This
house was demolished by Drexel University in 2008.
The
History of the Building
“three-story
smooth cut ashlar Second Empire style house, heavily covered with ivy. Slate-shingled
mansard dormers with both arcuated and pedimented window heads. original
modillioned wood cornice intact.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents of
1874
Directory [Fall, 1873]: Joseph S. Keen,
Jr. of Nathan Sellers & Co.
The
1871 directory lists him living at 3227 Chestnut St.
1878 map:
shows house and names C. P. Keen
1878 Directory (Fall 1877): Joseph S. Keen, Jr., Woolman, Keen & Co.
He was not found in the 1880 census
and this house was apparently not enumerated.
Joseph Keen’s
partner, Samuel C. Woodman, was married to his sister Lucy Keen. They lived
next door at 3312 Race St.
1898 Blue Book: Harold P. Keen and Joseph S. Keen, Jr. were
members of the Powelton Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton History Blog.)
1899:
Joseph S. Keen, Jr. was
president of the Greenville Traction Co, which operated 7 miles of track in
Greenville, S. C. It was incorporated in 1899. George M. Bunting was vice
president and Harold P. Keen was treasurer. (Commercial and Financial Chronicle, Suppl., Vol. 76, Part 1, 1903)
1900:
Joseph S. Keen, Jr. 55 General manager, American Pipe Co.;
owner, free of a mortgage
Charlotte S. P. Keen 49 General
supervisor, American Pipe Co.; married 28 years, 1 child
Harold P[erot] Keen 26 General
supervisor, American Pipe Co.
Martin O’Malley 56 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1856
Mary Cassidy 36 Chambermaid;
born in
Beatrice Loftus 25 Cook; born
in
Annie O’Connell 22 Waitress; born
in Ireland
Joseph Swift Keen,
Jr. was
the son of John Sidney Keen and Hanah McIlvain Keen (3312 Race
St.) and the grandson of Joseph Swift Keen (3227
Chestnut St.). In 1870, he lived in Ward 27 (ED 89) with his aunt and uncle,
John Humphries (age 69) and Mary (67) McIlvain. They lived next door to
Joseph’s sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Nathan
Sellers. On November 29, 1871, Joseph married Charlotte S. Perot., the daughter
of Sansom Perot, a malt manufacturer, and Mary Williams Poultney (1804 – 1887).
In 1900, Nathan and Mary Sellers lived next door at 3308 Race St.
1901, Feb. 6:
Marriage of Frances E. Saunders to Harold Perot Keen. She was born in Nassau,
West Indies in 1876.
Harold Perot Keen (1873-1949)
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S. Keen,
Jr.
Mr.
& Mrs. Harold Perot Keen
In 1910, Joseph was widowed and he
and Harold and his wife were living in New Castle, Del.
1910:
Henry H[erbert] Donaldson 52 Professor
of natural science; married, 3 years ago; born in N.Y., father born in N.Y.,
mother in Ireland
Emma B. Donaldson 53 Born in
N.Y., father in
Catherine A Miller 55 Cook;
widowed; 8 children, 1 surviving
Anna McGurk 24 Waitress;
born in
“Donaldson was a prominent neurologist whose thorough studies
of the brain were published as a book, The
Brain, in 1895. At the Wistar Institute, Donaldson introduced the albino
rat as an experimental subject and developed the Wistar rat strain later used
in many psychological studies.” (http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/calendar/cal0512.html)
1920:
Henry H.
Donaldson 62 Professor of neurology
Emma B. Donaldson
60
Elizabeth Jones 32 Cook;
black; born in
1930:
They lived at 4417 Spruce which they owner. It was valued at $35,000
1930:
Sarah Bonton 45 Invoice
clerk for department stores; single; parents born in N. Ireland; owner, house
valued at $25,000
Helen P. Bonton 36 Sister;
private secretary; parents born in N. Ireland; single
Revised 7/6/2022