212 N. 34th Street

 

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 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

 

Click for Time Line

 

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 410 N. 33rd St.  (North of Market.  Harold S. Colton.1961: 35)

 

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 Scotland

Mary McWenanier       28        Servant; nurse; born in Ireland

Emily Tynan                22        Servant; waitress, born in Ireland

Mary Jearr ?                 28        Servant; Chambermaid; born in Ireland

            “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 Ireland; immigrated 1872

Margaret Furey            32        Waitress; born in Ireland; immigrated 1873

Katherine Gibbons      23        Chamber maid; born in Ireland;  immigrated 1907

            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

 

<210 N 34th                                                                                                                   214 N 34th >

8/8/2022

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