223 and
of Kelly Hall. Photo courtesy of Drexel University
Archives.
The
History of the Building
1895 Bromley Atlas shows this double.
1969: The houses on the east side of the 200 block of
For many years 223 and
2009: 223 and 225
became the site of Drexel’s Millennium Hall
dormitory.
Previous Residents
1898 Blue
Book: Mr. and Mrs. Ellwood Bonsall
E. W. Bonsall
Ellwood
Bonsall was a prominent real estate broker. For a full biography, see 208 N. 35th St. where they lived from about
1903 on. Before moving here, they were listed at 219 N. 34th St.
(which might refer to the mansion at 34th and Race, 3311 Race St.).
1900:
George B. Evans 42 Druggist;
owed free of a mortgage
Lucy Evans 34 Married 11 years
Edith Evans 9
George B. Evans
[Jr.]
6
Harry Evans 5
Wayne Evans 11 months
Annie Rodgers 32 Nurse;
born in
Tilly Blair 32 Cook; born in
Emma Harvey 20 Chambermaid;
born in
Andrew Ferguson 40 Coachman
George Hickman 64 Father-in-law
In 1891, they lived at 3621 Powelton
Ave. They lived at 206 N. 34th from about 1894-1899.
George Hickman died Nov. 11, 1913
while living at 404 N. 38th St. with his sisters, Mary A. Hickman
and Sarah Strickland.
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. George B. Evans
“Fountain in the Store of George B. Evans, 1106-1108
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
Length 49 Feet. Constructed of Onyx, Marble and
Mahogany.”
1906: “WHERE
THE LARGEST NUMBER OF GLASSES IS SOLD,
“It
is believed that the greatest trade in soda water in
(American
Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record. Vol. 48. 1906; Pp 162-3, Google Books.)
The
George B. Evans company produced Mum deodorant which was immortalized by a
series of ads by the John 0. Powers agency which repeated the slogan,
"'Mum' is the word!" John O. Powers lived across the street from
Evans at 206 N. 34th. (See the PoweltonHistoryBlog on Powers.) You can read more about Evans in the blog: Philadelphia
Forgotten.
1910:
George B. Evans
51 Retail druggist; owned free of a
mortgage
Lucy M. Evans 42 Married 21 years, 4 children
Edith Evans 19
George B. Evans, Jr. 17
Harold F[ries] Evans 15
Wayne H. Evans 11
Annie E. Alcorn 34 Secretary for a private family; father
born in N.Y.
Emma B. Harvey 40 Cook; single; born in
Elizabeth Greenfield
45 Chambermaid, single, born in Ireland
Margaret Nagle 28 Waitress; single; born in
Harold F. Evans
1912: Miss
Lizzie Greenfield was a member of the Tenth Presbyterian Church at 38th
and Hamilton Sts.
1916,
April: Edith Evans married John Lawrence Pancoast
Pancoast
was born in Baltimore. He graduated from the Univ. of Pennsylvania in 1912. In
1920, they were living in Lower Merion with their first child, Evans Pancoast,
a maid, a cook, a nurse and a waitress. He was an insurance
broker.
1918, May
31: Death of George B. Evans, Jr.
George B. Evans (Ev. Pub. Ledger)
"Fall from
Airplane Fatal to G. B. Evans, Jr.
"Son of Philadelphia
Druggist Made Good Record in Naval Air Service
"Ensign George B. Evans, Jr., son of George B.
Evans, widely-known druggist, of 223 North Thirty-fourth street, died yesterday
of injuries received the previous night at Miami, Fla., when his airplane
collapsed while 500 feet up in the air.
"The young flying officer was a student pilot at the
naval air station. The accident occurred while Evans was maneuvering over the
bay. With him was Chief Quartermaster Monahan, who received slight injuries.
"The progress of Evans' work was expressed to his
parents in glowing reports. He had mastered many of the tricks of the air, he
said, and could 'tail-dive,' do a 'nose-spin,' loop the loop and execute the
other difficult stunts that often turn the tide in actual battle.
"Evans' recent letters expressed desire for early
active duty. His aerial skill was attested by the rapidity of his rise in the
service, the training for naval aviators being very difficult and requiring not
only wide technical knowledge, but nerves of steel.
"Mrs. Evans was stopping at the Bellevue Stratford
Hotel at the time the accident occurred to her son. A telegram announcing that
Ensign Evans had been injured was received at midnight two nights ago by the
maid at the Thirty-fourth street home. The news was immediately directed to
Mrs. Evans, who rushed home and collapsed soon afterwards.
"Ensign Evans was a graduate of the Hill School and
the Cornell University class of 1915."
(Inquirer, June 2, 1918)
1919
Directory: George B. Evans Druggist at 1106 Chestnut & SE corner 17th and
Chestnut, 732 & 1012 Market & laboratory at 219 N. 10th
1920:
Alexander Parker 48 Superintendent for a railroad; mother
born in Illinois; owned with a mortgage
Mary Parker 48
Delia King 46
Servant; born in
In
1915, they lived in Oil City, Pa. where he was superintendent of the Allegheny
Div. of the Pennsylvania Railroad. He is probably the Alexander Parker, civil
engineer, listed in the 1891 directory at 3208 Race St.
1930:
Charles H. Ward 56 President of advertising co.; married at
age 23; owner, house valued at $20,000
Anita B. Ward [54] Born
in Maryland
Reginald McC. Ward 32 Supervisor
for telephone co.; married at age 28; born in Maryland
Greta Ward 26 Daughter-in-law; married at age 23;
father born in N.Y., mother in Illinois
Charles
Harry Ward was born in Columbia, MD in 1874. He married Anita Beatrice
McCormick in 1897. In 1900, they lived in Columbia, MD. In 1920, they lived in
Pittsburgh. Charles died in 1938. In 1940, Anita was back living in Columbia,
MD. Reginald McCormick Ward was born March 26, 1898. He married Greta Mundt. He
served during WWI.