3308 Baring Street
The
History of the Building
3308-3310: “two-and-one-half
story Victorian brick double; with original wood porch. Each house has
two-story projecting bays with battlements. Most windows have multi-pane
configuration. Corbelled and pressed brick ornament at cornice gables;
slate-.shingled mansard roof”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1878 Scott Atlas shows the west half of this
block belonging to T. Hessenbruch. (See 3316 Baring St.)
1881, April 2: Property transfer from Theophilus G. Hessenbruch
to Edith C. James (155, 65).
She was married to Joshua G. James.
1882, Jan. 9: Death of Joshua G. James, 37 years old; burial at W.
Laurel Hill Cemetery
1883, Oct. 27: Property transfer from Edith C.
James to David Masters (142, 333).
In 1890, Edith James and her
children lived at 3610 Baring St.
1887 Directory: David
Masters (Masters Detwiler & Co.)
David Masters, Isaac L. Detwiler
& Wallace M. B. Ball, clothiers, 436 Market.
The 1881 Directory gives his address
as 2011 Columbia Ave.
1889, June: George Masters was awarded a B.S. degree in
Engineering from Swarthmore College. (Phila. Inquirer)
1890 Directory: David
Masters (Masters Detwiler & Co.)
George
Masters
1892, March 20: Death of Phoebe W. Masters, wife of David Masters,
at Palm Beach, Florida. Internment at
Millville, Pa.
She was about 54 years old.
1892: David Masters joined a law suit aimed at stopping the
electric trolleys on Baring St. to replace the old horse-drawn streetcars. (See the Powelton
History Blog for details.)
1894, July: David Masters and Jesse W. Masters vacationed at Hotel
Avalon in Avalon, N.J. (Phila. Inquirer)
1895 Directory: David Masters
George Masters, cashier
1898 Blue Book: David Masters and George Masters were members of
the Powelton Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton
History Blog.)
1898, Feb. 24: George and David Masters formed a partnership with
John A. Liggett and Frank Hoffman as wholesale dealers in shoes, boots, etc.
under the name Masters, Liggett, and Hoffman.
David Masters was listed as a special partner who contributed $15,000 to
the common stock of the company. (Phila. Inquirer, March 17)
1900, April 4:
Marriage of Anna M. W. Todd to George Masters
In June, 1900, the
census recorded them living at 6705 Cresheim Rd. in
the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.
1900:
David Masters 64 Landlord; owner, free of mortgage
Jessie W. Masters
32
Elisa Rem L
Willits 58 Sister-in-law; single
Rebecca Gaumer 33 Housekeeper
1906, March 13: Death of Elizabeth L. Willits, 63 years and 8 months, of 3308 Baring St. She was the daughter of Jessie and Margaret
L. Willits and born in Muncy, Lycoming, Pa. (Phila. Death Index)
1906: David Masters was a directory of the West Philadelphia Title
and Trust Co. at 40th St. and Lancaster Ave. (Inquirer,
May 3)
1906, Sept. 9:
Death of David Masters, 70 years, 11 months years old, of 3308 Baring St., at
Minneapolis, Minn. Internment at
Millersville, Columbia Co., Pa. (Phila. Inquirer)
1910:
Jessie Masters 43 No
occupation listed; single; born in N.J.
1920:
Jessie W. Masters 52 Single; owned free of a mortgage
Adria A. Buckslew
66 Housekeeper;
widowed
1930:
Jessie W. Masters 58 Owner, house valued at $6,000
Grace Clark 28 Secretary
in a law office; born in
1934, Jan. 24: Death of Jessie Willits Masters,
65 years old, of 3308 Baring St.
1940: Not
enumerated in this census
1950 Directory: Wilbur S. Moore
He
was the proprietor of nursing homes. In 1940, he was listed as a practical
nurse running a home at 4024 Parish St. which he rented. It had eight
residents. He was born in 1891 and had
four years of high school education. In 1942, he lived at 3209
Baring St. In 1943, he purchased 315 N.
35th St. but sold it in 1946. The 1950 directory lists him at
both 3205
Baring St. and 3308 Baring St. However, the 1950 census lists him as a
medical teach living in Warwick, Bucks Co. working at a hospital. When he died
in 1954, he was living in Milton, DE. The information for the death certificate
was provided by his sister, Mary James, who lived here at 3308 Baring St.
1950:
Arthur James 51 Salesman
for publishing house; born in NJ
Mary James 48 Born
in DE
William James 12 Born
in NY
Charles Franklin 82
Lodger; single
Abraham Bielouss 58 Lodger;
born in Russia; widowed
Irwin Schweirt 64
Lodger; born in Germany; widowed
Charles Heber 75
Lodger; born in Germany; widowed; 9
years of schooling; $1,002 in non-wage income in 1949
Mary Boyce 75 Lodger;
single
Selena Boyce 65 Lodger;
born in Canada; widowed
Jessie Bayle 84 Lodger;
born in Scotland; widowed
Bridget Harkins 80
Lodger; born in Ireland; widowed
Elizabeth Garchem 79 Lodger;
widowed; 7 years of schooling; $480 in non-wage income in 1949
Clara James 91
Lodger; widowed
3rd floor:
John Mellor 37 Chauffeur for railroad co.; 8 years of schooling;
earned $2,800 ion 1949 for 39 weeks of work.
Susan Mellor 30 Earned $1,000 in 1949
Note:
education ad income information only available for every fifth individual.
1984: purchased by
Charles Finney