3410-3420
Race St. are shown on the 1872 G. M. Hopkins Atlas. They were built by
builders, John Shedwick and his son James C. Shedwick who lived at
3624 Baring St. in 1870. They built a home for
themselves at 3408 Race St. and moved there about
1872.
3410-3412:
“two-and-one-half
story Second Empire style stone double with wood porch and original wood gabled
entry. First floor projecting wood bays. Six segmental windows below small and
bracketed wood cornice; Four dormers with segmental window heads project from
slate-shingled mansard.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
History
1873
Directory (Fall, 1872): William S. Stamm inspector
The
1872 directory lists William S. Stamm, U.S.N. living
at 925 Wallace St., U.S.N.
1880:
William S. Stamm 53 Naval
engineer
Emily P. Stamm 51
Edward P. Stamm 20 Medical student
Norman L. Stamm 17
Susan C. Labarr 31 Servant
In 1870, they lived at 925 Wallace
St.
“William S. Stamm.
Born in [Bern twp., Berks Co.,] Pennsylvania. Appointed from Delaware, February
28, 1851; entered the service as third assistant engineer; coast survey,
1851-62 [1852?]; steam-frigate "Powhatan," East India Squadron,
1852-56. Promoted to second assistant engineer. May 21, 1853. Promoted to first
assistant engineer, May 9, 1857; special duty, 1857-58; steam-sloop
"Hartford," East India Squadron, 1859-61. Promoted to chief engineer,
September 22, 1861 ; steam-sloop "Canandaigua," South Atlantic
Blockading Squadron, 1862-64 ; special duty, Newburgh, N. Y., 1864-68;
fleet-engineer, Pacific Fleet, 1868-71; inspector machinery afloat,
Philadelphia, 1872-76; fleet-engineer, Pacific Station, 1876-77; member of
Board of Examiners, 1878-80.”
(A Naval Encyclopædia.
1880, pg. 1003)
The Independence Seaport Museum has
a portrait of William Stamm and his uniform.
William Stamm
and Emily Paxson were married in 1857. She was the daughter of Edward and Ruth
Paxson. Her father was an attorney. In 1860, Emily and William lived with her parents
at 713 Wallace St.
Edward Paxson Stamm,
married Harriet Key. They had a daughter born in 1883. He died in Grand Rapids,
Michigan in 1890 at the age of 30.
Norman Stamm
(see below) married Lottie Lee Knight. It was her second marriage. In 1888-’89,
he worked as a clerk in Merchantville, N.J. where her father was a stock broker. She died in 1896 at about age 39. He soon
married her sister, Elizabeth Knight.
Susan Labarr,
their servant, was later the housekeeper for Curtis Paxson, Emily Paxson Stamm’s nephew, who lived at 522 N. Preston St. Curtis
divorced his second wife sometime before 1900 and married Susan Labarr sometime between 1910 and 1920. He died in 1921 and
she continued living on Preston St. until her death in 1934.
1882, March 20: Emily Paxson died at the age of 52.
1890 Census Veterans Schedule: William S. Stamm,
Retired Chief Engineer, U.S.N., February 1851 - Dec.,
1881. Retired Dec. 1881.
1895 Directory: William S. Stamm,
U.S.N., h 3412 Race St.
1896: As a retired Chief Engineer, William Stamm
was paid $3,300 per year.
1896: Death of Lottie Lee Knight Stamm,
wife of Norman L. Stamm daughter of Thomas C. Knight
and daughter-in-law of Chief Engineer William S., Stamm,
U. S. N. Funeral at the residence of her father, at Merchantsville,
N. J.
1896 Directory: William S. Stamm,
U.S.N.
Norman L. Stamm,
assistant engineer at 418 City Hall
1897, June 27: William Seaman Stamm
died at the age of 72.
“William S. Stamm,
a retired chief engineer of the United States Navy, died at his home here aged
72 years. He entered the service in 1851. In 1858 he was engaged in the work of
assisting in laying the Atlantic telegraph cable receiving as a token of his
energy and ingenuity a gold medal from the New York chamber of commerce. He
became a chief engineer in July, 1861 and during the
latter part of the war was superintendent of repairs of the ironclad fleet off
Charleston harbor. He was placed on the retired [sic.] in December, 1887, when
he attained the age of 61 years.” (Inquirer, June 29, 1897)
1900:
Norman L. Stamm 37 Civil engineer; married [for second
time]; owner, free of a mortgage
Elizabeth K. Stamm 29 Married 3 years, 1 child; born in N.J.
Charlotte E. Stamm 4 Daughter;
born in N.J., parents both born in N.J. [sic.]
Muriel L. Stamm 11
months
Margaret Diamond 42 Servant;
born in Ireland
Marguerite Y.
Carlin 15 Servant; born in N.J., parents born in Ireland
Elizabeth Knight Stamm
was the sister of his first wife, Lottie Knight (see above). Apparently
Charlotte was the daughter of Lottie Stamm.
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Norman L. Stamm
Mrs. William H. Moses
1910:
Norman L. Stamm 46 Civil engineer working on city survey;
married twice; owner, free of a mortgage
Elizabeth K. Stamm 38 Married 12 years, 1 child; born in N.J.,
father born in Md., mother in N.J.
Charlotte E. Stamm 14 Born in N.J., father born in Pa., mother
in N.J.
Mariel L. Stamm 10 Mother born in N.J.
Rosa P. Jones 31 Servant, cook; mulatto; widowed; born in Va.
1915 Directory: Norman L. Stamm,
engineer at dept. Wharves, Docks & Ferries at Phila. Bourse
1918: Marriage of Jennings E. Warren and Charlotte Elizabeth Stamm, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman L. Stamm.
1920:
Norman L. Stamm 56 Civil
engineer for a municipality; owner free of mortgage
Elizabeth K. Stamm 48 Born in N.J.
Muriel L. Stamm 19 Daughter
Jennings E.
Warren 25 Son-in-law; mariner in shipyard; parents born in MD.
Charlotte S.
Warren 23 Daughter
In 1930, Jennings and Charlotte
Warren lived at 4437 Sherwood Rd. He was working as an insurance adjuster.
1922, March: “N. L. STAMM, HARBOR ENGINEER, DISMISSED.
Charges of Virtual Insubordination Preferred Against City Employee. Mayor Moore
Serves Notice That Co-operation Must Be Forthcoming.
“Summary dismissal of Norman L. Stamm, harbor engineer of the Department of Wharves, Docks,
and Ferries at $4000 a year was announced by George F. Sproule, director of the
department, through Mayor Moore’s office yesterday.
“Stamm is
practically accused of insubordination and failure to co-operate with the
Director or carry out his orders.
“The official statement from the
Mayor’s office presents the charges as follows:
“’Mr. Stamm has been with the department since
1911, but according to the charges against him, has utterly failed to
co-operate with the department in its progressive programme
of the past two years. Desiring to carry out the Mayor’s policies of
progressive work along the river front, Director Sproule has made great strides
forward in pier building where the services of Mr. Stamm
were badly needed.’
“Five Days to Answer
“’During recent months, however, the engineer has failed to respond to
the Director’s requests and orders, resulting in the breach which so far as the
charges are concerned separate him from the service. Mr. Stamm
will have five days to respond to the charges, but the Mayor announced that his
services in the Department of Wharves, Docks, and Ferries were at an end.
“’In consequence of the conference with the Mayor this morning, and in
order that the pier work may be hastened, particularly that of Chestnut street
and the new Girard piers above Market street, Assistant Director Carroll R.
Thompson was ordered to take over the engineering work, and from this time on
will be in direct charge.’
“After
Director Sproule had left, Mayor Moore said:
“’There seems to be a disposition at the beginning at the last half of
this administration to show independence of orders. The answer to this is: Any
city employee who feels he cannot get along with this administration has the
option of getting out. We have great work ahead during the next two years and
there are plenty of men ready and willing to take the place of those who do not
wish to serve.’
“’I have nothing to say.’ Mr. Stamm said at
his home, 3412 Race street, last night, when
questioned regarding the action of the Mayor and Director Sproule. ‘There will probably be a statement within a
few days, but this evening I do not care to discuss the matter.’” (Inquirer,
March 3, 1922)
1930:
Norman L. Stamm 66 Married at age 26; owner, house valued
at $19,000
Elizabeth R. Stamm 57 Married at age 27; born in N.J.
Marid S. Schock 29 Daughter; widowed; mother born in N.J.
1950 Directory: James J. Henry, attorney
2010: Purchased by Drexel University
Revised
3/12/2013