
[baby] Clark 1
month, born in April, 1880
Harry S.
Clark 22 Boarder; apothecary
Sarah (Strickland) Rockey was the
widow of Henry L. Rockey. Sarah, Lydia A., and Henry
C. Rockey moved to 1711 Bouvier St. about 1882 and were counted there in census
in 1900 and 1910.
In 1870, Charles Clark was a drug
clerk for Hugh Siddall at 35th and Haverford Sts.
(The 1867 directory lists Siddall as an M.D.)
1880, Sep. 14: Title transferred to Patrick K. Daly by Michael
Kelleher
1882, Mar. 1: Title transferred to Michael Kelleher by Patrick K.
Daly
1882, Apr. 6: Title transferred to John M. Erickson by Michael Kelleher
1883, Apr. 6: Title transferred to Charles H. Clark by John M.
Erickson
Clark and his family lived here in
1880 (see above).
1900: 3507 Race St.
Charles H. Clark 52 Druggist;
owner with a mortgage
Miriam K. Clark 47 Married
26 years, 3 children
Helen T. Clark 24
Mildred Clark 20
Kathryn Clark 10
Elizabeth Lewis 39 Servant;
black
Ozella Bly 29 Professional nurse; born in Virginia
1904, Jun. 14: Title transferred to Robert Simpson by Charles H.
Clark
1910:
Robert
Simpson 46 Druggist; owned with a mortgage
Letitia Simpson 53 Married
7 years, no children
Milton Smith 18 Boarder; drug store clerk
Robert Simpson’s first wife, Mary Murphy
Simpson, died Dec. 18, 1894 when they were living at
3109 Powelton Ave. She was 35 years old. She was buried at West Laurel Hill
Cemetery. In 1900, Robert lived with his three single sisters-in-law. Rachel, Almira and Letitia Murphy, at 1729 Vine St. Almira was a
librarian and Letitia was a teacher. He married Letitia Murphy in August, 1902.
1920: 3507 Race
Robert Simpson 56 Druggist;
owner with a mortgage
Letitia M.
Simpson 63
Almira R. Murphy 70 Sister-in-law;
mother born in N.J.
Rachel Murphy 69 Sister-in-law;
mother born in N.J.
In 1910, Almira and Rachel Murphy
lived at 3624 Baring St. In 1930, Almira Murphy
lived at Friends Boarding Home in Philadelphia. Rachel died Feb. 19, 1929. Another
sister, Sarah E. Shoemaker, lived with her husband and daughter at 209 N. 34th St. In 1880, the sisters all
lived with their mother at 2106 Brandywine St. (Mantua).
1923, Feb. 5: Death of Letitia M. Simpson, 73 years old, of 201 N.
36th St. (3507 Race St.); cause of death stomach cancer; burial at Wrightstown
Friends Cemetery
1930: 3507 Race
Robert Simpson 66 Druggist;
widowed, married at age 30; owner, house valued at $9,500
1934, Mar. 19: Title transferred to Nathan Finberg by Ruth Bradley
Freitag
In 1930, Nathan Finberg lived with
his parents, Samuel and Lena Finberg, at 2548 N.
Natrona St. His parents were born in Russia [or Romania] and immigrated in 1900
and 1903, respectively. His father had a cigar store. Nathan was a chemist in a
drug store. He was 26 years old and single. His younger brother, Meyer, was a
clerk in a drug store.
1934, Jul. 14: Title transferred to Lena Finberg by Nathan Finberg
The title was later passed to Nathan
Finberg, his wife and others by will.
1940: 3507 Race
Nathan Finberg 37 Pharmacist
in drug store; owner, house valued at $6,900
Lena Finberg 55 Mother; born in Romania
— 2nd
household
Henry Finberg 37 Brother;
clerk in drug store
Betty Finberg 29 Sister-in-law; born in England
Jacob White 63 Father-in-law; born in Russia
Nathan was the son of Samuel Finberg
and Lena (Schwartz) Finberg.
1944, Feb. 14: Marriage of Ann C. Eldridge
(3614 Pearl St.) to Nathan Finberg (201 N. 36th St.). They were married in Wilmington,
Delaware.
She was the daughter of John O’Neill
and Mary Smith. In 1940, Anna and Cecilia were living as lodgers in an apartment
at 513 N. 33rd St. She was listed as Ann O’Neill. She had four years
of high school and was working as a hairdresser at a beauty salon. She earned
$600 for 39 weeks of work in 1939. In 1930, she lived with her father at 5802 Torresdale Ave. which he owned. Hew had a barber shop. She
married Charles E. Eldridge in West Chester, Pa. in 1931. They were apparently
divorced. In 1942, he was living in Jenkintown where he died in 1943.
1947, Dec. 22: Title transferred to Nathan Finberg and Ann C., his
wife by Nathan Finberg, and wife, et al.
1950:
Nathan Finberg 48 Proprietor
of a drug store, worked 72 hours in past week
Ann C. Finberg 43
Cecilia L.
Finberg 12 [Step-]daughter
_ 3rd
floor:
Melvin Van Tassell 55 Stock keeper for Crown Can Co., worked
40 hours in past week
Eva Van Tassell 49
1958, Nov. 2: Death of Ann Catharine Finberg,
52 years old, of 201 N. 36th St. She had had rheumatic heart disease. Burial at
Roosevelt Cemetery, Bucks Co.
1968 Directory: Finberg N.
Simpson Robert, Pharmacy
1968, Dec. 6: Death of Henry Finberg, husband
of the late Betty (nee White), father of Jack Finberg, brother of Nathan and
Meyer Finberg. of 201 N. 36th St. Services at Rosenberg's Raphael Sacks.
1969, Sep. 22: Death of Nathan Finberg, 66
years old, of 201 N. 36th St.
“Nathan Finberg, a pharmacist, died
Monday at his home, 201 N. 36th st. He was
66. He was graduated from Central High School in 1920 and from Philadelphia
College of Pharmacy in 1922. A member of the Philadelphia Association of Retail
Druggists, he operated a pharmacy at 201 N. 36th st.
for more than 30 years. Survivors are a daughter, Ceclia , and a brother, Meyer.”
(Inquirer, Sept. 24)
1970: Ad: “DESIRABLE CORNER LOT, 36th
& Race (201 N. 36th) 18x100, 3 story brick, Estate must sell.
$19,500.” (Inquirer, April 12)
1998, Oct. 9: Purchased by
Garrett Christy
< 205 N 36th St. 3505 Race St. >
Revised 8/19/2022