MOVE house,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“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
of apartments he
and a partner own in the neighborhood.
“At the time of the blockade, the
three-story brick twin at
“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.”
Revised
12/18/2015