The
History of the Building
Before the 1880s, this house was number 327.
“three-story.
Italianate-style double, stuccoed; recessed side
entrance with original porches. First-floor front projecting wood bays with
paired ornate brackets and frieze below cornice. Second-floor casement windows;
third-floor. pointed windows. Shallow-pitched gable end, faces street. Large
ornate paired brackets below roof overhang”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous
Residents
1860 Directory (complied in the fall of 1859): George W. Hancock,
surveyor, 35th & Lancaster, h 33rd above Baring
1859 dir.: Joseph L., Albert &
George W. Hancock home at 1700 Locust
1862, Aug. 12: Title transferred to Albert Hancock, Jr. by George
W. Hancock and wife
1860:
Joseph L.
Hancock 55 Retired brick maker; real estate:
$4,000, personal property: $4,000; born in N.J.
Susan P. Hancock 50
Margaret B.
Hancock 25
George W. Hancock
22 Surveyor
Mary A. Hancock 11
Cas Sapp 13 Servant
Joseph
Lee Hancock married Susan Pryor Bacon Hancock in Feb. 1832. She was the daughter of David and
Margaret (Pryor) Bacon. The 1858
Directory lists him as a brick maker in Hestonville
living on Park [37th St.] below Market (West Philadelphia). The Hancocks moved to Blockley Township (West Philadelphia) in
1845. The 1850 census listed him as a
farmer. The 1860 census listed him as a
retired brick maker with real estate valued at $4,000 and $400 in personal
property.
1861 Directory: Joseph L[ee] Hancock,
gentleman, 33rd above Baring St.
1862, May 7: Marriage of Elizabeth James of Bensalem, Bucks Co.,
Pa., to George W. Hancock
In 1878, they lived at 3716 Baring St. with his brother, Albert. In 1880, he lived at 3216
Baring St.
1862,
August: Deed transferred from George W. Hancock to Albert Hancock, Trustee.
George W.
Hancock was the son of Joseph L. Hancock.
Albert was George’s brother. The 1861 directory listed George as a
surveyor with an office at 35th & Lancaster and living at 3rd
(32nd) above Baring St.
1867 Directory: Charles W. Dean, manufacturer, 223 Market St.
Albert Hancock, merchant at 12 S. Delaware
Ave.
Joseph Hancock, gentleman
1869,
Jun. 15: Marriage of Mary Ann Hancock to Charles A. Dixon
They
purchased 3503 Hamilton St. and moved there.
1870:
Joseph Hancock 64 Retired
brick mason; born in N.J., real estate: $25,000; property:$10,000.
Susan Hancock 60
Albert Hancock 30 Oil
merchant; property: $3,000.
Margaret (Maggie)
B. Hancock 35
1871, Apr. 12: Marriage of Josephine R. Kimes
of 325 N. 32nd St. to Albert Hancock
They lived at 3716 Baring St. in 1878 and 1880.
1872 Hopkins Atlas shows owner as Mrs. Hancock
1878, March 19: Death of Susan P. Hancock, 68 years old, of 327 N.
33rd. She was born in Philadelphia.
Burial was at Fair Hill Cemetery.
1878, June 5: Death of Joseph L. Hancock, 73 years old, of 327 N.
33rd. He was born in Salem Co., N.J.
Burial was at Fair Hill Cemetery.
1879
Directory (Fall, 1878): Samuel J. Levick secretary at
1216 Chestnut St.
Charles M. Levick,
salesman
William E. Levick,
lawyer with Hancock & Levick at 623 Walnut St.
The directories for 1875-1878 list
them living at 128 N. 32nd St.
Samuel J. Levick purchased 3409 Baring St. in 1874. Samuel Levick, Jr.
owned and was living at 3411 Baring St.
1880:
Samuel Levick 60 Society
of Cruelty to Animals; father born in Del.
Susanna Levick 60
Charles M. Levick 32 Salesman
William E. Levick 27 Conveyancer
Henry Haines 24 Boarder;
clerk
Eliza Washington 20 Servant;
black; born in
Henry Thomas 65 Boarder;
“gentleman”
Mrs. Levick
was the former Susanna Morris Mather. Samuel’s first wife, Eleanor Foulke, died shortly after the birth of their first child, Jane
Levick. Both
Susanna Mather and Eleanor Foulke were aunts of J.
Roberts Foulke who lived at 3403
Hamilton St.
The Levick’s
son, Lewis J. Levick, and his wife and children moved
to 3314
Arch St. in 1880.
Samuel J. Levick, c1880
1881 Directory: Charles M. Levick,
salesman
Samuel J. Levick, sec. 1012 Walnut, h 327 N 33rd
William E. Levick, (Hancock & Levick),
& conveyancer, 623 Walnut, h 327 N 33rd
1883,
Jun. 27: Title transferred to Samuel J. Levick by
Albert Hancock, Jr.
1885, April 19: Samuel Levick died at
his home three days after suffering a heart attack.
In 1900, Susanna M. Levick was living with their son, Lewis J. Levick at the corner of Belmont & Conshohocken Aves.
“Susanna Morris (Mather) Levick survived her husband nineteen years. She died
suddenly on April 4, 1904 at the age of eighty-five years. She retained all her
faculties to the last and was remarkably active for one of her years and took a
lively interest in the events of the day.
While residing with her son, Charles J. [sic.] Levick,
in Denver, Colorado she felt it her duty to exercise the right of suffrage
afford to her sex by the: laws of that state. She crossed the continent twice
after she was seventy-eight years of age and enjoyed travelling exceedingly
being a keen observer of both people and places. She was possessed of a sweet
disposition. combined with a strong character inherited from a long line of
Welsh ancestors. She was a lifelong member of the Society of Friends as had
been all her forbears for many generations and for many years filled the
position of elder in the Society. She was a firm believer in the principles
advocated by that religious society and was possessed of an unbounded Christian
faith.” (John Woolf Jordan, Colonial
Families of Philadelphia, Vol. 2, pg 1128.)
William E. Levick
died in 1890. His brother, Charles M. Levick married his widow.
1887,
Aug. 26: Title transferred to Elizabeth Lewis by Louis J. Levick,
Charles M. Levick and Samuel J. Levick,
Jr.
1890 Directory: Joseph Griffith of Griffith & Brother
Elizabeth Lewis
Samuel B. Weston
1900:
Elizabeth Lewis 71 Single; owned free of a mortgage
Caroline G. Lewis 35 Niece; single;
born in
Mary E. Lewis 33 Cousin; asst housekeeper; born in Wisc.,
father in
Joseph Griffith 63 Boarder;
capitalist; born in N.J.
Anna Rae 49 Nurse; widowed, no children; born in
Julia Smith 25 Servant;
black; born in
Elizabeth’s
mother was Sydney A. Lewis.
In 1880, they lived at
Caroline Lewis was the daughter of
the late James Lewis.
1903, June 4: Marriage of Caroline Gilpin Lewis to Rev. Charles
Thornton Murphy, Jr. at St. Mark’s Church.
Rev. Murphy was choirmaster in Jenkintown,
but had moved to California.
Caroline Murphy inherited the house
on the death of her aunt.
1904,
Oct. 5: Ad “Misses Neil Gordon School of Cookery, 405 N. 33rd st. Classes open; plain and superior cookery taught;
practical lessons.” (Inquirer)
1905,
Aug. 27: Ad “Marion Harris Neil’s School of Practical Cooking, new open. 405 N.
33rd st., West Phila.” (Inquirer)
1910:
Jane Neil
56 Widowed, 6 children, 5 surviving; born
in
Marion Godkin 35 Daughter;
married, no children, magazine editor; born in
Mary Miller Neil 30 Daughter;
single
Richard H. Godkin
35 Son-in-law;
salesman; born in
Jennie Luden 19 Boarder/servant;
born in
1915, Nov. 19: Title transferred to Laura B. and Reba V. Haas by
Caroline G. Murphy
1920:
Henry Haas
70 Owned with a mortgage
Arabella Haas 61 Wife
Anna Haas 35 Daughter
Laura Haas 28 Daughter;
elementary school teacher
Reba Haas 22 Daughter; clerk in a high school
William Dickerson
58
1922, Aug. 1: Title transferred to Elva E. McFadden by Laura B.
and Reba V. Haas
1927 Directory: Miss C. S. Bunting
1930:
Samuel Solnek 46 Auto mechanic; married at age 24;
parents born in Germany; renting for $50 per month
Margaret Solnek 36 Married at age 17; born in Delaware,
parents born in Germany
Grace Solnek 17 Clerk for a college; born in N.J.
Samuel Solnek 15 Born in N.J.
Rose Solnek 13
Born in N.J.
—Next household
Mildred Olmstead 34 Food-checker
at restaurant; born in Vermont; renting
for $20 per month
Myrtie Parker 64 Aunt; laborer at laundry; widowed; born in Vermont
—Next household
Norman McMichael 25 Sign
painter; married at age 23; parents born in Va.; renting for $32 per month
Margaret
McMichael 24 Married at age 21
Norman McMichael 9 months
Edward J. Kelly 62 Lodger;
machinist at locomotive works
In 1920, Edward J.
Kelly was living next door at 407 N. 33rd St.
with his sister and brother-in-law’s family.
1940 Directory: Mrs. F. Phillips
1942, Nov. 30: Title transferred to Joe Custer by Elva E. McFadden
1950, Sept. 5: “Firemen Save Man Clinging to
Roof.
“Joseph Custer, 65, of 405 N. 33rd
st. was rescued by firemen yesterday from the roof of
his two-story home where he hung precariously by his hands.
“Custer was repairing the roof when
he slipped on the tar surface. He managed to hold on to the edge until firemen
from Truck 6, Preston st. and Haverford ave., arrived in answer to a neighbor’s call. After
climbing down a fire ladder, Custer said he would spend the remainder of his
holiday on the ground, working his garden.” (Inquirer)
1952, June 19: Ad “Carpenter & Builder,
jobs big and small. Custer, 405 N. 33rd st.”
(Inquirer)
1952, Dec. 21: Marriage license issued to Lena
Wilson of 3723 Powelton Ave. and Erwin Matthews of 405 N. 33rd St.
1954, Nov. 20: Death of Jonathan Scott, 71 years
old, husband of the late Catharine Scott, née Laughery
of 405 N. 33rd St. He was born in Philadelphia and worked as a welder.
Internment at Mr. Moriah Cemetery, He died at Presbyterian Hospital.
In 1942 when Jonathan Scott
registered for the draft, he was living at 246 S. 40 St. He worked at the
Baring Glass & Welding Co. at 3826 Lancaster Ave.
1980: Sold by William E. Stevens to George Toth
for $43,000. (Inquirer, July 6)