The
History of the Building
3624-26: “two-and-one-half
story, Second Empire-style double house, cruciform plan, with entrance in cross
arms; stone façade over brick; 3624 side porch removed…”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
3620-3626
Baring were built by John Shedwick and his sons.
Previous Residents
1868, May 8:
Title for 3620-3626 Baring St. transferred to John Shedwick
by William N. West
1870:
John Shedwick 54 Home builder; born in
Margaret Shedwick 51 Born in England
James C. Shedwick 32 Home builder; born in England; real
estate: $15,000
William Shedwick 17 Apprentice carpenter
George Shedwick 15 Twin
Harry Shedwick 15 Twin
Isabel Hackett 34 Domestic
servant; born in
Bridget Ford 20-24 (only in 2nd enumeration)
In 1866, they were
at SE corner, 32nd & Baring St. (327 N.
32nd St.)
In 1880, they were
at 3408 Race St.
Houses built by Shedwick at
Mrs. Shedwick
was the former Margaret Campbell. The Descendants of Joseph and Mary Dodge Campbell
in America, by Henry
Graham Ashmead provides very thorough biographies of Margaret, John and several
of their sons.
At the time of the first enumeration
in June, 1870 was working for the H. K. Harnish family at 3501 Spring Garden
St.
1872, Mar. 18: Title transferred to John Ferguson by John Shedwick
1874-‘81 Directories: John A. Fergusson of Fergusson Brothers
(Alexander C. and William Fergusson), chemicals/dye stuffs, 104 Chestnut St.
Alexander Fergusson lived at 3305
Arch St.
1875, Nov. 8: Title transferred to Adam E. Wiegand [a conveyancer]
then immediately to Emily C. Furguson
1880:
John Fergusson 35 Broker;
born in Scotland
Emily C.
Fergusson 27
Anna C. Fergusson 9
Emily Fergusson 7
Blair Fergusson 5
Kate McDevitt 24 Servant;
born in Ireland
Rose W. Jones 18
Servant; born in Scotland, parents
born in Ireland
1883, Aug. 15: Title transferred to Isaac B. Seeley by Emily C. Furguson
In 1880, Isaac Seeley and his family
lived at 1347 Chestnut St. Isaac was 45
years old, born in Canada. His parents
were born in Vermont. His wife, Helen,
was 42 and born in Illinois. Her father
was born in New York and her mother in New Hampshire. Their two sons, Frank (11) and Walter (7)
were both born in Pennsylvania.
1888 Directory: Isaac B. Seeley of I. B. Seeley & Co. (Isaac
B. Seeley, George M. Streeter & Edwin Chesterman) trusses at 25 S. 11th
St. also wine merchant at 1004 Walnut
1890 Directory: Frank H. Seeley
1895 Directory: Frank H. Seeley, physician at 1027 Walnut St.
I[saac]B. Seeley,
trusses at 1027 Walnut St.
Walter B. Seeley, fitter
1898 Blue Book: I. B. Seeley
Mr. & Mrs. Franklin Henry Seeley
Walter B. Seeley
The 1906
Blue Book lists Walter living at 29 W. Upsal, Germantown.
1898 Blue Book: I. B. Seeley and Walter B. Seeley were members of
the Powelton Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton
History Blog.)
1900 Directory (Fall, 1899): I. B. Seeley, trusses at 1027
Walnut - The 1902 directory lists his
home as New York City. He died in
Chicago, June 3, 1918. Services were
held at the home of his son, Walter, in Germantown.
Frank H. Seeley, office
at 1027 Walnut St. – The 1902 directory lists him living at the Aldine Hotel.
Walter B. Seeley, office
at 1027 Walnut St. – The 1902 directory lists him living at 1902 Walnut St.
1900: House not
enumerated in census
1900, Oct. 29: Title transferred to Elizabeth A. Kincher by Isaac B. Seeley
1902 Directory: Anderson Givin, lumber,
843 Real Estate Trust Building
The 1894 directory lists him living
in Haverford. According to his passport
application in Nov., 1905, he was born in Huntingdon, Pa., July 28, 1858. He was married to Jennie R. Givin. She was born
in Bordentown, N.J., Nov. 20, 1858. The
1880 census lists him living with his parents, John B. and Mary C. Givin, at 4058 Aspen St.
His father was also in the lumber business. The 1880 directory (from the Fall of 1879)
lists him and his father living at 3826 Baring St. He was a bookkeeper
1905 Directory: Samuel
B. Lenhart
In 1910 he
and his wife were living at 303 N. 37th St.
Chester W. Wells
In 1900, he
was boarding at 3504 Baring St. He was from Williamsport, Lycoming
Co., Pennsylvania. In 1870, his father,
Theodore Hill, was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly for one year. In 1880, Chester was an attorney still living
with his parents. The 1904 directory
lists him as deputy collector of port at the Customs House and living at 1334
S. 4th St. In 1910, he lived
at 303 N. 37th St. with the Lenharts.
1910:
Annie Bush
60 Married twice, 4 children, 2 surviving;
born in
Chester E. Carpenter 36 Son-in-law;
foreman for Pullman Co., father born in Vt., mother in Md.
Florence R. Carpenter 26 Married;
teacher; five months no children; born in Md.
Margaret H. Regg
22 Daughter;
single
Rachel Murphy 58 Lodger;
single mother born in N.J.
Almena Murphy 60 Lodger;
single mother born in N.J.
Alice E. Rahn 41 Lodger;
single; teacher; parents born in Germany
Anna J. Pollock 60 Lodger;
single; teacher in city school; mother born in N.J.
Mary R. Fraher 52 Lodger;
single; father born in
Nellie Wheatley 24 Lodger;
single; music teacher; father born in Del., mother in Md.
Sarah Dugan 36 Servant;
single; parents born in
Margaret Cunningham 18 Servant; single; born in
In
1920, Annie S. H. Bush lived at 3515 Hamilton St. She was the widow
of Luther Bush.
Chester
and Florence Carpenter purchased 3511 Hamilton St.
in 1920 and moved there.
In
1920, Almira and Rachel Murphy lived with their sister and brother-in-law at 201 N. 36th St. Another sister, Sarah E. Shoemaker,
lived with her husband and daughter at 209 N. 34th
St. In
1880, the sisters all lived with their mother at 2106 Brandywine St. (Mantua).
In
1920, Alice E. Rahn lived two doors down at 3620 Baring St.
1911 Directory: William Eyler
salesman
Alice Rahm, teacher
1916 Directory: Annie S. H. Bush, widow of
Luther
Charlotte Estabrooks,
nurse
Anna J. Pollock, teacher
1919, Sep. 17: Death of Blanche
Eavenson Horter; cause of
death was acute septic endocarditis.
"Horter Burial Tomorrow
"Wife of Soap Manufacturer Died after Brief Illness
"Funeral services for Mrs. Blanche Eavenson Horter, forty-three
years old, who died Wednesday afternoon, will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow at
the home 3624 Baring street. The Rev. John Blair, pastor of the Tabernacle
Presbyterian Church, will officiate. Interment, which will be private, will be
in West Laurel Hill cemetery.
"Mrs. Horter had been in
ill health for several years with heart disease. She spent the summer at Island
Heights, N. J., with her family and excitement following an athletic carnival
there is supposed to have caused her breakdown.
"She was the daughter of Martin M. Eavenson, soap manufacturer of Camden, and was married to
Charles M. Horter, associated with the Heaton &
Wood Company, 1802 Chestnut street, in January, 1904. For many years she was a
member and worker in the Olivet Presbyterian Church, Twenty-second and Mt.
Vernon streets, and later was affiliated with the Tabernacle Presbyterian
Church at Thirty-seventh and Chestnut streets. She is survived by her husband
and two children, Marjorie and Donald." (Ev. Pub. Ledger, Sept. 19, 1919)
Her husband and children moved into his family’s house at
211 N. 36th St.
1920:
Maurice W. Wiley 43 President of a lumber co.; born in
Ellen Baker Wiley 34
Welles Rusk Wiley 2 yrs., 4 months
In
February, 1916, the Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia) reported that “Mrs. Joseph
Boyd Baker, of Covington, announces the engagement of her daughter, Miss Ellen
Rutter Baker, to Mr. Maurice W. Wiley, formerly of Baltimore. Mrs. Baker and Miss Baker are spending the
month of February at Summerville, S.C.”
In
1930, they lived in
1930:
Lewis F. Ulmer 58 Merchant selling
retail cigars; married at age 35; renting for $75 per month
Nancy Ulmer 50 Married
at age 27; born in Maryland
Edgar Foster 43 Lodger;
salesman [rest illegible]; born in N.Y.
Margaret Uppenkanth 40 Lodger;
milliner in millinery shop; born in Kansas
Anna Hammerly 50 Lodger;
born in Ohio
Edwin Hoyer 65 Lodger;
proof reader at a printing house; widowed; parents born in Maryland
1940: This address was not enumerated in
the census. The
house may have been empty.
1941, Sep. 10: Title transferred to David B.
McLaughlin and Mildred E., his wife, by Elizabeth A. Kincher
David
McLaughlin and Mildred Given were recently married. In 1940, he lived with his parents on Summit
St. in Darby. His father, Robert, was a
brakeman for the railroad. David was
listed as unemployed and a “new worker.”
He reported having four years of high school. In Dec., 1942, he enlisted as a Warrant
Officer. He had been a machinist with
two years of college. Mildred was the
daughter of William and Albert Given.
They lived at 3411 Baring St.
1950 Directory: William P. McGowen
In
1940, he lived at 436 N. 33rd St.
David B. McLaughlin
John F. Schira
1956, July 26: Title transferred to Powelton Village
Development Association, Inc. by David B. and Mildred E. McLaughlin
1968 Reverse Directory: H. M. Brooks (3rd
floor)
C. Brown (1st floor)
2009: owner: Vaughn J. Cook
purchase
date: 10/1986
Revised 5/7/2022