3317 Baring Street
The
History of the Building
“two-and-one-half
story Italianate-style double, cruciform plan. Brick, gabled end with
overhanging and sinuously carved brackets faces
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the national register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents of
1859, May
25: Title transferred to Silas W. Johnson by Hugh McIlvain
Title
to 3315 transferred at the same time. Silas W. Johnson was a lumber merchant at
Market and 34th Sts. He and his family
also lived near there. He and his wife, Sarah, were both 37 years old in 1860.
He claimed real estate valued at $4,500 and the same amount of personal
property. In the mid-1860s, they moved to 46 N. 39th St. and in
1870, he stated he was in the wholesale drug business.
1860
Directory (compiled fall of 1859): Rev. Charles H. Ewing, corner of Baring and
34th Sts.
1860:
Charles H. Ewing
40 O. L. Preb. Clergyman; real estate:
$2,000, personal: $600.
Charlotte Ewing 35 Born in
Sam N. Ewing 13
Mary H. Ewing 9
Ellen G. Ewing 5 Born
in N.J.
Lucy L. Ewing 3
Am Marlow 31 Servant; born in
AL McMennamin 35 Servant;
born in
The
1859 Directory listed him at William (39th) St. above Market.
Rev. Charles
Ewing attended the
1861
Directory: Rev. Charles H. Ewing, N.E.
corner, 34th & Baring
1870:
Thomas Matlock 82 Retail
(?) Merchant; real estate: $25,000, personal: $15,000
Emma Matlock 40
Catherine R.
[Kate] Matlock 35 Personal: $15,000
Elizabeth
McIlvain 54
Harry C. McIlvain 32 Manufacturer
of spices (?)
Abram R. McIlvain 22 Manufacturer
of spices (?)
Mary J. Watson 19 Domestic
servant; born in
Ann P. Jones 32 Domestic servant
1862: Thomas Matlock & Son,
manufacturer of lamp black
1866: 15Th and Hamilton
Thomas Matlack
died Feb. 21, 1873 when he was living at 3306 Baring
St.
Elizabeth Matlack
married John McIlvain who died in 1865. In 1880, Elizabeth and her two
unmarried sisters lived at 3306 Baring St.
Henry C. McIlvain lived at 3726 Spring Garden in 1880 and at 3308 Hamilton St. from at least 1890 to his death.
A.R. lived at 3209
Baring in 1880 & 1900.
1875
Directory: Josiah Bryan
1880:
Mary A. Bryan 55 Single; born in N.J., parents born in
N.J.
William Bryan 50 Brother;
lumber business; single; born in N.J.
Josiah Bryan 40 Brother;
lumber business; born in N.J.
Jacob E. Bryan 54 Brother; gentleman; born in N.J.
In
1860 and 1870, they lived with their mother, Mary Bryan, at 1131
Callowhill. Jacob E. Bryan
died Aug. 13,1886. He was single and living in Montgomery Co.
1881 Directory: Jacob Bryan E. h 3317 Baring
Josiah Bryan (Josiah Bryan & Co.), h 3317
Baring
Bryan Josiah & Co., (Josiah, William S.
& John G. Bryan), sashmakers, 260 N Broad
William S. Bryan (Josiah Bryan & Co.) h 3317 Baring
John G. Bryan (Josiah Bryan & Co.) h Cameron co
(Note:
None of them are listed in the 1887 directory.)
1883, May 1: Title transferred to Francis L. Elkins
by Silas W. Johnson
Title
to 3315 transferred to George W. Elkins at the same time.
1890-‘91 Blue Book: Mrs. Harriet Stanbridge
1889 Blue Book: George W. Eakins
1890 Directory: George W Elkins, 125 N Water,
h 3317 Baring
1900:
George W. Elkins 62 Grain merchant;
parents born in
Francis L. Elkins 63 Married 34
years, 3 children, none surviving
Harriet Stanbridge
94 Mother-in-law
Catherine Stanbridge
56 Sister-in-law
Jennie Durmond 26 Servant;
born in
George Elkins and Francis Stanbridge were married at Grace Church Episcopal Chapel in
Philadelphia on June 10, 1868. They lost three children in Jan. 1875 when they
were living at 3214 Baring St. In 1880, they lived
at 3410 Race St. In 1910, they were boarders at 412 N. 34th St.
1901, Nov. 11: Death of Harriet W. Stanbridge, 97 years old. She was born in Bristol, Bucks
Co., Pa.
1905, Dec. 10: Death of Bowness Briggs, 46
years old, of 3317 Baring St. He was born in England. He was a freight and
passenger agent. Burial was at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.
He
was married to Rosaline Briggs (see next entry).
1906 Blue Book: Charles Brechemin
Mrs. Bowness Briggs [Note: the directory was compiled the
previous fall]
Mrs.
Biggs is Rosaline Brechemin Briggs, Charles’s sister.
In 1910 they were living at 3631 Hamilton St.
1907, Mar. 2: Title transferred to John A.
Rocky by Francis L. Elkins
1907, Aug. 10: Death of Eleanor R. Ramsay, 5 months old, of 3317
Baring St., daughter of Guy W. and Helen C. [Rockey] Ramsay
(Inquirer, Aug. 12)
The
1908 directory lists Guy W. Ramsay, a clerk, living at 5430 Merion Ave.
1910:
John A. Rockey 53 Fertilizer Salesman; owned with a
mortgage
Laura W. Rockey 49 Married
28 years, 6 children
Edna T. Rockey 26
Alma L. Rockey 23
S. Leonard Rockey
22 Bookkeeper
for a railroad
Helen C. Rockey 19 Divorced,
no children
Mary C. Rockey 16
Walter A. Rockey
15
1911: Marriage license issued to Frances M. Nill and S. Leonard Rocky of 3317 Baring St.
1915: Marriage license issued to Laura Alma Rockey of 3317 Baring St. and Leslie D. Baskin
In
1930, they lived in North Middleton, Cumberland Co., Pa. with their two
daughters. Baskin was a dentist with the rank of Major in the Army. He was born
in Florence, S. Carolina.
1916 Catalogue,
1917, July 17: Marriage license issued to
Helen C. Rocky of 3317 Baring St. and George E. Crandell of Lancaster, Pa.
1920:
John A. Rockey 60 Fertilizer salesman; owned with a
mortgage
Laura W. Rockey 58
Edna L. Rockey 33 Trained
nurse for a private family
Mary C. Rockey 25
Walter A. Rockey
24 Salesman for an oil company
1921: Marriage license issued to Mary C. Rockey of 3317 Baring St. and Edward O. Thomas
1925: Marriage license issued to Adele E. T.
Brady and Walter A. Rockey of 3317 Baring St.
1925, Aug. 14: Ad for used autos for sale: “FORD, 1925, coupe,
balloon tires, etc. 3 wks. Old. Reas. See Mr. Rockey at 3317 Baring st.” (Inquirer)
1929, Feb. 3: Death of John A. Rockey, 72 years old
1930:
Laura W. Rockey 72 Widowed;
owner, house valued at $25,000
Walter A. Rockey
35 Restaurant
proprietor
Adele Rockey 25 Daughter-in-law;
married about 5 years
Walter A. Rockey
2 yrs,
10 mons.
Laura
W. Rockey died July 17, 1932. She died at the home of
her daughter, Helen, in Durham, Bucks Co.. She was the daughter of Silas
Winter. Her will was valued at $13,850 “including war records, maps and other
personal things which formerly belonged to my daughter, Edna Thomas Rockey.” (Inquirer, Aug. 18)
1939, Apr. 25: Death of Katharine Fay (McCoy) Mayhew, wife Furman
M. Mayhew of 3317 Baring St. She was 74 years old.
In
1900, they lived at 3824 Spring Garden St. with their five children. In 1920,
they lived at 4302 Walnut St. He was a clerk for the U.S. courts. In 1930, they
lived in Collingswood, Camden Co., NJ.
1940:
George Smith 43 Painter
for railroad, earned $1,880 in 1939; 8 years of schooling; renting for $35 per
month
Ethel Smith 32 8
years of schooling
1947, Feb.: Marriage license issued to Janice Mercen
of 3317 Baring St. and William Meyer of 5457 Willows Ave.
1954, Oct.: Marriage license issued to Marilyn Lowery of 1228 N.
Frazier St. and James Webb of 3317 Baring St.
1968 Directory: Harris, R. M.
Haydn H.
1970: Ad: “3317 Baring st. $31,500, Near
Drexel campus, remodeled Victorian, 4 bdrms, study, 2½
bths, 4 working fireplaces…. URBA DEVELOPERS, ‘Serving
University City’” (Inquirer, Sept. 20)
On
Oct. 18, it was described in the ad as “in Historic Powelton Village. A beautifully
restored pre-Civil War house” and having a “fully equipped modern kitchen,
[and] closed garden.”
1972, Nov. 12: Sold by Hiram Haydn to James F. Cahalan
for $32,500 (Inquirer)
1979: “Elegant Victorian townhouse. Circa 1864” offered for sale
for $71,500 (Inquirer, April 15)
Revised: 12/10/2021
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