3409 Hamilton Street
The
History of the Building
The northern edge of this property was part
of the northern boundary of the Bingham-Baring estate.
“three-story,
four-register Italianate double, stuccoed, rusticated
quoins. Wrap around Victorian porch. Double arcuated windows at third floor.
Flat overhanging roof with paired brackets”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from
the application submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
1859, Jan. 6: Title for 3409-3419 Hamilton
transferred to the Estate of Robert Steen by Jeremiah Bonsall
Previous Residents
of 3409 Hamilton Street
1867 Directory: John Linn, grocer at 615 Market St.
The 1865 directory lists him at 16 and 18 N. 5th
St.
1868 Directory (Fall, 1867): Rev. William Speer, corresponding secretary at
907 Arch St.
The
1867 directory lists him living in Norristown.
1870:
William Speer 48 Doctor of divinity; no real estate (renter), personal:
$2,000
Elizabeth Speer 40 Born in Pa. [not California]
John Speer 17 Born in Calif.
Hetty Speer 14 Born in Minn.
Breading Speer 5
O Mary Neil 30
Domestic servant; born in Ireland
Rev. William Speer (1822-1904)
Rev.
William Speer, D.D. served as a Presbyterian missionary in China and among the
Chinese in California. In 1853, he founded the Presbyterian Church in
Chinatown, the oldest Asian-American Christian church in North America. In
Philadelphia, he served at Corresponding Secretary for the Board of Education
of the Presbyterian Church of America from 1865-1876. He was first married to
Cornelia Brackenridge who died (probably in childbirth) in 1847. He and
Elizabeth B. Ewing were married in 1852 in Allegheny Co., Pa. He wrote several
treatises and books including The Oldest
and Newest Empire: China and the United States (1870) and The Great Revival of 1800 (c1872) both
of which are available on-line from the Haithi Trust. In 1880, William, Elizabeth, Henrietta and Breading lived in Washington, Washington Co.,
Pa. William and Elizabeth died there: he in 1904 and she in 1910.
More
information about Rev. Speer is posted on the Powelton
History Blog.
1874
Directory: Rev. William Speer
1880:
Sarah Hoyer 48
Widowed
Kate Hoyer 21 Saleslady
George L. Hoyer 15
Employee in a button factory
Sarah
(Kline) Hoyer was the widow of Joshua B. Hoyer, a carpenter. He died May 2, 1877 when they lived at 3504 Filbert St. and was buried in
St. Michael’s Cemetery, Birdsboro, Berks Co., Pa. In 1870, they lived in Erie,
Pa. They had an older daughter, Emma (age 17), and a son William (2). Joshua
claimed real estate worth $1,800 and $500 in personal property. George died in
Erie in 1908. He was married with two children.
1889
Directory: A. Rutgers Ringwalt, secretary
Robert
J. Ringwalt, clerk
1896
Directory: Rosa B. Ringwalt
Robert
J. Ringwalt
1900:
Rose
Ringwalt 47 Saleslady; divorced, 2 children; born
in Va.
Robert
J. Ringwalt 27 Son; clerk; born in Ohio
Grace
Ringwalt 26 Daughter; school teacher
Hustis Goldson 26 Boarder;
salesman; single; born in Va.
Logan
Goldson 23
Boarder; salesman; single; born in
Va.
Jane
Yardner 27 Servant; married, no children; born in
Ireland [page 12A]
In
1880, they lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Philadelphia, they became members of
The Church of the Savior (Episcopal),
Grace
Miznor Ringwalt married
William Kerr Ballantye at The Church of the Savior on
June 28, 1904. She and her mother were living at 4234 Chestnut St.
1910:
Molton
R. Sample 39 Plumbing
supplies
Alta R. Sample 38 Married nine years, no children
Lewis Willey 39 Boarder; wool merchant; single; born in England
Edgar H. Sample 6 Adopted
son
Edward N.
Johnson 60 Boarder; Manger/Life Insurance widowed; born in N.J.,
parents in England
Nannie Stokes 20 Servant; black; born in Va.
Molton R. Sample, Jr. was Past Master of University Lodge
Number 610 in 1905. “University Lodge 51 was created by the merger of Lodge
Number 51 and University Lodge Number 610 in 1979. Lodge 51 was Constituted in
December 1791. University Lodge 610 was Constituted in 1895 at the University
of Pennsylvania.” (http://www.mcgillsociety.org/lodge51/history/)
In
1920, they lived at 3408 Baring St. and in 1930,
they lived at 4822 Cedar.
His
father and grandparents lived at 3404 Hamilton St.
1910
Directory: Lewis Willey, manager at Francis Willey & Co., wool at 34
Strawberry
In
1901, he lived at 3403 Hamilton St.
1920:
John A. Murphy 39 Physician; renting
Elizabeth S. Murphy 41
Elizabeth W. Murphy 10
Francis B. Murphy 5
years, 1 month
Emma J. Stoner 64 Mother-in-law; widowed; [the 1910
census gives her place of birth as Illinois]
John
Andrew Murphy was from Wilkinsburg, Pa. He and Elizabeth Stoner were married in
Philadelphia Sept. 6, 1905 at The Church of the Savior
(Episcopal). He was the son of James and Fanny Murphy. She was the daughter of
Frank and Emma J. Stoner. In 1910, they lived at 5214 Germantown Ave. In 1930,
they lived in Swarthmore, Delaware Co., Pa.
In
1916, Dr. Murphy was a member of the Medical Reserve Corps and was ordered to
the Texas border. (JAMA, July, 1916) In 1920, he and
Penn Gaskill Skillern, Jr. represented the medical
class of 1903 in the Stille Medical Society at the
University of Pennsylvania. (See 3416 Baring St.
for Skillern’s family history.)
1920,
December: Deed transferred from W. Austin Obdyke
(Surviving Trustee of Will of Robert Steen) to Martha G. Thomas.
It
was sold for $8,000 ($3,000 more than the assessed value). (Inquirer,
Jan. 1)
1921,
April: Deed transferred from Martha G. Thomas (widow) to Anna & Emma W.
Thomas.
1930,
Feb. 25: Death of Martha G. Thomas, 89 years old of pneumonia; burial at Saint
James of Kingsessing.
1930:
Evan W. Thomas 60 Railroad clerk; owner, house valued at
$10,000
Mary Cleborne 53 Half-sister;
married at age 33
Emma [W.] Thomas 51 Sister, single, artist with a portrait
studio
In
1920, Evan and Emma Thomas lived with their mother, Martha G. Thomas, at 3511 Hamilton St. In 1910, Evan lived with his
wife, Grace, and their two children at 5231 Pine St.
Mary
was the widow of Ronayne de Kirkbride Cleborne, M.D. (1871-1925). They were married in 1910. The
1910 census lists them married and living in Cambridge, Mass. They did not have
any children.
1940:
Emma Warfield Thomas 60 Artist; single; owner, house valued at
$6,000; 4 yrs. college
Mary Cleborne 62 Sister; widow; 4 yrs. college
1950
Directory: Emma W. Thomas
Mrs.
R. K. Cleborne
1958,
Jul. 14: Death of Mary M. Cleborne, 81 years old;
burial at Woodlands Cemetery. Her death certificate lists her (former)
occupation as physical education. She was born in Philadelphia.
1965:
The September issue of the Powelton Post
announced that Mike and Donna Walker and their baby daughter, Lisa, had moved
to 3409. It also noted that Mike was the son of Milt and Jean Lesnik.
1983: Ad: “3409 Hamilton,
$58,000. Italianate twin, Circa 1864 in good liveable condition for buyer who wants an antique house to
restore. 9 spacious rms, 2 bths, random pine flr, lots of light. Urban Developers” (Inquirer, May
8)
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