3615 Hamilton Street
The
History of the Building
The northern boundary of the houses on the northern side of Hamilton St. from 31st St. to 38th St. was the northern border of the Bingham-Baring estate.
3601-03, 3605-07, 3609-11, 3613-15, and 3617: These houses appear to have been built by the same builder but may have been built for three different developers. They were all built about 1877.
“two-and-one-half story Second Empire-style doubles, stone
facade over brick. Victorian wood porches (3609-11, 3613--15 removed).
Slate-shingled mansards with four dormers with decoratively carved wood gables.
Ornate wood Victorian cornices. Segmental stone lintels. 3601-03 and 3613-15
have roof cresting.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
of 3615 Hamilton Street
1872 Atlas shows 3601-3619 owned by J. G. Hardie. In 1860, James
G. Hardie lived at 3200 Arch St. The
1861 Directory lists him as a merchant with an office at 633 Market St.
1877, August: Deed transferred from James H. Lyons to John
Waddell.
The 1881 Directory lists James H.
Lyons, plumber, 17 N. 9th St., house 1327 Green. The 1870 census lists him as 35 years old
with a wife and one child. He was born
in Ireland. His real estate holdings
were listed at $1,000 and his personal property at $200. He owned 3607-3617 Hamilton St. which he sold
to various individuals between October, 1877 and June, 1879.
1877, October: Deed transferred from John Waddell to Thomas
Hunter.
1877, October: Deed transferred from Thomas C. Hunter to John & Clara J. (wife) Wadell.
1880:
John Waddell 40 Linen
merchant
Clara Waddell 33
Florence Waddell 1
1881, March: Deed transferred from John & Clara J (wife)
Wadell to Nellie Dearborn Smith.
John Waddell died Feb. 7, 1883. They were living in New York on West 27th
St. In 1900, Clara Waddell was
divorced. It appears that she had
remarried and then divorced. She had had
three more children aged 7 to 11 who had the name Clements. They were living on Oak Lane and had one servant
and two boarders.
1887 Directory: George W. Smith (George W. Smith &
Co.)
George W. Smith & Co. advertised
themselves as “designers and manufacturers of art furniture; office and bank
work a specialty.”
In 1881, he lived at 2023 N. College Ave.
George W. Smith & Co.’s Artistic
Furniture Factory, 1892
3907-3919 Powelton Ave.
(Hexamer
General Surveys, Vol. 26.)
George W. Smith (1840-1896)
and Ella Dearborn Smith (1848-1934)
1890: A permit was issued for an addition to the
house. The contractor was J. F. Strode of 315 N. 40th St. (Inquirer,
May 23)
1893: Arthur D. Smith was elected to serve as a director of the Powelton
Club.
1896, Oct. 13: Death of George Wilkins Smith. He was buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery
with Rev. Fulton (3420 Hamilton St.) of Northminster Presbyterian officiating.
1898 Blue Book:
Arthur D. Smith
Mrs. George W. Smith
G. Sydney Smith
Rayburn C. Smith
1898, Oct. 18: “Miss
Marie Bondrias de Morat, daughter of Mr. O. B. de Morat, and Mr. Arthur
Dearborn Smith were married at the home of the bride’s father, 3917 Walnut
street, Tuesday evening by Rev. J. E. Monehan, of St. James’ Roman Catholic
Church. Miss Helen de Morat, a sister of
the bride, was maid of honor, and Mr. Rayburn C. Smith, the groom’s brother,
was the best man. Archbishop Ryan and
Bishop McCloskey, of Louisville, were among the guests.
“After a wedding tour,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith will be at home at 224 South Forty-fourth street.” (Phila.
Inquirer, Oct. 23)
1900:
Ella D. Smith 51 Widowed
with 3 children; born in N.H., father born in N.H., mother in Virginia; owner,
free of a mortgage
George S. Smith 27 Compositor
printer; father born in Vt., mother in N.H.
Rayburn C. Smith 22 Manufactured
furniture; father born in Vt., mother in N.H.
Emma B.
Scott 34 Servant
1902: “An engagement of interest to West Philadelphia society is
that of Miss Mary Virchaux Houston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Boyle
Houston, of [3915] West Walnut street, to Mr. Rayburn Clark Smith, son of the
late George W. Smith. Miss Houston made
her debut several seasons ago, at a reception given by her parents, at the
Flanders. She is a member of the
Philadelphia Cricket Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mr. Smith is a graduate of the University of
Pennsylvania, being a member of the Class of 1898.” (Phila.
Inquirer, Sept. 21, 1902)
1903, April 22: Marriage of Mary Virchaux Houston to Rayburn Clark
Smith.
1906 Blue Book: Mrs. George W. [Ella D.] Smith
1910:
Ella D. Smith 60 Widowed,
3 children; born in N.H., father in N.H., mother in Va.
George S. Smith 37 Clerk for
manufacturing co.; father born in Vt., mother in N.H.
William C. Smith 62 Brother-in-law;
clerk for manufacturing co.; widowed; born in Vt.
Emma B. Scott 38 Servant;
single
In 1920, Ella (now listed as Mrs. George W.) and son George live with Uncle
William Smith and Emma Scott at 4235 Walnut.
In 1930, Ella and George were living
with Rayburn and his family in the Spruce Hill Apartments, 4400 Spruce St. Rayburn was a manufacturer of radio
cabinets. His wife was a hostess at the
Athletic Club. (George was enumerated a
second time as a patient at Pennsylvania State Hospital for the Insane, 4401
Market St.)
Ella Dearborn Smith
(1848-1934)
The house was not
enumerated in the 1920 census which was held in January. It was probably empty.
1920, May: Deed transferred from Nellie Dearborn Smith to Gus A.
Rohland.
In 1928, he also purchased the other
half of this double, 3613 Hamilton St.
1930:
Clara M. Rohland 75 Owner, house
valued at $12,000; born in Va., father born in N.Y., mother in Va.
Gus
A. Rohland 43 Electrician; single; born in Va.
Otto J. Rohland 41 Electrician;
single; born in Va.
Ethel Hohl 21 Lodger; stenographer in a law office
Emma C. Anderson 29 Lodger;
stenographer in a department store
-- 2nd Household
Andrew McDonald 65 Woodworker in a saw
mill; born in Australia, immigrated in 1882; renting for $75 per month
Agnes McDonald 65 Born in
Australia, immigrated in 1883
Louise McDonald 36 Saleslady in a
department store; born in Virginia
In January 1920, the Rohland family
was listed in the census at 1339 N. Hobart St.
Clara’s husband, Otto F. Rohland, was 76. His parents were born in Bremen, Germany.
Clara Marie Rohland died in February 1938 when she
was living at 5804 Gainor Rd. In 1942, Clarence B. Rohland purchased 3600 Hamilton St. It was later inherited by Gus Rohland and two others. Gus registered for the WWII draft
from there and died at that address in 1956. He was born July 29, 1886 in
Richmond, Va. He worked for the Royal Electrotype Co. As a contact, he listed Clarence B.
Rohland who was living at the Hotel Ocean Plaza in Ocean Grove, N.J.
1932, Apr. 23: Death of Andrew Thomas McDonald, 68 years old, of
throat and neck cancer
Agnes (Callander) McDonald died July
23, 1939. She was living at 267 S. 21st St. She was born in Melbourne, Australia.
1940:
Elizabeth
Templeton 31 Bookkeeper for produce commissioners, earned $1,000 for 52
weeks of work in 1939; single; 4 years of high school; lived here in 1935;
renting for $25 per month
_ 2nd
Hh.
Jean Clark 53 Sheet metal worker for ship builder, earned $750 for 36 weeks
work in 1939; 4 years of high school; lived here in 1935; renting for $25 per
month
Jola Clark 52 Wife; clerk for wholesale china col, earned $1,000 for 52
weeks of work in 19392 years of high school
George Clark 22 Clerk for U.S. Q[uarter] M[asters] Corp., earned $1,600 for
52 weeks of work in 1939; 1 year of high school
They all lived elsewhere in
Philadelphia in 1935.
1942 WWII Draft Registration: George Norman
Clark, University of Pennsylvania. He was born Feb. 22, 1918.
He served in the military from Feb.
1943 to Feb. 1946. He did not serve abroad.
1968 Reverse Directory: C. R. Turner, 2nd floor
R. M. Whittelsey, 2nd floor
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Revised: 12/13/2021