The
History of the Building
309-311:
“two-and-one-half
story red brick double, mansard roof; projecting front gables; pressed and
corbelled brick detail; appears to have been sandblasted. Same as 313. Stoop
alteration.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
1877, Jan. 4: Title for 3319-3331 Powelton Ave.,
309-313 N. 34th St. and 3319-3321 Pearl St. transferred to Emma W. Shipper by
Henry H. Houston and wife
1882, Oct. 12: Title for 3319-3331 Powelton Ave.,
309-313 N. 34th St. and 3319-3321 Pearl St. transferred to William S. Kimball
by Emma W. Shipper
1883, Apr. 23: Title for 3319-3331 Powelton Ave.,
309-313 N. 34th St. and 3319-3321 Pearl St. transferred to John Rea by William
S. Kimball
then immediately to Sanford P.
Campbell.
1886, Dec. 16: Title for 309 N. 34th St. & 3319-3321
Pearl St. transferred to William S. Kimball by Sanford P. Campbell
Previous Residents
1887:
Directory: Charles K.
Barns of Justice Cox, Jr. & Co.
In 1900, he lived with his wife,
Christine W. Barns, and their four children at 6382 Woodbine Av.
The 1881
Directory lists him working for Justice Cox, Jr. & Co. and living at 1527
Green St. He was the son of Matilda C. and William Barns and was born about
1853. The Directory includes the following ads:
1888 Directory: Charles K. Barns of Justice Cox, Jr. & Co.
and president at 224 S. 4th St.
1890, Oct. 4: Title transferred to Christine W. Barns by William
S. Kimball
The property apparently still
included some of the Pearl St. lots.
1895 Directories: Charles K. Barns (Charles K. Barns & Co.),
iron and steel,
1898 Directory: Barns Charles K., , Charles K.
Barns & Co., iron, 224 S. 4th St.
1899, Jul. 27: Title transferred to Charles M. Lukens and Thomas
M. Montgomery by Christine W. Barns
Charles and Matilda Lukens lived at
312 Walnut St. with two servants. He was 73 and she was 68. They had only been
married 16 years. She had had three children, two were surviving. He was a
conveyancer. He died Dec. 31, 1900.
1900:
Thomas H. Miles 46 Shoe
manufacturer; renting
Mable Miles 36 Married 7 years, 2 children
Thomas H. Miles,
Jr.
4 Born Dec. 1895
Isabell Miles
4 Born April 1896
Katharine
Tomlinson 38 Sister-in-law; single
Annie Sharpless 51 Nurse;
single
Marie C. Hearey 19 Servant;
born in Ireland, immigrated in 1893
Margaret
Bogle 43
Servant; born in Ireland,
immigrated in 1859
1902 Directory: Miles Thomas H., shoes, 1033
Market St.
1904, Apr. 28: Title transferred to Matilda B. Lukens, et al.,
Executors for Charles M. Lukens, and Thomas M. Montgomery
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. J. Cutler Fuller
In 1900, they lived at 413 N. 41st
St. He is listed as Joseph C. Fuller.
1910:
J. Cutler Fuller 44 Real
estate broker; parents born in N.Y. [father actually born in Conn.]
Ida S. Fuller 40 married 20 years, 1 child
Dwight S. Fuller 19
Hewlett Payne 20 Butler;
black; born in
Mary Payne 28 Servant; black; born in
J. Cutler Fuller’s mother lived at 208 N. 34th St. His brother, John G.
Fuller, lived at 3310 Hamilton St. in 1910, and 3402 Baring St. in 1920.
1909: “Mr. and Mrs. J. Cutler Fuller and Mr. Dwight S. Fuller of
1912: Marriage license issued to Nellie Johnson of 3410 Hamilton St. and Hewlett Payne
When Hewlett Samuel
Payne registered for the WWI draft, he was living at 5 N. 37th St.
He had a wife and two children and was still working as a chauffeur for the J.
Cutler Fuller. He listed his birth date as Nov. 21, 1890 and his birthplace as
Pulaski, Virginia. His registration for WWII lists the same date and place. (A
genealogy gives the date as Nov. 22, 1891 and lists his father as James Payne.)
1918 Directory: J. Cutler Fuller had his office at
(Jackson’s Real Estate Directory)
1920:
Sarah M.
Carpenter 58 Boarding housekeeper; widow; father born in
Jessie Carpenter 32 Operator
shoe business
Della V.
Carpenter 30 Vaudeville actress; born in Ohio
Clarence R
Carpenter 28 Railroad policeman; born in Ohio
John H. Chance 23 Boarder;
locomotive fireman
Sadie B. Fagan 26 Boarder
Lewis R. Marr 50 Boarder;
ass’t superintendent railroad
William H. Kaplan 70 Boarder;
steam railroad
Richard
Contantinea 18 Border; operator
George Kehoe 54 Border
She was the widow of Victor
carpenter. In 1910, she and her children lived at 3303 Walnut St. In 1900, they
lived at 1316 S. 46th St. (where she is listed as Sadie and her
birth date as Sept., 1856). Her parents’ places of birth vary across censuses.
1921, Aug. 3: Title transferred to Helen Keiner by Matilda B.
Lukesn, et al., Executors
1927 Directory: H. Kelner
M. L. Schopp
1930:
Walter Keiner 50 Real
estate broker; married at age 30; parents born in Germany; owner, house valued
at $7,500
Helen Keiner 46 Sister;
single; parents born in Germany
_ Next Hh.
Ida Thompson 59 Surgical
nurse; widowed; born in Canada, immigrated in 1910, parents born in England;
renting for $51 per month
Mable Trego 41 Lodger;
secretary for ores and metal co.; single; mother born in MD
Lillian A. Hines 33 Lodger;
private secretary at tanning and leather co.; single; born in NY, father in
England, mother in NY
Marie L. Schopp 52 Lodger;
secretary for Board of Education; single; father born in Germany, mother in
France
1940:
Walter Keiner 62 Hotel manager; widower; 4 years high
school; owner, house valued at $4,000
Helen Keiner 54 Sister;
4 years high school
Minnie Moore 59 Sister; widow; 4 years high school
J. E. Moore 26 Nephew;
accountant at leather manufacturer, earned $1,200 in 1939; 3 years college
Marie Schopp 55 Lodger;
clerk at Board of Education, earned $1,800 in 1939; 4 years college
Lillian Hines 45 Lodger;
secretary at leather manufacturer, earned $1,800 in 1939; 4 years college
Sallie Dougherty 83 Lodger; born
in MD; 4 years high school
They all lived in this house in
1935. In 1920, Walter Thomas Keiner and Helen Keiner lived at 2025 Arch St.
with her sister, Emma Menzer. Walter was the manager of an auto garage and
Helen was a saleswoman in a department store. Walter was born in 1879 (from his
WWI draft registration). They were the children of William and Margaret Keiner.
In 1880, the family lived in Danville, Montour Co., Pa. William (a merchant )
was born in Prussia and Margaret in Bavaria.
The 1915 city directory for Sunbury
(Northumberland Co.), Pa. lists Walter T. Keiner (a manager) and his wife
Louisa. An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer
August 17, 1916 provides some interesting background on their marriage. Louisa
was apparently institutionalized in the Cumberland County Hospital for the
Insane as a result of his petition. At the time, he was the manager of a hotel
in Harrisburg. After about two weeks, a hearing led to her release on sixty-day
parole. The staff of the Hospital was very supportive of her release and “were
unsparingly bitter against the circumstances which would send such a woman as
Mrs. Keiner to an asylum, and full of sympathy for the victim.” Neither Walter Keiner nor his attorney
attended the hearing. No further information is available on their marriage or
her future health.
Minnie A. Moore was the widow of
Leon O. Moore, a garage mechanic. In 1920, they lived at 1437 N. 55th
St.
1940,
Oct. 24: Death of Walter Thomas Keiner, 61 years old, He was widowed. He had
been married to Louise (Dalious) Keiner. He was born in Danville, Pa. His
parents were born in Germany.
1940, Nov. 22: Title transferred to Jay E.
Moore by Helen Keiner
(She
was his aunt. See 1940 above.)
1942 WWII Draft Registration: Moore Jay Edmund, born in Athol,
Mass., he was working for John R. Evans Co., 2nd & Erie Sts. He worked in
auditing and accounting.
He
served in the military from July 1942 to Feb. 1946. He did not serve overseas.
1944, Dec. 8: Title transferred to Helen Keiner
and Jay E. Moore by Jay E. Moore
1950 Directory: L. A. Hines
H. Keiner
Jay E. Moore
Helen
Keiner died Jan. 23, 1967. She was living at Saunders House, 39th
and Powelton Ave. She was born in Danville, Pa.
1965, Apr. 15: Death of Lillian A. Hines, 69 years old, of 309 N.
34th St. She was born in New York state and never married. She had worked as a
secretary. Requiem Mass at St. Agatha's Church. Internment was at Holy Cross
Cemetery.
1968, Dec. 5: “Let it be known that estimates are being received
for the rehabilitation of the property known as 309 N. 34th
St., City of Philadelphia.
“Bids
must be submitted to the Redevelopment Authority no later than 12:00 Noon
December 16, 1968.” (Inquirer)
A
similar notice was published at the same time for 311 N. 34th St.
2009: Current Owner:
Maryann Brown