3711 Spring Garden Street
The
History of the Building
Early
Atlases show this as 3709.
The Hopkins
Atlas, published in 1872, shows 3709-11 as the property of Richard Clark
(1805-1876). He was listed in the 1870 census as a railroad contractor with
$10,000 in real estate and $23,000 in personal property. He was 63 years-old
and born in Ireland. In 1880, his six adult children lived together at 3225
Rockland St. His sons were all involved in construction. John (age 40) was a
contractor, George (38) was a brick mason, Richard (29) was a clerk, and
younger brother James (23) was a house painter. Richard, Jr. died in 1883. The
trustee of Richard Clark’s estate transferred to his properties to his five
surviving children.
3709-11: “two-and-one-half story developer double; Mansarded above schist stone front, side brick walls, original porch remains but porch columns altered; tall first-floor windows reach down to porch. 2/2 sash above, and in segmenal headed dormer; bracketed and modillioned wood cornice; original porches. --- Contributing.”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1873 Directory: Ziegler Henry Z., shoe manufacturer, Ziegler
Bros., 14 N. 4th St.
The
1872 directory listed him living at 1010 N. Front St.
1877 Directory: Ziegler Henry Z., Ziegler Bros
1879 Directory: Kelly Francis X., real estate, Lancaster Ave.
near N. 38th St.
The
1877 directory lists him at 1124 Vine St. He is not listed in the 1878
directory.
1880:
Francis X. Kelly 60 Real estate
agent; born in Ireland
Catharine Kelly 33 Music
teacher; parents born in Ireland
Mary Kelly 25 Clerk in a store; parents born in
Ireland
Agnes Kelly 24 Organist;
parents born in Ireland
Regina Kelly 19 At school;
parents born in Ireland
Maggie Kelly 18 Parents
born in Ireland
1883, Feb. 19: Title transferred to George Clark by Joseph L. Caven, Trustee
George
Clark (1841-1912) lived at 517 N. 38th St. at the time of his death.
At
the same time, 3709 was transferred to James Clark.
1897, July 30: Death of Henrietta Queen Andrews, wife of John J.
Andrews of 3711 Spring Garden St. She buried in Old Cathedral Cemetery.
1900:
Milton Cramer 47 Manager;
born in MD; renting
Julia Cramer 51 Married
29 years, 3 children; born in MD, father in PA, mother in MD
Stuart Cramer 27 Minister;
born in MD
Victor C. Cramer 25 Salesman;
born in MD
Ada E. Cramer 24 born in
MD
John K. Barbour 26 Nephew;
salesman; born in MD
Alfred W. Hein 29 Boarder;
attorney at law
The
1898 directory lists M. Clay, Stuart and Victor Cramer living at 6 S. 38th
St. Milton and Victor were clerks and Stuart was a student. (He does not appear
to have been a student at the University of Pennsylvania.) In 1910, Milton C.
and Julia Cramer were living in Manhattan, NYC. He was manager of a dry goods
store. The 1911 directory lists Victor C. Cramer as a partner in Williams &
Cramer and living at 103 S. 11th St.
1902, Aug. 5: Death of Patrick Finerghty,
67 years old, of 3711 Spring Garden St.
In
1900, he and his family lived at 3808
Spring Garden St. He worked as a laborer. He was illiterate and signed his
will with an X. When his will was registered in 1905, his wife, Rose, was
living at 1205 N. 52nd St. He owned a
property at 854 S. 6th St. which was valued at $600.
1903 Directory: Dowden James A.
The
1900 census lists him as a boarder at 504 N. 34th St.
1903, Oct.: Marriage license issued to Rose C. Kelley and Dr.
James A. Dowden of 3711 Spring Garden St.
1904 Directory: Dowden James A., dentist
This
was both his home and his office address. The 1898 directory lists him at 660
B. 39th St.
1907, Nov. 23: Birth of Emily Christine Dowden. She was baptized
at St. Agatha’s Church.
1910:
James A. Dowden 37 Doctor of dentistry;
born in NY, his father in NY, his mother in Ireland; renting
Rose C. Dowden 33 Married 6
years, 3 children
Elizabeth Dowden 5
James Dowden
4
Emily Dowden
3
Mary Dowden 38 Sister;
single
Eadell Johnson 27 Servant; black; born in MD; single
1917 Directory: Dowden James A., dentist. He was born Dec. 3,
1872.
1920:
James A. Dowden 45 Doctor with
home practice and Assistant Demonstrator at a university; born in NY, his
father in NY, his mother in Ireland; renting
Rose C. Dowden 43
Elizabeth Dowden 15
James Dowden 14
Emily Dowden 12
Mary Dowden 47 Sister;
single
Leonora H. Mason 20 Servant; born
in VA
1922 Directory (fall 1921): Dowden James A., dentist
They
moved to 3626
Baring St. in 1922. He was still living there in 1950.
1922, May. 10: Title transferred to George M. Wallace by the
estate of George Clark
It
was then immediately transferred to Margaret C. Redmond, wife of John E. by
George M. Wallace
John
E. Redmond and Margaret C. Clark were married in Philadelphia in 1920. In 1930,
they lived at 5314 N. 2nd St. He was living there at the time of his
death in 1956. They may not have ever lived here. They continued to own the
property until 1939.
1930:
Not enumerated in this census
1943, May. 19: Marriage license issued to Lillie E. Huffman (49
years-old) of 3711 Spring Garden St. and John E. McCall (51) of 3711 Spring
Garden St.
1968: “Professor
Finds Self Under Guns in Sea of Snakes” (Inquirer, Feb. 4)
George Lakey, was a teacher at the
Upland School of Social Change at Crozer Theological Seminary and cochairman of
A Quaker Action Group. The article describes an effort by Lakey
and others to deliver medical supplies to either north or South Vietnam using a
ship called the Phoenix. He lived at 3711 Spring Garden St. with his wife,
Berit, who was born in Norway, and their two-year-old daughter Christina.
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Revised 6/10/2022