The
History of the Building
3412-22:
“two-and-one-half
story brick doubles. Pressed corbelled brick detail. Original wood porches on
3412-14 and 3420-22…. Each house has shingled gable in mansard roof. Architect:
G.W. and W.D. Hewitt.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
3412-3422
Hamilton were built by John Shedwick. He and his sons
built many homes in Powelton. They lived at 3408 Race St.
Previous Residents
of 3412 Hamilton Street
1860, July: Deed
transferred from Samuel Hutchinson to (Estate of?) Robert Steen (Sheriff sale).
1882, December: Deed
transferred from John G. Steen, et al., Executors of Robert Steen to John
Shedwick.
This transfer included
3412-3422 Hamilton St.
1883, October: Deed
transferred from John Shedwick and Margaret A., his wife to Frances De Haes
Janvier.
The 1884 directory
(compiled in the fall of 1883) lists Frances De Haes Janvier as a secretary at
City Hall living at 137 N. 15th St. He was 62 and his wife, Louisa
S. Janvier, was 32.
Francis De Haes
Janvier (1818-1885)
1885, January 5::
Death of Francis De Haes Janvier
“Francis De Haes
Janvier, secretary of the Public Buildings Commission, died last evening at his
residence, No. 3412 Hamilton street, after a protracted illness.
“Mr. Janvier was a man
of literary accomplishments and was a frequent contributor to magazines and
other periodicals. For a number of years he resided in
Washington and while there published a volume of poems. One of these, entitled “The
Sleeping Sentinel” attracted wide
notice and created a profound sensation. The author was requested to read it
before a large assemblage, at which President Lincoln was present, and it was
the event of the evening. When the Public Buildings Commission was formed Mr.
Janvier was appointed its secretary, and he occupied the position until his
death.” (Phila. Inquirer, Jan. 6, 1885)
Part of “The Sleeping
Sentinel” was published in the Philadelphia
Inquirer, Jan. 1, 1863.
Francis De Haes Janvier’s papers are in the collection of the
Princeton University Library.
The position of
secretary of the Public Building Commission was a very political post. The
Commission was in charge of the building of the new
city hall. That Janvier was in the midst of the politicking is clear from the
following editorial in the Philadelphia
Inquirer in 1872:
“Mr. Francis De Haes
Janvier, who is old enough to know better, has taken advantage of his position
as secretary of the Public Building Commission to refuse information to the
public to which the public has a right. Mr. Janvier has heretofore failed to
obtain distinction except as a writer of feeble odes to several of the
Presidents of the United States, by which means he managed to keep himself in
office in Washington for a good many years. Either Andrew Johnson or General
Grant failed, however, to consider a bad ode a good recommendation to office;
and Mr. Janvier then left the capital to take up his abode in Camden, and as
secretary to the Public Building Commission to fancy he owned the intersection
and all that was connected to it. On Monday a meeting of the Building
Commission was held to receive bids of those who propose to supply the granite
or marble for the proposed edifice; and, these bids being submitted, Mr.
Janvier refused the polite requests of the reporters to be furnished with the
particulars of them for publication. The excuse he gave for his refusal has
been proved not true, and it therefore appears that for his official insolence
there was no reason. Mr. Janvier may as well understand now as later that the
newspapers, who represent the public, can unmake him or his masters. If he is
in this business simply the unwilling instruments of his superiors in office it
would be quite as well for him to inform them that they are simply the
citizens’ servants, and that they hold their place by sufferance and during
good behavior. If they are honest they need fear no publicity, and they had
best not, under any circumstances, try to be dishonest.” (Phila.
Inquirer, July 17, 1872)
1886 Directory:
Louisa S. Janvier, widow
1885, June: Deed
transferred from Sara N., Caroline A. & Isabella G. Janvier to Louisa S.
Janvier.
Sarah N. Janvier is
listed in the 1885 directory living at 3105 Baring St. In 1850, Sarah and
Isabella lived at 3509 Spring Garden St. Sarah
ran a seminary.
1887 Directory:
Louisa S. Janvier, widow
Louisa Janvier (born
about 1845) was the widow of Francis De Haes Janvier (1817-1885) who was 27
years her senior.
1889 Directory:
Louisa S. Janvier, widow of Francis D. H.
1890 Directory:
Louisa S. Janvier
She is listed in the
1903 directory for Los Angeles.
1895 Directory:
Nathaniel E. Janney, real estate, 608 Chestnut, h 3412 Hamilton
In 1880 & 1891, they
lived at 1326 N. 15th St. He was a conveyancer.
1896, June: Deed
transferred from Louisa S. Janvier to Nathaniel E. Janney.
1900:
Nathaniel E. Janney 58 Real
estate broker; born in
Anna C. Janney 50 Married 22
years, three children; born in Del.
William C. Janney 20 At school
Emily Janney 17 At
school
Mary T. Janney 14 At school
Delia Tierney 22 Servant;
born in
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Nathaniel E. Janney &
daughters
1911, September: Deed transferred from Mary Talbot Janney of said
Philadelphia, spinster, to Anna Canby Janney of the City of Philadelphia,
widow.
1913, Dec. 15: Marriage license issued to Mary T. Janney of 3412
Hamilton St. and Spencer L. Coxe of 304 N. 35th St.
1919, July: Deed transferred from Anna Canby Janney to G. Earl
Vogels.
1920:
Maria G. Thompson 56 Widow; parents born
in
Mary B. Thompson 35 Daughter; concert
singer
William H. Patton
2 yrs. 11 mons. Grand-nephew
– next household
Robert S. Fiske 34 Civil engineer; father born in
Lillian C. Fiske 32 Born in Il., father born in
– next household
Carroll B. Tyson 33 Male;
industrial engineer; single
Gertrude M. Tyson 27 Sister; bank
clerk
Maria Thompson was the widow of
George Thompson, a paper hanger. In 1900, they lived with his father at 424
Pine St. Mary [or Maria] was their only child.
In 1900, Robert Fiske
lived with his parents at 3319 Hamilton St. In 1910, he lived in Herkimer,
N.Y. where he was a civil engineer. In 1917, he registered for the draft using
his parents address: 3319 Hamilton St. He was a concrete engineer for the Truscon
Steel Co. of Youngstown, Ohio, which was later acquired by Republic Steel.
In 1926, Gertrude M.
Tyson married Olaf Weimer Birkinbine, son of John and Kate A. Birkinbine and
grandson of H.P.M. Birkinbine. His father grew up at 3511
Baring St. before moving to 410 N. 34th
St. They then moved to 4208 Spruce St. a few years before Olaf’s birth. In
1930, Olaf and Gertrude were living in Springfield, Montgomery Co.
1930:
Maria
Thompson 67 Widow; parents
born in N. Ireland; renting for $65 per month
Mary B. Thompson 47 Professional
singer
William Patton 13 Lodger
[grand-nephew]
William .W Smith 57 Lodger;
married at age 30; parents born in Scotland
Albert L. Gates 30 Lodger;
real estate appraiser; father born in Nova Scotia, mother in Maine
1940:
Charles
Derowitsch 24 Clerk in construction co., in 1939, he earned $1,400 for 40
weeks of work; renting for $50 per month; born in N.Y.; 2 years of college;
lived in Dansville, N.Y. in 1935
Miriam Derowitsch 21 born
in N.Y.; 4 years of high school; lived in Rochester, Monroe Co., N.Y. in 1935
William
Derowitsch 45 Father; superintendent in construction co., in 1939, he
earned $2,500 for 52 weeks of work; born in N.Y.; 8 years of school; lived in
Dansville, N.Y. in 1935
In 1930, William was a millwright in
a boiler works. His mother was born in Germany. He and his wife, Naomi, had
married when they were both 19 years old.
– next household
Robert Cole 26 foreman in construction co., in 1030, he earned $2,500 for 40
weeks of work; renting for $45 per month; born in NY; 2 years of high school
Lucille Cole 24 Born in N.Y.; 2 years of high school
Charles J.
Cole 9 Born
in N.Y.
The Cole family lived in Olean,
Cattaraugus Co., N.Y. in 1935.
– next household
Elma Hu 42 Married; born in Pennsylvania; renting for $30 per month; 4
years of high school
Anne Hu 6 Daughter; Chinese; born in China
Frank Hu 4 Son; Chinese; born in China
In 1935, they lived in Nanchang,
[southeastern] China. Wikipedia states that “In 1939, the Battle of Nanchang, a
ferocious battle between the Chinese National Revolutionary Army and the Japanese
Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War took place.” (accessed
6/30/2012).
– next household
Lee [C.]
Blackiston 39 Unemployed, in 1939, he earned $1,000 for 36 weeks of work as
a butcher for a wholesale meat com.; renting for $45 per month; born in MD; 4
years of high school
Marguritte
Blackiston 40 Born in MD.; 4 years of high school
They lived at this address in 1935. In
1930, they lived in Morristown, Morris, N.J. where he was a butcher in a chain
store. In 1910, he lived with his parents in Church Hill, Queen Anne's, MD.
where his father was a hired hand on a farm.
1950 Directory: Mrs. Mary J. Earle
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Revised 10/21/2021