The
History of the Building
“three-story,
five-register Italianate style house with smooth stuccoed
facade. rusticated smooth stone quoins and large elaborately carved double wood
brackets below the wood cornice of the overhanging flat roof. The first floor
has full-height windows and a circa 1900 neo-Federal style architrave with
slender fluted columns and delicately dentillated
pediment. The original porch has been removed.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1863 and 1864 Directories:
James B. Ferree, banker at 33 S. 3rd St.
The 1862
directory lists him at 404 S. 8th St.
The 1866
directory lists him at N. 34th and Bridge (3404
Spring Garden) St.
1863, February 19:
Death of Mary Ann McJimsey Ferree, daughter of James
B. and Mary Ann Ferree. She was 22 years old. (Phila. Inquirer, 2/20/1863)
1865 Directory (compiled in fall, 1864): William Brooks, merchant,
431 Market, h 204 N. 35th
The 1864 directory gives his home
address as Bridge near 35th.
1866, Jan. 1: Title transferred to William Brooks by William Hamm
1870:
William Brooks 43 Wholesale milling goods; real estate:
$30,000, personal: $25,000
Anna A. (Annie)
Brooks 38 Her father was born in
Annie Brooks 18
Harry Brooks 16 Store clerk
Charles Brooks 14
Kate Brooks 12
Willie Brooks 8
Lottie Brooks 5
James Brooks 1
Agnes Ennis 30 Domestic servant; born in
Catharine Chisim 21 Domestic servant; born in
Catharine Brooks 78 [William’s mother?]
In 1860, they lived at 3410 Bridge (Spring Garden) St.
Anna A. Brooks was the daughter of
Rev. Andrew Mecaskey who died in Philadelphia on Feb.
11, 1842 at age 70. Her sister, Sarah A. Mecaskey (abt 1817-1889), and her
husband Capt. Roger Horner, Jr. (1818-1875), lived on Spring Garden St. near 32nd
in 1860.
“CHARLES McKARAHER
BROOKS, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was born September 10, 1855, in
Philadelphia, son of William and Annie A. Mecaskey
Brooks. His earlier education was received at Prof. Hastings' Mantua Academy [207 N. 35th St.]. He took up the study of
medicine at Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, and graduated with the
class of 1878. Since graduation he has engaged in general practice in
Philadelphia and is chief of the maternity department of the Women's Homœopathic Hospital. He is a member of the Germantown
Medical Club, the Oxford Club, the Bœninghausen Club
and the Homœopathic Medical Society of the State of
Pennsylvania.”
(History of Homeopathy and Its Institutions
in America, William Harvey King. 1905.)
In 1880, the family is listed at 734
N. 13th St.
1875, March 28: Death of William Brooks, 49 years old, of 204 N.
35th St. He was born in Reading, Pa. He was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
1876, Jun. 28: Title transferred to Henry H. Shillingford
by Estate of William Brooks
1878 map: H. H. Shillingford
1880:
Henry [H.] Shillingford
65 Coal dealer
Harriett N. Shillingford
50 Parents born in
James T. Shillingford
31 Lumber dealer
Harriet W. Shillingford
25
Robert A. Shillingford 22 Clerk in a coal office
In
1870, they lived at 1118 Wallace St.
They
may have maintained two addresses,
1881 Directory: Shillingford Henry H, pres. 328 Walnut, h 204 N 35th
Henry H, coal, h 630 N 6th
Henry T, sec & treas, 328 Walnut, h 1118 Wallace
James, T, sec & treas, 328 Walnut, h 202 N 35th [typo,
Robert A., sec, h 1118 Wallace
1886, April 3: “Henry H. Shillingford,
an old Philadelphia merchant, died on Saturday at his residence, No. 1118 Wallace street. Mr. Shillingford,
who was in his seventieth year, was born in Upper Darby, Delaware county, Pa. On
the breaking out of the war he was made assistant quartermaster, with the rank
of colonel. The deceased was also secretary of the Atlantic and Ohio Telegraph
Company and a director of the Western Union Company. He was also president of
the Moshannon Land and Lumber Company, and devoted much of this time to the
development of the coal and iron interests of the state.” (Phila. Inquirer, April 6, 1886)
1881, Jun. 13: Title transferred to John T. Thornton by Henry H. Shillingford
1883, Apr. 7: Title transferred to Lammot
DuPont by Sherriff, deed of William Brooks
The DuPont family lived at 3500
Powelton Ave. They also owned 207 N.
35th St. Lammot DuPont died in a
factory explosion on March 29, 1884. The properties were inherited by his wife
and children.
1889
& 1890 Directories:
Philip H. Goepp, lawyer, 1430 S Penn Sq, h 204 N 35th
In
the 1895 Directory, he is listed at 3420 Race St.
“GOEPP, Philip Henry, musician, author; b. New York, June 23,
1864; s. Charles and Martha Neal C. G.; ed. classical schools Stuttgart and
Esslingen, Germany, 1872-7; grad. Harvard, 1881 (LL. B., Univ. of Pa., 1888);
admitted Phila. bar, 1888; adopted music as a profession, 1891; teacher,
composer, organist. A founder and long sec. Manuscript Music Soc., Phila; mem.
numerous musical socs.; hon. mom. Harvard Mus. Club; mem. Harvard
organizations. Clubs: University, Pegasus, Harvard. Composer of numerous songs,
anthems, partsongs and unpublished instrumental
music; writer for years of descriptive notes in programs for symphony concerts
of Phila. Orchestra. Author: Annals of Music in
(Who's Who in America. 1903)
1893, May. 4: Title transferred to Mary Broadbent by Mary DuPont,
et al.
1895
Directory: Owen L. Broadbent, bookkeeper
The
1860 Census shows him at age 1 living in
1898 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. O. L. Broadbent. Receiving day
Tuesday
Mrs. C. C. Keen
1900:
O. L. Broadbent 41 Retired merchant; parents born in
Mary Broadbent 47 Born
in
Florence M. Broadbent 14
Elizabeth B. Keen 50 Sister-in-law;
widowed, no children; born in
Helen C. Lindstrum
24 Servant; born in
Mary
Kershaw married Owen L. Broadbent who was her cousin. In 1880, she and her
half-sister, Elizabeth B. (Shaw) Keen were living with their mother and Mary’s
father at 3611 Powelton Ave. She married Charles
C. Keen sometime in the 1870s but was not living with him in 1880.
1906 Blue Book: Mrs. Charles C. Keen
Mr. & Mrs. O. L. Broadbent & daughter
1910:
Owen L. Broadbent 51 Yarn manufacturer; father born in
England, mother in Germany [?]; owner with a mortgage
Mary K. Broadbent 57 Married
26 years, 1 child; born in England
Florence M.
Broadbent 24
Elizabeth B. Keen 61 Sister-in-law;
widowed, no children; born in England, immigrated in 1854
Annie Erwin 30
In 1930, Elizabeth B. Keen was
living across the street at 201 N. 35th St.
1910, July 26: Marriage of Florence M. Broadbent to Frederick
Jerome Walter, M.D. in Philadelphia
1917, July 11: Title transferred from Owen L.
Broadbent to Adelaide P. Spang
Owen and Mary’s passport application
in 1920 lists them living at The Sunderland, 35th
and Powelton. Their 1922 application gives their address as 201 N. 35th St. where Elizabeth Keen was
listed in the 1930 census. The 1920 passport application includes their photos
(above). Owen was 5’4” tall.
1920:
Adelaide Spang 45 Widowed; born in R.I., parents born in
Italy; owner, free of a mortgage
Elizabeth Brady 52 Maid;
born in Del., parents born in
Jessie A. Hoffman 31 Lodger;
clerk at a publishing co.; married
Adelaide Spang was the widow of
William Spang, a photographer and artist.
1930:
Sigman [sic.] A. Spang 50 Widowed;
born in R.I., parents born in Italy; owner, house valued at $12,000; she did
not have a radio
Elizabeth Bradey 54 Servant;
parents born in Ireland
1931, Feb. 9: Title transferred to The Real Estate Land Title and
Trust Co., Trustee by Sherriff
1938, Mar. 28: Offered for rent for $85 per
month (Inquirer)
1938, Oct. 10: Title transferred to John H. and Hortense C. Jensen
by The Real Estate Land Title and Trust Co., Trustee
1940:
John H. Jensen 41 Engineer
in manufacturing, earned $5,000 in 1939; four years of college; owner, house
valued at $6,000
Hortense Jensen 35 Born
in N. Y.; 4 years of high school
John Henry Jenson was the son of
John and Anna M. Jensen who immigrated from Denmark in 1887 and 1891. John, Sr.
was from Odense, Denmark. In the censuses of 1900 to 1930, the Jensen family
lived at 3840 Lancaster Ave. John, Sr. was a florist. John H. Jensen attended
the University of Pennsylvania. He married Hortense Cassell in Philadelphia in
1931. She was the daughter of Clement C. and Eugenia M. Cassell of Millville,
N.J. He was an architect and home builder who grew up at 1005 Cumberland St. in
Philadelphia, the son of a grocer. In 1930, she was living at 101 Ellseworth
St. as a lodger.
In 2000, they founded the John H.
and Hortense Cassell Jensen Memorial Fund for Child Development which had assets
of about $3,000,000 in 2010. They also endowed a chair in pediatric education
at Children’s Hospital which has been held by Stephen Ludwig, M.D. since 1998.
1954: “Elaine Brown, conductor. Founder-Dir. ‘Singing City, Inc.’
Phila. Faculty: Union Theological Seminary, N.Y. Available: Guest Appearances,
Choral Clinics, Demonstration-Lectures.
(Ad in Music
Educators Journal 44(3): 12.)
1956, Aug. 9: Title transferred to Hugh W. and Elaine Brown by
John H. and Hortense C. Jensen
1960, Jan. 17: “Singing City Lists Two Workshop
Series
“Singing City will present its
second series of Monday evening workshops under the direction of Elaine Brown,
for 10 weeks beginning Jan. 25 at 204 N. 35th st.
“’Elements of Music’ will be the
subject from 7 to 8:30 and a Workshop for Singers will be held from 8:30 to 10.”
(Inquirer)