215 N. 34th Street

 

The History of the Building

 

201-217 N. 34th St. were built on land owned by William Howell. His house had the address 3311 Race St.

 

1969: The houses on the east side of the 200 block of 34th St. were slated for 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.)

 

203-217 N. 34th St. were demolished to make room for Drexel University’s Kelly Hall.

 

Previous Residents

 

1893, Sept. 30: Deed transferred from George W. Shedwick to Samuel D. Walton for $20,000

 

1897 Directory: Samuel D. Walton

 

1900:

Samuel Walton             29        [Occupation illegible]; married 5 years, mother born in Germany; owed free of a mortgage

            “House closed”

 

1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. S. Davis Walton

            He was a member of the Automobile Club

 

1910:

Samuel D. Walton       38        Stock exchange broker; owned free of a mortgage

Agnes W. Walton        35        Married 15 years, one child

Dorothee W. Walton     5

Sarah M. Adams          36        Nurse; born in Ireland

Mary Harkins               23        Cook; born in Ireland

Alice Mellon                38        Chambermaid; born in Ireland

 

1910, Oct. 6: Death of Samuel Davis Walton; burial at Laurel Hill; cause of death was a brain tumor

            “Death of S. D. Walton

            “Well-Known Financier Dies After Long Illness

            “Samuel Davis Walton, well-known in social and financial circles, died yesterday morning at his residence, 215 North Thirty-fourth street. He had been ill for several months and had travelled extensively in an effort to regain his health.

            “Mr. Walton was a man of large means, his father, Charles Walton, having been one of Philadelphia’s most successful business men. He was born in this city in 1871 and after a brief business career retired to look after his financial interests.

            “Mr. Walton was a popular member of the Union League, Racquet Club and Philadelphia Country Club. He was an expert golfer and had participated in numerous tournaments. He is survived by a widow, who was Agnes Woodruff, a daughter, Dorathea, and a sister, Miss Jennie D. Walton, of 3805 Walnut street.”  (Inquirer)

            In 1916, Agnes married John W. Good. In 1920, they lived at 249 Bryn Mawr Ave.

 

1917 Directory: Henry Shoemaker

 

1920:

Harvey Shoemaker       52        Physician in general practice

Mary Shoemaker          45        Born in Ireland, immigrated in 1880, became a citizen in 1894

Alice Shoemaker          23

Catherine Shoemaker   22

Marjorie Shoemaker     20

John D. Shoemaker     16

Marion Comyms          28        Sister-in-law; single; parents born in England

            In 1898, he was a physician at the German Hospital of Philadelphia. The Blue Book for that year gives his address as 109 S. 20th St. In 1900, he was at Pennsylvania Hospital.

“Early 1920s... Through the assistance of Dr. Harvey Shoemaker, Chief of Medicine, and Dr. John B. Deaver, Chief of Surgery, both at Lankenau Hospital, they roused the interest of a friend and patient, Rodman Wanamaker. Mr. Wanamaker, LIMR’s original benefactor and son of John Wanamaker,... donated funds to build a research center on the Lankenau Hospital Campus which was then located at Girard and Corinthian in Philadelphia.”

(“80 Years of Research Excellence” Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, 2007. Emphasis in original.)

http://www.limr.org/interactivemap/pdf/newsletters/LIMR80th%20-%20NOV2007.pdf )

 

<217 N 34th                                                                                                          211 N 34th >

Revised 5/29/2015

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