The
History of the Building
3614-16: “three-story,
Victorian double, brick with stone facade, flat roof with elaborate wood cornice;
Victorian wood porch; incised stone lintels”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1875, Nov. 11: Title for 3614-16 Baring St. & 3621 Pearl St.
transferred to Hiram K. Witner by Mary G. W. Maxwell
1879, July 1: Title
transferred to Joseph Ashbrook by Hiram K. Witner
Hiram K. Witner lived at
1917 Spring Garden St. The 1880 census lists him as 44 years old living with
his wife, Mary A. E. Witner (41), and their son William R. (15). Also living
with them was Hiram’s brother-in-law, Frank P. Rosengarten. The 1880 census
does not list an occupation. The 1870 census lists him as a commercial trader
with real estate valued at $6,000 and an equal amount of personal property. The
1872 directory lists him as a trader in fish at the Spruce St. Wharf. The 1882
directory lists him as the secretary at 134 S. 4th St. In 1880, this
was the meeting place of the Sons of Temperance.
1880 Directory
(fall, 1879): Joseph Ashbrook superintendent of agencies, Provident Life &
Trust Co. at 409 Chestnut
The 1879 directory lists
his home address as 316 Carpenter.
1880:
Joseph
Ashbrook 39 Life
insurance agent
Kate S. Ashbrook 35 Parents
born in
William S. Ashbrook 11
Mary Tierney 29 Servant;
born in
In
1870, they lived at 315 Washington Ave. For a summary of his service during the
Civil Was, see A
Civil War Chronicle: Joseph Ashbrook on the Powelton History Blog. (More of
his biography appears below.) Catherine
Sinclair Ashbrook’s family history is summarized in a blog entitled Mrs.
Joseph Ashbrook.
1881: Joseph
Ashbrook appointed manager of the insurance department of the Provident Life
and Trust Company
1899: Donald
Sinclair Ashbrook listed as a freshman majoring in Chemistry, University of
Pennsylvania
1900:
Joseph Ashbrook 59 President of Life Insurance Co.
Catherine S. Ashbrook 55 Married
33 years, 3 children, 2 surviving; parents born in Scotland
William S. Ashbrook 31 Life insurance clerk
Donald S. Ashbrook 19 Student,
Univ. of Penna.
Mary Temple 40 Servant;
parents born in
Mary M. O’Halloran 20 Servant;
born in
Joseph Ashbrook
“ASHBROOK,
Joseph
“Insurance manager of the Provident Life and
Trust Company of
(Who’s Who
in Pennsylvania, 1904)
“Ashbrook, Joseph, life insurance officer; born
at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 4, 1840; son of James and Eliza (Garwood) Ashbrook;
educated in public schools of Philadelphia; married, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct.
29, 1867, Catherine S. Sinclair; children: William S. and Donald S.
Vice-president and director, Provident Life & Trust Co. of Philadelphia,
until his resignation on account of ill health. Widely known as a writer and
speaker on subjects relating to life insurance. Served as captain 118th
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers; was badly wounded soon after entering army ;
brevetted major United States Volunteers for "gallant and distinguished
services." Republican; Methodist. Member, American Historical Assn.,
Military Order of the Loyal Legion and Grand Army of Republic. Club, Union
League of Philadelphia; Residence, 3614 Baring St. Office, 401-409 Chestnut
St., Philadelphia.”
(Applegate
Surname Genealogy. Men of 1914 Biographical
Sketches, Page 5.)
1901, March 16: Death of Edward G. Ashbrook. Funeral
services at 3614 Baring St. Burial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Joseph Ashbrook’s younger brother,
Edward, was living across the street at 3603 Baring St.
In 1887, he lived 3612 Hamilton St.
1904: William
Sinclair Ashbrook a member of
Pennsylvania Commandery, Military Order of Loyal Legion (Who’s Who in Pennsylvania)
1906 Blue Book: Mr.
& Mrs. Joseph Ashbrook
William S. Ashbrook
D. S.
Ashbrook
Miss E[lizabeth] Sinclair [Mrs. Ashbrook’s
sister]
1906, Dec. 5:
Marriage license issued to Julia H. Hays of 3503
Hamilton St. and Donald S. Ashbrook of 3614 Baring St.
In 1910 and 1920, they lived in
Wilmington, Del. where he was a chemist for a cotton mill. They had two
daughters. They divorced in the 1920s. In 1930, Donald was living in a hotel in
Stonington, New London, Conn. where he was Vice President of a cotton mill. He
remarried in the 1930s. In 1929, Julia married Frank G. Tallman, a widowed vice
president of DuPont who had retired four years earlier.
1910:
Joseph Ashbrook 69 Vice president, life insurance company;
owner, free of a mortgage
Catherine S. Ashbrook 65 Married
43 years; 3 children, 2 surviving; parents born in Scotland
William S. Ashbrook 42 Secretary in life insurance
Eliza W. Sinclair 67 Sister-in-law;
single; parents born in Scotland
Catherine A. Devlin 42 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1880
Nora McLarthy 24 Servant;
parents born in Ireland
In
1900, Elizabeth Sinclair was a boarder at 315 N. 37th
St.
William
Ashbrook got married about 1913 at age 45. His wife, Mildred, was 24. They
raised three children at 4431 Spruce St.
1918, Aug. 11: Death of Joseph Ashbrook, 78
years old; funeral from his late residence, 3614 Baring St.
1920:
Catherine S. Ashbrook 75 Widow; parents born in Scotland; owner,
free of a mortgage
Bertha Andres 22 Servant; born in Hungary, speaks German,
immigrated in 1912
Anna Drew 42
Servant, cook; born in Hungary,
speaks Magyar, immigrated in 1905
Catharine Sinclair Ashbrook died in
1935 at age 90. She was living in the Garden Court Apartments on Pine St. Her
parents were born in Scotland, her father in Kirkwall in the Orkney Island and
her mother in Leith.
1925, Nov. 23: Title transfer registered from Catherine Ashbrook
to A[lexander] H. Sinclair
Alexander Sinclair lived next door
at 3612 Baring St.
In 1930, Catherine Ashbrook, age 85,
was living at the Garden Court Apartments, 4701 Pine St.
1925: Marriage of Reland M. Woodward to James Howard Cooper
1930:
Ernest
Cooper 52 Proprietor of an apartment house;
married at age 32 [23]; born in England, immigrated in 1905; owner
Mathilde Cooper 52 [sic.] Married at age 30; born in
England, immigrated in 1905
Margurite Cooper 25 Secretary
at a bank; born in England, immigrated in 1905
Howard Cooper 28 Reporter
at an audit house; married at age 22; born in England, immigrated in 1905
Reland Cooper 29 Daughter-in-law;
saleslady at a department store; married at age 23; born in Ohio
Ernest A Cooper 15
Mary L Rorer 60 Lodger; Office clerk at a hospital; single
Sarah Hunt 26 Lodger; married at age 23; born in West Virginia
In 1920, they lived next door at 3616 Baring St. See the history of the family on that
page.
Ernest A. Cooper, 1931
1931: Ernst A. Cooper graduated from Overbrook
High School
1934: Marriage of Marguerite A. Cooper to George M. Curry
1939, Apr. 1: Marriage of Frances G. Murphy to
Ernest A. Cooper (3614 Baring St.)
In 1942, they lived at 3620
Baring St. which the family owned. In 1950, they and their three children
were living at 3406
Baring St. which they purchased in 1946.
1940:
Ernest Cooper 61 Owner
of apartment houses; born in England; 8 years of education; owner, house valued
at $5,000
Mathilde Cooper 60 Born
in England; 7 years of education
Howard J. Cooper 37 Manager
at credit investigation co., earned $1,500 in 1939; married; born in England; 4
years of high school
Margaret Cooper
[Curry] 35 Clerk at insurance co.,
earned $1,500 for 50 weeks of work in 1939; 3 years of college; born in England
George Curry 30 Son-in-law; truck driver for oil deliveries, earned $750 for
26 weeks of work in 1939; one year of high school
They all lived here in 1935. Ernest
Cooper also owned 3404
Hamilton St. from 1940 to 1944. Howard Cooper is listed twice. Once he is
listed with four years of high school, once with four years of college.
1942 Draft Registration: Cooper James Howard,
owner of American Credits, 300 Walnut St. He was born in Leicester, England,
April 26, 1902.
1949, Oct. 20: Death of Ernest Cooper, 71 years
old, of 3614 Baring St. He was born June 24, 1878, son of James Cooper and
Martha Howard.
1950
Directory: Howard Cooper
Harold Huddleson
W. A. Lalande, Sr.
1950:
1st floor:
J. Howard Cooper 47 Owner of credits; born in England
Reland Cooper 49 Born in Ohio; 3 years of college
2nd floor front:
Evaline M. Cooper 61 Manager of dry-cleaning co.; single
2nd floor middle:
Pocahontas Gibbs 73 Widowed; born in VA
2nd floor rear:
William B. La Lande 78 Blank book finisher for bookbindery
Agnes G. La Lande 73 Parents born in Ireland; 8 years of
education, $120 in non-wage income in 1949
3rd floor:
Harold Huddelson 42 Truck driver for oil co.
Violet Huddelson 43 Machine operator at a blouse factory
Note:
information of education, income, and parents place of birth only available for
every fifth individual.
1951, Feb. 18: Death of Mathilde A. Cooper
of 3614 Baring St. She died in a local nursing home. She bequeathed her $19,000
estate to her three children. (Inquirer, Mar. 6, 1951)
1951, Apr. 10: Title transfer registered to J. Howard
Cooper from Mathilde Cooper
1968
Reverse Directory: H. Cooper {1st floor)
R. Pokras D.D.S. (2md floor)
G. B. Webber (3rd floor)
G. E. Webber
1986: Sold to Walter R. Weitzel by Joseph
Trabaccone for $70,000 (Inquirer, Mar. 2)
2009: purchased by
Donna Martorana