The
History of the Building
In the 1878
Scott’s Atlas, this land and
most of the square block were owned by George A. Fletcher who later lived
at 216 N. 34th.
“Three-story double composed of red
brick with pressed brick ornament. The original wood porch is intact.
Composition of the double consists of outer bays with bracketed hipped roofs
&and inner bays with front projecting bracketed gables with shingles around
attic windows. At the second -floor, a projecting pressed metal bay has been
added to 212. Architect: A.W. Dilks.”
(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
Previous Residents
1882, Dec. 27: Title to the southern half of this property
transferred to Anna B. Lewis by Louisa F. Mitchell, et al., Executors of Estate
of Jonathan B. Mitchell, deceased.
The same day the northern half was transferred to Anna B. Lewis by
George A. Fletcher. These two
halves were subsequently always transferred together.
1884, February: Theodore and Anna Lewis moved into their new
home. (Diary of Charlotte S. Lewis)
He
was the son of Enoch Lewis (3405 Powelton) who
was the Chief Purchasing Agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Ann Burnham was the daughter of
George Burnham (3401 Powelton) who was president
of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the largest manufacturer of steam
locomotives. They married in April
1881. His sister, Anna Lewis,
married her brother, George Burnham, Jr., and they lived next door at 214 N. 34th St.
Enoch Lewis, Theodore B.
Lewis, and Theodore J. Lewis, c1892
1885 Directory: Theodore J. Lewis, clerk, h 212 N. 34th
1880:
Theodore Lewis was a groom’s man at the wedding of Jessie Sellers and
Sabin Colton who moved into
1890 Directory: Theodore J. Lewis, assistant treasurer, office:
220 S 4th
1898 Blue Book: Theodore J. Lewis was a member of the Powelton
Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton History Blog.)
1900:
Theodore J. Lewis 45 Secretary,
steel manufacturer; owned free of a mortgage
Ann B[urnham]
Lewis 44 Married
19 years, 4 children
Dorothy Lewis 16
Sidney Lewis
11 Daughter
Theodore Lewis 10
Burnham Lewis 2
Mary Albright 46 Servant;
cook; married 18 years, 2 children, none surviving; born in
Mary McWenanier 28 Servant;
nurse; born in
Emily Tynan 22 Servant;
waitress, born in
Mary Jearr ? 28 Servant;
Chambermaid; born in
“Standard
(The) Steel Works, Harrison Building, Philadelphia. Works at Burnham, Miffiin county. Built in 1869... William Burnham,
President and Treasurer; Merle Middleton, Vice-President; Theodore J. Lewis,
Secretary; J. P. Stevenson, Superintendent; A. A. Stevenson, Mechanical
Engineer. Selling agents, E. S. Lewis,...” (Directory of iron and steel works of the United States and
Canada. American Iron and Steel Institute. 1902, p
202.)
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Theodore J.
Lewis
Miss Sidney Lewis
1910:
Theodore J. Lewis 54 Own
income
Anna D. Lewis 54 Married
28 years, 4 children
Sidney Lewis 24
Theodore B. Lewis 19
Burnham Lewis 12
Mary M. Albright 56 Cook; married 27 years, 2
children; born in
Margaret Furey 32 Waitress;
born in
Katherine Gibbons 23 Chamber
maid; born in
In
1920 and 1930, they lived in 3405 Powelton where
his parents lived until their deaths.
1913: Theodore J. Lewis was a member of The
Social Welfare Forum. (Official
Proceedings [of the] Annual Meeting.)
1914: Mrs. Theodore J. Lewis was a member of the Women’s
National Agricultural and Horticultural Association. (American Feminism: Work and Education. Janet Beer, Anne-Marie Ford,
Katherine Joslin. Rutledge. 2003.)
1917, June 4: Title transferred to Annie W. Rogers, wife of George
H. Rogers by Anna B. Lewis
1918, Apr. 29: Title transferred to Owen Shoemaker by Annie W.
Rogers
Mary Margaret (Greta)
Shoemaker Elizabeth
Jack Shoemaker
and Jack Comly Shoemaker Swarthmore,
1916
1920:
Owen Shoemaker 59 Salesman,
book and binding materials; mother born in N.J.; owner
Mary M. Shoemaker
55
Elizabeth
Shoemaker 25 Social welfare worker for
charitable organization
John C. Shoemaker
14
The
1915 directory lists them living at 2011 Chestnut St.
Owen
Shoemaker, along with brothers Charles and Joshua, operated the family
business, J.L. Shoemaker & Co., dealing with bookbinder materials and
carriage leather, located at 6th and Minor Streets, Philadelphia.
1923: Marriage license issued to Elizabeth Jack Shoemaker and Karl
Grzybowski
1930:
Owen Shoemaker 67 Leather
goods merchant; mother born in N.J.; married at age 25; owner, house valued at
$30,000
Greta Shoemaker 65 Married
at age 22
Jack Shoemaker 25 Clerk
for leather goods company
1930: Marriage of Ruth A. Gourley to Jack C. Shoemaker
In
1930, Ruth Ann Gourley was 25 years old and living with her parents, Harry and
Margaret Gourley, in Cheltenham, Montgomery, Pa. He was a lawyer.
Mary Margaret Shoemaker
(1864-1952)
1937, Oct. 14: Death of Karl William Grzybowski, 50 years old, of
212 N. 34th St. of bronco-pneumonia.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and worked in advertising.
1940:
Owen Shoemaker 79 Bookbinding,
earned $5,000 in 1939; 3 years of high school
Mary M. Shoemaker 75 Four years of college
Elizabeth
Grzybowski 45 Daughter; widowed
Betsy Grzybowski 8 Granddaughter
Mary Grzybowski 8 Granddaughter
The
census listed Elizabeth and the twins with the name Shoemaker.
Owen Shoemaker in 1940
(1860-1944)
1944, March 6: Death of Owen Shoemaker
After
Owen Shoemaker’s death, the property was transferred to his wife, Mary
Margaret Shoemaker.
1946, Sep. 11: Title transferred to Max and Eva Wasserman by Mary
Margaret Shoemaker
1947, Aug. 27: Title transferred to Harold C. Connor by Max and
Eva Wasserman
1950:
Marion Fahiner 29 Freelance
artist; married
Carole Fahiner 1
8/8/2022