315-317:
“Italianate style
double, three stories with four-story entrance tower. Roughcasting over brick,
scored to simulate stone. Original wood porch and full-height first-floor
windows. Arcuated windows at third floor and in towers. Large brackets with
pendants below overhanging flat roof.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
History
1867 Directory: Pluri Crugan, salesman
1867, Jan. 31: Title
transferred to Hugh McIlvain by Alfred B. Justice
1868 Directory: Alfred
H. McIlvain of John H. McIlvain & Sons (John H., Charles J. & Alfred
H.), lumber at Lancaster Ave. corner of N. 37th.
Charles J. McIlvain of John H. McIlvain &
Sons
John H. McIlvain of John H. McIlvain &
Sons
1870 Directory: J.
Gibson McIlvain of Hugh McIlvain & Son, lumber at 3401 Market St.
1870:
James (John )
McIlvain 24 Lumber merchant; no real estate [renting], property: $8,000.
Elizabeth
McIlvain 25
Abraham R.
McIlvain 9 months
Sally R.
McIlvaine 17 [Sister-in-law]
Mary Hehn 36 Domestic servant; born in Ireland; she could not read or
write
Elizabeth Mulvaney McIlvaine married
John Gibson McIlvain Oct. 10, 1868. She and Sallie Robinson McIlvaine were the
daughters of Hon. Abraham R. McIlvain and Anna G. Mulvaney. Sallie married
Frank Parke Miller Dec. 6, 1883 at the Central Presbyterian Church in
Downingtown.
1875 Directory: J. Gibson McIlvain of John H. McIlvain & Sons
(John H., Charles J. & Alfred H.), lumber at Lancaster Ave. corner of N.
37th.
1880, Feb. 20: Title transferred to Martha G. McIlvain by John H.
McIlvain & Samuel Gibson et al. trustees for will of Hugh McIlvain
1880:
John McIlvain 35 Lumber
merchant
Elizabeth McIlvain 36
Abraham McIlvain 10
Samantha McIlvain 2
Ann Rowan 17 Servant; born in Ireland
Bridget Rowan 24 Servant;
born in Ireland; could not read or write
1881 Directory: J. Gibson McIlvain, Hugh McIlvain
and Son
1881, July 4: Birth of John Gibson McIlvain, Jr.
1884, Sept. 8: Birth of Walter Biddle McIlvain
1885 Directory: J. Gibson McIlvain, lumber at 3401 Market
1890 Blue Book: Mrs. Ellen H. Fitts
1891, Apr. 8: Title transferred to Hannah S. Marot by J. Gibson
McIlvain, et al., trustees of the will of Martha G. McIlvain
1892 Directory (Fall, 1891): Hannah S. Marot, widow of Charles H.
They lived next door at 317 N. 33rd St. for many years.
1895 Directory: Hannah S. Marot, widow of Charles H.
William G. Marot, student
William Griscom
Marot was a member of the Class of 1895 at the University of Pennsylvania. He
earned a B. S. in electrical engineering. The 1917 Alumni Directory lists him
as Secretary and Manager at The Morris Plan Co. and living in Syracuse, N.Y. The
University of Pennsylvania: its history,
influence,… by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (vol. 2, 1902) gives the following
photo and biographical sketch:
“WILLIAM GRISCOM MAROT, B.S., E. E.,
was born in Philadelphia, December 5, 1871, son of Charles Henry and Hannah
Stuart (Griscom) Marot. He is a descendant of an
ancient French family to which belonged the poet and Protestant zealot Clement
Marot ( 1495-1544) who was in his youth in the service of Anne of Brittany,
wife of Louis XI, King of France, and later in that of Queen of Navarre;
translated the Psalms and originated the style of French poetry known as Marotique. His paternal American progenitor, Philip Marot,
fled from France to escape religious persecution, and another ancestor, William
Bassett, was a passenger from England on the ship "Fortune," which
followed the "Mayflower," arriving at Plymouth in 1621. On the
maternal side he is descended from Andrew Griscom,
who upon his arrival from England in 168o, took out a patent for four hundred
and ninety-five acres of land in the old Spring Garden District of
Philadelphia, and erected opposite the residence of
“William Penn the first brick
dwelling house in the Quaker City. Andrew's grandson, Samuel Griscom, who was a house and ship-builder and assisted in
erecting Independence Hall, was the father of Betsey (Griscom)
Ross, the maker of the first American flag. He is also a descendant on the same
side of John Stuart, who was born in Scotland in 1709, and was of the same
progeny as was Mary, Queen of Scots. His great-grandfather, Nathan Bassett, was
a member of the New Jersey Legislature in 1805. He attended the William Penn
Charter School and the Spring Garden Institute, Philadelphia; Swarthmore
College (1888-1891) and the Engineering Department of the University of
Pennsylvania, entering the latter in 1891, pursuing the regular course in
mechanical engineering and graduating with the degrees of Bachelor of Science
and Electrical Engineer in 1895. From the University he went immediately into
the service of the Solvay Process Company of Syracuse, New York, as a
draughtsman in the Engineering Department, in which capacity he continued until
1897, when he advanced to the position of Manager of the Coke-Oven Department
at the same establishment, which he still retains, having charge of the
manufacture of coke from the distillation of coal in the Semet-Solvay
type of retort ovens; together with the recovery of the various by-products,
viz.: illuminating gas, coal-tar, ammonia, benzene, etc. Mr. Marot was
President of the Mu Phi Alpha (engineering) Fraternity in 1893-1894; Treasurer
of the Syracuse Histrion Club in 1896-1897; is now Vice-President of the
Syracuse Country Club and was officially connected with various class
organizations and college societies at the University. He is also a member of
the University Club, Syracuse, and the Syracuse Yacht Club. He is more or less
active in local politics, voting independently in the latter, but on national
issues he supports the Republican party. On April 4, 1900, he married Grace
Margaret Featherly.”
1900:
Hannah Marot 70 Widow, 5 children, 4 surviving; born in
N.J., father born in Pa., mother in Del.; owner with a mortgage
Elizabeth B.
Marot 37 Single
Helen Marot 36 Librarian; single
Caroline L Pratt 33 Boarder; teacher; single; born in N.Y.
--- 2nd household
Edward [S.] Meade 26 Teacher of politics, etc.; unemployed for four months in past
year; born in Ohio; renting
Emily Meade 28 Married in the past year; born in
Illinois
Helen
Marot, 1904
(Bridgeman Art
Library)
Helen Marot became an important
figure in efforts to unionize women workers in New York. For more on the Marot
family, see the Powelton
History Blog.
In 1910, Edward Meade was a
professor of finance at the University of Pennsylvania. His book entitled Corporate
Finance was a study of the science of financing large corporations was
published in 1907. In 1901, he became the editor of a regular section called
“Notes on Industrial Topics” in the Annals of the American Academy of Political
and Social Science.
1901, Jan. 26: Death of Hannah S. Marot, 71 years old. Burial at
Laurel Hill Cemetery
The property passed to her children.
1910:
Edwin B. Newcomer 44 Occupation:
“own account;” born in Md.; renting
Maria Newcomer 41 Married
16 years, 2 children; mother born in Md.
Beatrice K.
Newcomer 15
Esther A.
Newcomer 12
Sarah Gross 30 Servant; black; born in Md.
In 1920, they lived at 5301 Wynnfield Ave. Edwin listed his occupation as a wholesale
lumber merchant.
In 1917, he was one of 100 signers
of “Some particular advices for Friends [Quakers] and
a statement of loyalty for others” published in The Advocate of Peace. The statement expressed a disagreement with
Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends which opposed
involvement in World War I. The signers felt that there were worse evils than
war and that although a peaceful world was their long term
goal this was a time when war was necessary. Another signer was J. Gibson
McIlvain who was the first resident of this house (see above).
1920 (January):
William B. Griscom 52 Treasurer of a milk co.; born in N.J.;
renting
Mary L. Griscom 52 Born in N.J.
William B. Griscom 13
Ellen B.
Taylor 76 Mother-in-law; born in N.J.
Martha B. Taylor 48 Sister-in-law;
high school teacher; born in N.J.
In 1910, they lived in Atlantic City
where he managed a dairy.
1920, May 1: Title transferred to William B. Griscom
by Mary S. Marot, et al.
1927 Directory: W. B. Griscom
In 1930, William and Mary Griscom lived in on Old Gulph Rd., Lower Merion. They owned
the house which was valued at $65,000.
1929, Nov. 4: Title transferred to Anna Miller Biddle, wife of
Edward T. Biddle by William B. Griscom
The 1928 directory of Camden, N.J.
lists Edward and Anna Biddle living at 533 S. High. The 1910 and 1920 censuses
show them living at 3408 Powelton Ave.
1930: not
enumerated in census
1940 Directory: Mrs. E. M. Parker
The 1950 Directory lists her at 3717 Hamilton St.
1940: not
enumerated in census
1968 Directory: Jack C. Chun
P. Graitcer
2009: owner: Caroline Millett, purchase date: March 1986
Revised 7/25/2022