409 North 33rd
Street
Numbered 331 Before About
1880
The
History of the Building
Before about 1890,
this house was numbered 331.
“three-story
Italianate-style double; stucco over brick. Simple wood porch posts across
front; cruciform plan. side entrances in cross arm. Partially separated paired
arcuated windows at third floor. Large ornate brackets be low overhang of flat
roof.”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from
the application submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
Previous
Residents
1860:
Thomas P. Wilson 42 Manufacturer of woolen goods
Ellen W. Wilson 40
George Wilson 20 Paper hanger
Thomas Wilson 17 Clerk
William Wilson 16
Kate S. Wilson 13
Joseph D. Wilson 11
Barbara Bangarmer 14
In
1870, their daughter, Margaret Augusta was living with her second husband with
two children at 356 (now 418) N. 31st St.
1864
Directory (compiled fall, 1863): Thomas P. Wilson, lampblack manufacturer, 30th
& Vine, home 33rd near Hamilton St.
The
1863 directory lists 30th near Race, although it is not clear if this is a home
address. It lists T. P. Wilson, Jr. living at 30th above Market.
1866
IRS: Thomas P. Wilson, 33rd, east side, fourth house below Hamilton
St.
Other
IRS records for 1866 and 1864 list Thomas P. Wilson, manufacturer, at 30th
St. below Hamilton St.
1870:
Thomas R. Wilson 65 Manufactured lamp black; born in
Ellen W. Wilson 49
William L. Wilson about
20 [Only in 2nd
enumeration]
Joseph
Kate Wilson 19
The
1866 directory, which was compiled in that fall of 1865, lists Thomas R. Wilson
living at 1706 Ellsworth along with Thomas Wilson who sold furniture.
1871,
Sept. 13: Death of Thomas P. Wilson, 61 years old, of diphtheria. He was born
in Philadelphia. Burial was at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
1872:
the Hopkins Atlas shows the owner as T. R. Wilson
1879
Directory: George B. Blakeborough, paper bag manufacturer at 117 S. 2nd St.
1880:
George
Blakeborough 45 Bag manufacturer;
born in England
Ann
Blakeborough 48 Born in England
Lilla
Blakeborough 18 Born in England
In 1890, they lived at 653 N. 35th
St.
1886 Directory:
Charles B. Keen, clerk
1890
Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Evan Chalfant
Charles Keen
George W. Casey
1892 Directory:
Ellen Chalfont, widow of Evan
1900:
Mary
Niles 38 Public accountant; single; born in
Illinois, father in Maryland, mother in N.Y.; renting
Laura
Niles 24 Sister; single; born in
Anne
S. Dennis 41 Servant;
black; born in Md.
1902 Directory:
Jerome M. Bell, superintendent
1910:
William
S. Bell 49 Medical salesman [?]
Laura
G. Bell 43 Married 24 years, 1 child; born in
Delaware
Jeanette
R. Bell 19 Daughter; born in Philadelphia
1911 Directory:
William S. Bell, physician
1920:
Walter
D. Brenner 31 Civil
engineer for a navigation co.; mother born in
Helena
A. Brenner 43 Sister; music teacher; single
Virginia
Brenner 27 Sister; stenographer for a steel co.;
single
Elizabeth
Brenner 77 Aunt; single; father born in
1930:
Mary
Biddle 53 Widowed; renting for $50 per month;
father born in Conn., mother in Mass.
Charles
Biddle 24 Clerk at a pharmacy
[William] Earl Biddle 23
Henry
Biddle 21 Clerk at a public library
Frances
Biddle 18 Daughter
— 2nd household
Ira
Piper 32 Construction decorator; married at age
32; renting for $25 per month
Mary
Piper 25 Nurse in private practice; married at
age 25
Mary Biddle was the second wife of
Charles J. Biddle, a druggist with his own shop. They were married about 1901. He
was 24 years older than her. In 1910, they lived at 3348 Market St. where
Charles had a pharmacy. In 1920, Mary was widowed and living with
her five children at 3239 Powelton Ave. She died
Sept. 30, 1935 when she was living at 4341 Baltimore
Ave. She was buried at New Cathedral Cemetery.
1950
Directory: R. M. Holm
Robert M. Holm grew up around the corner
at 3305 Hamilton St. where his father lived
until the 1950s. He and Sara M. Eggeling were married in Philadelphia in 1930. In 1940,
they lived at 3307 Hamilton St. He died in 1974 in Merion Station, Pa.
1965,
May Powelton Post: “NEIGHBORS ELECT NEW CHAIRMAN
“Al Kelly, Powelton Neighbors' new
chairman, first tried Center City living at 24th and Delancey, then had a fling
at the suburbs in an old carriage house in Marion, before settling on near-city
living in Powelton Village. He and his wife, Isobel and their 16 month old
daughter, Alissa, moved to 409 North 33rd St. last June, and before they could
catch their breath, he was editing our Powelton Post. Al is employed by N.W.
Ayer as a market analyst. In high school he edited his school paper, and in
college when tested for occupational aptitude the results showed clearly that
he was meant-to be a social worker. This combined with a major in Philosophy at
Williams College and a year and a half in architecture at the Pratt Institute,
give him a varied background from which to assume the task of leading The
Neighbors.
“Isobel, a math major at Brooklyn
College, is a Computer Programmer at the University of Pennsylvania Moore
School of Electrical Engineering. Both Kellys are New Yorkers by birth, AI
coming from Ossening, (most noted because Sing Sing is located there), and
Isobel hails from Brooklyn.
“The Kellvs looked widely in their
search to buy a home. Fortunately some friends who lived in Powelton told them
of their present house. They knew vaguely that there was a community here
called Powelton, but little more before settling in. The first PN meeting they
attended was last June's meeting which featured the 16th District Police
captain and, concerned itself with the flood of spring robberies -- a meeting
which was perhaps a bit alarming to a new resident. They moved in anyway and
we're glad they did.
“The Kellys are athletically
inclined. As well as skiing, swimming, tennis, golf and biking they own a 12
foot Aquacat sailboat which they hope to sail at Top of the Dunes.”
2009 owners: June
Crawford Jackson and William A. Jackson
Revised: 7/31/2022