3401 Baring Street

 

3401 Baring in 1933 from Library of Congress

 

Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: 3401Baring

 

 

The History of the Building

 

Italianate, two-and-one-half story house, stone, elaborate millwork in wood porch. Entrance is part of three-story rectangular tower. Front first-floor projecting bay; front gable with heavy modillioned cornice and tripartite arcuated windows below. Building has arcuated and ogee-shaped windows throughout”

(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, 1985)

 

Previous Residents

 

1866, Jul. 23: Title for 3401-3411 Baring St., 3404-3410 Hamilton St., and 410-412 N. 34th St. transferred to Geradus H. Haines by John Garrett, et al.

 

1866, Sep. 6: Title for 3401 Baring St. and 410-412 N. 34th St. transferred to Henry D. Justi by Geradus H. Haines

            The 1866 city directory lists Geradus Haines as a clerk at 625 Chestnut St. and living at 1018 Wallace St.

 

1867, Dec. 9: Henry Justi became a U.S. citizen

 

1868 Directory (Fall, 1867): Henry D. Justi of H. D. Justi & Co., dentists' materials at 321 N. 33rd.

            The 1867 city directory lists Henry D. Justi living at 3106 Baring St. He apparently sold that lot in January, 1866.

 

1870:

Henry Justi                  32        Dental surgeon (?); born in Prussia; real estate: $50,000; property: $12,000.

Lizzie Justi                   29

Auguste Justi                 7

Amelia Justi                   5

Henry Justi                    2

Margaret Fist [?]           30        Domestic servant; born in Ireland

Only in 2nd enumeration, Nov. 1870:

Henrietta Justi               1                   

Bertha Justi                  abt 70

May Justi                     abt 25

Maggie Justi                 abt 25

            Henry D. Justi married Auguste Schwarzwalder in January, 1862. She died in May 1863, one month after the birth of their daughter, Auguste.  She was only 23 years old. Justi married Lizzie Caroline Kuemerle on January 5, 1865. They moved to Baring St. about 1867. Lizzie was the daughter of Martin Kuemerle, a maker of surgical instruments. Her father was born in Württemberg, Germany.

            Bertha Justi was Henry’s mother. She was born about 1799 and died Feb. 26, 1879. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the funeral was from the home of her daughter, Hedwig (Justi) Kolbe, 323 N. 32nd St.

              For a discussion of the history of the Kolbe and Justi families, see the Powelton History Blog, “The Ties that Link Immigrant Families: Dietrich Kolbe and Heinrich Justi.”

 

            “About the year 1819, porcelain teeth were first manufactured in this country and a number of persons experimented in this line with more or less success. Mr. H. D. Justi of Philadelphia, in 1852, first had his attention called to artificial teeth, and in his experiments succeeded in making a number of very marked improvements.

            “Up to about the year 1855, only one kind of teeth had been manufactured, teeth for gold and silver plate, and but very little attention had been paid to their construction of form to approach nature. Then a rubber base was introduced, and from that time the entire dental business has been revolutionized. Mr. H. D. Justi seeing that there was room for improvement, succeeded in constructing moulds suitable to the various formations of the jaws, adopting curved lines in which he could sink any depth around the neck of the teeth to receive the gum color, and temporizing the materials so that in one very easy operation he had the tooth ready to finish. This mode of manufacturing artificial teeth has been copied by all other manufacturers….

            “Justi's new factory [was] at Thirty-second and Spring Garden streets, which was built and fitted up expressly for the purpose of manufacturing artificial teeth and all other implements used by the dental profession.

            “A large stock of artificial teeth, dental instruments, filling materials, etc., always kept on hand at H. D. Justi's Dental Depots, 66 Madison street, Chicago, 1301 and 1303 Arch street, Philadelphia.”

(Philadelphia and Popular Philadelphians. 1891: 139.)

 

1878, June 25: Death of Louisa Justi, 1 year old, Daughter of Henry D. and Lizzie Justi of 3401 Baring St. Burial was at Odd Fellows Cemetery. (Phila. Death Index)

 

1878, July 4: Death of Bertha H. Justi, 5 years old, daughter of Henry and Lizzie Justi of 3401 Baring St.

 

Henry D. Justi (1834-1922)

 

1880:

Henry D. Justi             45        “Dental Department;” born in Prussia

Elizabeth Justi             40

Augusta Justi               17

Amelia Justi                 14

Henry Justi                  12

 

1885: Henry Martin Justi, Junior, Class of ‘89...Course in Science...

 (Catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania. 1885)

 

1890 Directory: Henry D. Justi, offices at 3401 Arch St. and 3127 Spring Garden St.

                         Henry M. Justi

 

1890 Members of the Franklin Institute: Henry D. Justi and Henry M. Justi

 

1892: Henry Justi joined a lawsuit aimed at stopping the electric trolleys on Baring St. to replace the old horse-drawn streetcars. (See the Powelton History Blog for details.)

 

1895 Directory: Henry D. Justi, president of H. D. Justi & Son at 55 Forest Building

                         Henry M. Justi, H. D. Justi & Son

 

1898 Blue Book: Henry Justi and H. M. Justi were members of the Powelton Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton History Blog.)

 

1898, Jan. 12: Marriage of Harriet Elizabeth Monson of New Haven, Conn., to Henry Martin Justi.

            In 1900, they were living at 3311 Powelton Ave.

 

1899: “Media, Jan 27 – The residence of H. D. Justi, at his handsome country seat at Wallingford, it was discovered to-day, had been entered some night this week and despoiled of a lot of valuable household goods and silverware and clothing. The theft took place on Thursday or Wednesday night. The carpets of several rooms were removed and taken as part of the booty. Marks of wagon wheels right to the door of the mansion show that the thieves used a wagon to remove their plunder. There is no clue to the thieves.”  (Phila. Inquirer, Jan 28)

 

1900:

Henry D. Justi             66        Born in Germany; dental manufacturer; immigrated in 1850, but was not naturalized; owned free of a mortgage

Elizabeth C. Justi         60        Married 37 years, 6 children, 3 surviving

Augusta E. Justi           36

Amelia R. Justi             34

Teresa Huber               25        Servant; born in Germany

Mary Witt                    29        Servant; born in Germany

 

1900, July: “A. Raymond Ruff will commence work immediately on the construction of a den and smoking room at H. D. Justi’s residence, 3401 Baring street. His contract calls for a one-story and basement structure, 21x17 feet, to have a porch on the roof, and a bay window on the side. The interior will be handsomely fitted up with carved quartered oak, electric lighting, modern plumbing, leaded glass, etc.”  (Phila. Inquirer, July 10)

 

1900, Sept.: Permit granted to “A. Raymond Raff, contractor, build one-story brick building, 16x31 feet, and shelter shed, 13x22 feet, 3401 Baring street.”  (Phila. Inquirer, Sept. 28))

 

1910:

Henry D. Justi             76        Manufacturer of teeth; born in Germany, immigrated in 1850; owner free of a mortgage

Elizabeth Justi             70        Married 48 years; parents born in Germany

Augusta Justi               46

Amelia Justi                 44

Jean Marrow                40        Servant; born in Ireland

Marion Cook               41        Servant; born in England

 

1920: 

Henry D. Justi              85        No occupation; born in Germany, immigrated in 1850, naturalized as a citizen in 1865

Elizabeth C. Justi         80        Parents born in Germany

Augusta E. Justi           56        Daughter; single

Amelia R. Justi             53        Daughter; single

 

1922, Feb. 5: Death of Henry D. Justi, 88 years old, of 3401 Baring St.

            “Philadelphia, Pa., February 6 [1922].—Henry D. Justi, well known for his philanthropies and a pioneer in the dental supply business, died yesterday at his home, 3401 Baring street. He was 88 years old. Death was due to a complication of diseases.

            “In 1857 Mr. Justi established a dental supply house at 516 Arch street. As a result of the increase in business he subsequently moved to Thirteenth and Arch streets. The present establishment at Thirty-second and Spring Garden streets is conducted under the name of H. D. Justi & Son.

            “Mr. Justi was a member of the Lutheran Church and the Masonic fraternity. He is survived by a widow, Elizabeth C. Justi, a son, Henry M. Justi, and two daughters.”  (Dental Summary. 1922)

 

1923, Jan. 4: Death of Elizabeth "Lizzie" C. Justi, 83 years old; burial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.

 

1923, Oct. 1: Title transferred to Amelia R. Justi from Henry M. Justi, et al.

 

1930:

Augusta Justi                66        Owner, house valued at $25,000; father born in Germany

Amelie R. Justi             64        Sister

Sarah E. Tasco             50        Servant; black, widowed; born in Md.

 

1935, Apr. 27: Death of Augusta E. Justi, 71 years old

 

1940:

Amelia Justi                 74        Single; 4 years of college

 

1950: Not enumerated in 1950. It might have been vacant.

 

1951, Mar. 21: Title transferred to Youth Services, Inc. from Amelia R. Justi

            Amelia Rose Justi died Mary 7, 1951 at her resident at The Warwick. She was 85. Her estate was valued at $1,124,552. (Inquirer, May 9, 1952)

 

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Revised 7/25/2022

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