307 N. 33rd Street

Description: x

MOVE house, 307-309 N. 33rd St., 1978

 

Description: Move House lot small

Corner of 33rd & Pearl, 2009

 

The History of the Building

 

3307-9 were built in the 1870s.  In the 1970s, they became the home of John Africa and the MOVE family.  The house was destroyed after a gun battle between police and MOVE in 1978.  The lot remained vacant until 1989 (see below) when it was converted to three lots and three 3-story town houses were built facing Pearl St.

 

Previous Residents of 307 N. 33rdStreet

1880:

William J. Williams      53        Clerk; parents born in Del.

Josephine Williams      50        Wife; Father born in Del., mother in Pa.

Kate Roberts               42        Sister [of Josephine]; father born in Del., mother in Pa.

Josephine Roberts        14        niece; father born in Md., mother in Pa.

 

1889: Arthur R. Middleton, 23-year-old male, single, Residence: 307 N. 33rd. St. from the manifest of passengers aboard the Bermudian from Hamilton, Bermuda to N. Y. City. (Descendants of Thomas Weatherly.)

 

1890 Directory: William J. Williams

 

1890 Blue Book: Mrs. Kate Roberts

 

1898 Blue Book: Mrs. J. R. Middleton

                          Mrs. Thomas H. Roberts

 

1900:

William J. Williams                  72        Landlord; parents born in Del.; owner with a mortgage

Katherine Williams                  64        Wife, married 1 year; father born in Del., mother in Pa.

Josephine R. Middleton           34       Niece, married 7 years, one child; father born in Md., mother in Pa.

Arthur Middleton                      9        Grand-nephew

Katherine Witeney                   66        Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1853

Mary Hallaron                         22        Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1895

            Note: he apparently married his sister-in-law after the death of his wife.

            Arthur R. Middleton was the son of Robert Taylor Middleton.

 

1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. William J. Williams

                        Mrs. J. Roberts Middleton

 

1910:

William J. Williams                  86        Owner, free of a mortgage

Katherine R. Williams              74        Married 10 years, no children

Josephine R. Middleton           44

Arthur R. Middleton                19        Advertising

Catherine Holikina                  21        Servant; born in Ireland

            In 1920, Arthur and his wife, May Middleton, were living at 3620 Baring St.

 

1920:

Josephine R. Middleton           54        Divorced; owner, free of a mortgage

Charles W. Odell                     55        Lodger; widowed; born in N.Y.

Odene A. Odell                       17        Lodger; female; born in N.Y.

Leonard M. O’Brien                37        Lodger; clerk for emergency fleet; born in Alabama

 

1927 Directory: C. W. Odell

 

1930:

Charles W. Odell                     65        Assistant manager in a department store; married at age 30; born in N.Y.; owner, house valued at $15,000

Josephine R. Odell                  64        Married at age 29; father born in Md., mother in Pa.

Minnie L. Singnamm                35        Lodger; millenary designer; widowed; born in N.Y., father born in Ireland, mother in Scotland

 

1940:

Arthur Middleton        49        Bookkeeper for telephone co.; earned $1,300 in 1939

Olivia Middleton         42        Born in Maryland

Catherine Middleton    12

Benjamin Short            47        Cousin; flour salesman for brokerage, unemployed throughout 1939; born in Va.

Helen Short                 42        Cousin [by marriage]; born in N.J.

Catherine Newell         68        Mother-in-law

            In 1930, they lived at 5634 Angora Ave.  They had been married about 3 years.

 

1941, Oct. 9: Death of Arthur R. Middleton; burial at S. Laurel Hill Cemetery

 

1989:    “Now rising from the site of the shootout that left a Philadelphia police officer dead are three duplexes that likely will be home to Drexel University students soon.

            “Cinderblock walls for the townhouse duplexes were being put up yesterday by a small construction crew.

            “Bart Caprario, co-owner and developer of the long-vacant lot at the corner of 33rd and Pearl streets, declined to discuss his plans yesterday when reached at the nearby Powelton Avenue office from which he manages the dozens

of apartments he and a partner own in the neighborhood.

            “At the time of the blockade, the three-story brick twin at 307 N. 33rd St. was owned by Rita Slotter. The other half of the building was owned by an attorney.

            “City real estate records show that Slotter, who could not be reached yesterday, sold her half of the vacant, scraggly lot to University City Associates Limited Partners in December 1987 for $13,000.

            “In January 1988, city records show, Caprario, identifying himself as owner of the property, obtained a zoning permit to subdivide the property into three lots so he could build three 3-story duplexes with interior two-car garages. The estimated cost for the project: $145,000.”

(“New Life at Powelton Move Site Developer Starts 3 Duplexes There.” Philadelphia Daily News, August 31, 1989. Leslie Scism)

 

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Revised 12/18/2015

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