Photos from PhillyHistory.org, http://www.phillyhistory.org, Philadelphia
Department of Records.
The
History of the Building
The house was probably built in 1860. It is no longer standing. The lot is now a
Previous Residents of
1861 Directory: “Sellers, John, Jr., machinist, 16th &
Pennsylvania, h 35th [sic] & Arch.”
At the time of the 1860 census
(June, 1860), they were living at 1606 Green St.
1870:
John Sellers 44 Manufacturer
of machines; real estate: $300,000; property: $400,000.
[Ann] Caroline Sellers 43
Lucy Sellers 15 In
school
Howard Sellers 12 In school
Elizabeth Sellers 12 In school
Mildred Sellers 10 In school
Marion Sellers 10 mons.
Annie Green 50 Domestic
servant; born in England; real estate: $2,500
Hannah Terry 27 Domestic
servant; born in Ireland; could read, but not write
Elvia Grimsby 24 Domestic
servant; born in Ireland
Bridget Kelley 18 Domestic
servant; born in England
William Thompson 39 Coachman; black
John Sellers (1826-1907), with his
brother William Sellers, built one of the major industrial firms in
Philadelphia, the William Sellers Co. John and William also invested heavily
in land in Powelton. He was generally
referred to as John, Jr., although both his father and grandfather were named
John. His sister was Mary Sellers
Bancroft who lived at 3300 Baring in 1870, 125 N. 33rd in 1880 and 3417 Hamilton St. in 1890. He was a second cousin of Coleman Sellers (3301 Baring). For an introduction to the Sellers
family, see the Powelton
Post, March, 2009.
Mrs. Sellers was the former Ann
Caroline Keen (1827-1900), daughter of Joseph Keen and Ann Longstreth. She grew up at 32nd and Mansion
(3227 Chestnut) St. The Keen family was
a constant in Powelton for many decades.
In 1887, Elizabeth Sellers married
Granville Worrell, a widower from Wilmington Del. The next year, her brother, Howard, married
Worrell’s daughter, Sarah. Lucy Sellers
married George Barns (later spelled Barnes) in 1879. They lived at 214 N.
33rd St.
Mildred Sellers married William E. Almy
in 1885. He died in 1901. In 1916, she married Dr. Charles W. Platt,
M.D., a widower, who lived at 3612 Baring St. in
1910 (see his biography there). Marion
Sellers died at about age 7.
1880:
John Sellers 53 Machinist
Anna Sellers 52
Howard Sellers 23 Machinist
Eng. [engineer?]
Elizabeth Sellers 21
Mildred Sellers 20
Patrick Meehan 24 Servant;
born in Ireland
Rose B. Meehan 23 Servant;
born in Ireland
Mary Meehan 1
1895 Directory: John Sellers, Jr., vice president and treasurer
at 1600 Hamilton St.
Howard Sellers, foreman
The 1898 Blue Book lists John
Sellers, Jr. living at the family estate, “Millbourne”
in Upper Darby.
1900: A boarding house
Sarah Garrett 56 Widowed,
no children; renting
Isaac R. Strawbridge(a) 20 At
school
Frank M. Wheaton 43 Mangs. [?]
insurance; born in N.Y., father in N.Y., mother in England
Anna A. Wheaton 37 Married 18
years, 2 children
Calla Wheaton 16 Born in Illinois
Sanford P. Campbell 61 Financial
bookkeeper; father born in Md.
Mary K. Campbell 60 Married 38
years, 4 children; father born in Germany, mother in England
Mayland H. Campbell 29 Draftsman for
telephone co.
Lewis N. Turner 25 (b) At
school; born in Ga.
Elmina Duncan 24
Elizabeth Duncan 23
William McNamara 39 Life insurance
clerk; parents born in Ireland
Cyrus Pershing, Jr.(c) 32 Civil
engineer
Howard Painter 33 Chemist
Eva Painter 25 Married
3 years, 1 child; born in Mich., parents in Mass.
Dorothy Painter 1 Mother was born in Mich.
Agnes Hughes 26 Servant; born in Ireland
Mary Callery 70 Nurse; widowed, 13 children, 6 surviving; born in Ireland
Sarah Hughes 24 Servant; born in Ireland
(a)
Isaac Randall Strawbridge, from New London, Chester Co. (b July,
1879), was the son of H. D. Strawbridge, a farmer. He became a physician. He graduated from Lincoln College and
Theological Seminary in 1897 and received a master’s degree in 1902. In 1910, he lived at 1107 Wallace St. In 1917 and 1920, he lived at 1418 N. 15th
St.
(b)
Lewis N. Turner also became a physician and returned to Savannah, Ga.
(c)
Cyrus [L] Pershing, Jr., became a physician
1904: “After being detected robbing the boarding house of Mrs.
Walter S. Diggs, at 3300 Arch street, late on Friday night, the police say
James Smith, a negro, attacked Mrs. Roberts of 3216 Arch street, who discovered
him. The negro afterwards tried to
escape, but was captured. He was held
yesterday in $1200 bail pending a further hearing.” (Phila. Inquirer, Oct. 9)
1906: “James H. Dawes has taken title to the property at the
south-west corner of Thirty-third and Arch streets from John Sellers. The property, a three-story building, stands
on a lot 181.10x184.1 3.8 feet. The property was sold for $25,000, which is the
assessed value.” (Phila. Inquirer, June 11)
1910:
James H. Dawes 49 Superintendent,
general contracting [American Pipe and Construction Co.]; parents born in
England; owned free of a mortgage
Adeline B. Dawes 39 Married 16
years, 3 children, 2 surviving; born in S.C.
James H. Dawes, Jr. 6
Dorothy Dawes 5
Blanche E. Hoffman 20 Niece
Paula M. Seifert 29 Governess;
born in Germany, immigrated in 1900
Mary E. Brown 30 Cook;
mulatto; born in Del., father in Va., mother in Pa,
James H. Dawes and Adeline Brennan
were married April 4, 1894 in Sumter, S.C. Dawes was from Philadelphia, but was one of
the owners of the Sumter Water Co. and was in charge of the establishment of
the water system there. (The Watchman and
Southron, Sumter, S.C., April 4, 1894)
1920:
James H. Dawes 59 General
contractor [American Pipe and Construction Co.]; parents born in England; owner
with a mortgage
Adeline B. Dawes 46 Born in S.C.
James H. Dawes 16
Dorothy Dawes 15
Anna Markey 32 Niece
Elizabeth McCarthy 60 Servant; born in
Ireland, parents born in England, immigrated in 1866
Mattie Anderson 38 Servant;
divorced; black; born in Va.
Margaret Cummings 40 Servant; single
In 1930, James, Jr., his sister
Dorothy, and their cousin Anna Maskey [?] were living
at 4500 Chestnut St. They
were all single.
1922, Feb. 26: Death of Adeline B. Dawes
“Mrs.
James H. Dawes, active in charitable work for many years died at her home, 3300
Arch street, yesterday, after a long illness.
“She
was interested in various charities, but particularly in raising funds for
scholarships for the education of girls to enable them to become
self-supporting. She was also active in
the educational work conducted in the mountain districts of the Southern
States.
“Mrs.
Dawes was a member of the Southern Industrial Educational Association, the
Philadelphia Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy; Philomusian
Club, Southwark Settlement and the Ethical Society.
“She
was born in Sumter, S. C., and was the daughter of James P. Brennan, who served
with distinction in the Confederate Army.
She is survived by her husband, James Hurrell Dawes, and two children,
Dorothy Dowling Dawes and James Hurrell Dawes, Jr., and three sisters, Mrs. Guy
Beal Gilmore, Uniontown, Pa.; Mrs. Charles McCormack, Seattle, and Mrs. Malcolm
MacLeod, Atlantic City.
“Funeral
services will be held from her home Wednesday.”
(Phila. Inquirer, Feb. 27,
1922)
1922: “It was announced that a factory building will be erected at
the south-west corner of Thirty-third and Arch streets by the L. A. Prouty
Company on the site purchased from James H. Dawes, for a price in the
neighborhood of $50,000.” (Phila.
Inquirer, June 11)
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