303-305: “two-story.
red brick double. Number 303 has a circa 1905 Colonial Revival enclosed porch;
lintels and gambreled attic story added.”
(Inventory of Buildings
in Powelton from
the application submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
The lot was original part of a parcel that included
303, 305, 307, and 309 N. 37th St. as well as 3627 and 3629 Powelton
Ave. The history of that parcel is as follows:
1867, May
17: Deeded to John Magraw by Louisa E. Baring, et al.
John
Magraw is listed in the 1867 city directory as a clerk at 4131 Chestnut St.
That was the home of real estate agent Enoch G. Hopkins whose office was on 41st
St. near Haverford Ave.
1867, June
28: Deeded to Joseph Dallas Hall by John Magraw
1867, Sept.
21: Deeded to John K. McCurdy by Joseph Dallas Hall
1869, April
1: Deeded to Thomas Foster by John K. McCurdy
1869, April
2: Deeded to John M. Mole by Thomas Foster
John
M. Mole almost certainly built 303-309 N. 37th St. He was a
carpenter who was born in England about 1841. He was probably the brother of
Thomas H., John, Walter and James Mole all of whom
were carpenters. They may have been the sons of a W. Mole who was a builder. In
1866, all of them were living near 17th St. and Ellsworth. They probably
arrived in the U.S. about 1860 and they all left Philadelphia between 1870 and
1880 except for James.
In
1870, John and Elizabeth A. Mole lived in West Philadelphia, probably west of
40th St. Elizabeth was born in Ireland. She claimed real estate worth $15,000
and personal property valued at $2,000. John Mole was involved in about 50 land
sales in Philadelphia between 1869 and 1873, possibly as a builder. He probably
left Philadelphia about 1874.
Previous Residents
1869,
Oct.11: Deed transferred to George W. Henry, Jr. from John M. Mole
1870:
George W. Henry 41 Clerk
in wholesale grocery; real estate: $4,000, personal: $500
Jennie Henry 33 Born in
Ellen McArthur 40 Born
in
In June 1863, George W. Henry
registered for the Civil War draft from 2102 Wallace St. He listed his age as
34 and his occupation as bookkeeper. In the 1867 directory he is listed as G.
W. Henry, Jr., bookkeeper, living at 728 N. 16th St. He died in 1880
at age 50 when he was living on N. 32nd St. in Mantua. The 1880
census listed him as an “out door salesman” of dry
goods. They apparently did not have any children.
1877 Directory (1876): George W. Henry, bookkeeper
1876, Nov. 22: Harry Osmond bought from George W. Henry, Jr.
1880:
James H.
Osmond 31 Clerk in a store
Sarah Ann Osmond 27 Born
in N.Y., father in
Howard B. Osmond 7
Alice G. Osmond 5
Nellie Lee Osmond
8 months - Born Sept, 1879
1894, May 25: Henry Hall bought from J. Harry Osmond
1894, May 26: Sarah A. Osmond bought from Henry Hall
1895, March 23: Death of J. Harry Osmond, 47 years old. The
relatives and friends of the family, also Philadelphia Lodge, No. 72, F. A. M.,
are respectfully invited to attend the funeral from his late residence, 303 N.
37th St. Internment at West Laurel Hill.
1897 Directory: Sarah A. Osmond, widow of J. Harry
James H. Osmond, stoves at 156 N. 7th St.
Howard B. Osmond, clerk
In 1900, Sarah, Alice and Nellie
lived at 626 N. 32nd St. (Mantua).
1897, March 30: Marriage license issued to Charlotte Bowen Conway
and Howard Best Osmond
In 1900, they lived at 3718 Brown
St. with their two daughters, Katherine (age 21 months) and Sarah (3 months).
1899 Directory: Frederick M. Wells treasurer for Eclipse Cement
& Blacking Co. at 1238 Belmont Ave., also F. M. Wells & Co., boxes, 269
S. 5th St.
1900:
Frederick M.
Wells 42 Manufacturer; single; born in N.Y.; renting
Harriet W. Adams 67 Aunt;
single; born in N.Y., father in
In 1895, he was living at 725
Preston St. He was a manager at 1240 Belmont Ave., site of the Eclipse Cement
& Blacking Co. The 1901 directory lists him at 3406 Hamilton St. where he
was a boarder. The 1910 and 1920 censuses list both Frederick Wells and Harriet
Adams living at 716 N. 40th St. which she owned.
1902 Directory: Howard B. Osmond of the J. H. Osmond company,
stoves, at 156 N. 7th St.
1906, April 28: Elizabeth Lenhert bought from Sarah A. Osmond.
The sale price was $4,000. (Inquirer,
May 3, 1906). A week earlier, Sarah A. Osmond purchased 306
N. 37th St. for $5,300 which included a mortgage for $4,000. Howard
and Charlotte Osmond there until about 1926..
1910:
Samuel B. Lenhert
50 Furniture
storage business; owned with a mortgage
Elizabeth Lenhert
50 Married
27 years, 1 child
Chester W. Hill 56 Lodger;
single; customs collector; father born in N.Y.
The 1905 directory lists both Samuel
Lenhert and Charles Hill living at 3624 Baring St.
The 1904 Philadelphia directory
lists Samuel B. Lenhert as a manager for Monarch Storage Co. and living in
Marietta, Pa.
In 1900, Chester W. Hill was
boarding at 3504 Baring St. He was from Williamsport,
Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania. In 1870, his father, Theodore Hill, was a member of
the Pennsylvania Assembly for one year. In 1880, Chester was an attorney still
living with his parents. The 1904 directory lists him as deputy collector of
port at the Customs House and living at 1334 S. 4th St.
1913, Oct. 16: Death of Samuel B. Lenhert, 53 years old, son of
Jacob Lenhert and Magdalena Brubaker. Burial in
Marietta, Penna.
1919, Oct. 20: Chester W. Hill bought from Elizabeth Lenhert
1920:
Harry A. Scholl 35 Agent
for Kray [?] Machine; renting
Elsie Scholl 25
Harry A. Scholl and Elsie E. Roberts
were married in Philadelphia in 1916. In 1930, he lived in an apartment
building at S. 24th St. and Gray’s Ferry. It appears they had
separated. In 1910, Elsie lived with her mother and her step-father,
Sylvester and Annie Bookhammer at 236 S. 51st St. Sylvester was a
[bill] collector for a newspaper.
1930:
Elisa E. Scholl 33 Married
at age 21; born in N.J., father in Pa., mother in N.J.; renting for $60 per
month
Elizabeth R. Scholl 7
Chester W. Hill 76 Lodger;
assistant [unreadable] for a manufacturer
Chester Hill was the owner (see 1919
above). He died April 4, 1941. He was 86 years old and was listed as single.
However, the 1940 census lists him as widowed. His death certificate gives his
address as the Philadelphia Hotel at 39th and Chestnut Sts. but the Inquirer gives it as 303 N. 37th
St. His estate was valued at more than $100,000. The Inquirer noted that
he “bequeathed $1500 each to Mrs. Elsie Scholl and her daughter Elizabeth, who
lived at his home.” (April 25, 1941)
1940:
Elise Scholl 43 born in N. J.; 3 years of high school; renting for $40 per
month
Ann Bookhammer 70 Mother;
widowed; born in N. J.; 7 years of schooling
Edith Paine 25 Roomer; born in N. J.; 4 years of college, in school
Elizabeth Scholl 15 Daughter;
in school
None of them were working and none
reported any earnings for 1939.
1941, July 25: Annie E. Bookhammer bought
from Estate of Chester W. Hill
1941, Aug. 25: Elizabeth R. Scholl bought from Annie E.
Bookhammer
1943: Death of Harry Arndt Scholl, age
56. His death certificate gives this as his usual residence, but he had spent
the previous 11 years at the Coatesville U. S. Veterans Hospital. He had worked
as an X-Ray technician.
1943, Oct. 9: Mary E. Schmidt bought from Robert Leonard Stiles,
Jr., Elizabeth R. Stiles (his wife), and Elsie E. Scholl
Elizabeth Roberts Scholl apparently
married Robert L. Stiles, Jr. In 1940, he was 20 years old and living with his
parents in Burlington, N.J.
1950 Directory: Mary E. Schmidt
1956, June 29: Henry F. Shipherd and Elizabeth K. Shipherd
(husband and wife)
1959, Aug. 10: Indenture by Elizabeth K. Shipherd, divorcee, and
India King Lee, widow for $5,965.26.
1961, June 30: Purchased by Jack H. Minnis and Suzanne J. Minnis.
Suzanne Minnis,
née Johnson died Oct. 13, 2020 in Brunswick, Maine.
“Sue
and Jack met in Sue's hometown, Syracuse NY, where the Air Force had posted
Jack, and married after a two-month whirlwind courtship. Sue lived a life of
commitment to family and civic involvement in her community. The new Powell
Elementary School library was catalogued in her dining room
and she was the behind-the-scenes organizer when Jack was hired as English
Department chair of the newly founded Community College of Philadelphia. In the
70's, when adoption records were legally sealed, Sue tracked down her birth
parents and became life-long friends with her new-found siblings. Working with
the Adoption Forum, she helped many others through the challenges of searching
for birth families. She was a lifetime member of the Powelton Village Civic
Association, especially its Zoning Committee, where she worked tirelessly to
preserve Powelton as a family-centered neighborhood. Her energy, compassion,
commitment, and witty, outgoing personality will be sorely missed by family,
friends, and neighbors.” (Inquirer, Oct. 20)
<
305 N. 37th. 3629
Powelton >