| March
2001
Following the "Cochran Trail”...
by Scott Ryder
Although the Cochran War Memorial at 37th St. and
Powelton Ave. is a familiar site in our community,
neighborhood lore doesn’t include much information
on the monument’s history. Recently, my attention
was drawn to the site when the Greening Committee
was asked to consider possible improvements. When
I asked around about the background of the site, I
found out very little. I learned that the triangular
area was redesigned with the help of area residents
in the 1970s. Sue Minnis recalled that there had originally
been some sort of pool or basin by the monument. Also,
there was an estate-style wrought iron fence that
mysteriously vanished during the refurbishment.
The monument’s inscription reads “Corp.
James J. Cochran V.F.W. Post 251.” Although
my attempts to track down this particular Cochran
yielded little information, I did uncover several
other intriguing Cochrans with connections to Powelton
or Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, there is no dedication date on the
stone to provide a historical lead. I contacted the
Pennsylvania Veterans of Foreign Wars Office, and
they obligingly reported everything that they knew
about Post 251. The Post, mustered in 1919, was named
in honor of Corp. Cochran. The Post’s name was
changed to West Park in 1982, and the Post closed
in January of 1997. Corp. Cochran’s identity
remains a mystery.
However, Powelton’s history does include an
identifiable Cochran family. In 1891 Henry and Pauline
Cochran built what would be the last of the large
Victorian mansions of Powelton at 3511 Baring Street,
only a few blocks from the monument. Mr. Cochran did
not enjoy his mansion for long. The 1910 census reveals
that Pauline was already widowed. In 1920, she continued
to reside at 3511 with her two daughters, a son-in-law,
and three live-in servants.
The Cochran’s house was designed by renowned
American architect Wilson Eyre, Jr. Eyre was born
in Europe. His family later returned to America, but
continued their up-scale, nomadic life style. Eyre
came to Philadelphia to work in the office of James
Peacock Sims, which he later took over. In addition
to designing homes for the wealthy, Eyre was the project
architect for the University of Pennsylvania Museum.
He was a founder of House and Garden magazine and
its editor from 1901 to 1905. Eyre was a strong proponent
of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Philadelphia did have an identified Cochran who played
a role in military history. In 1798, Capt. Stephen
Cochran was a commander in the naval fleet at the
Battle of Tripoli during the brief unofficial war
between the U.S. and France over trade and control
of piracy.
Stephen Cochran’s daughter, Mary Cochran Hirst,
died in 1858 at the age of 61. Her elaborate burial
monument is located in Cathedral Cemetery at 48th
St. and Lancaster Ave. The tomb is one of the finest
examples of the First Empire style. The design is
a sarcophagus topped by a classical goddess, probably
Nike, goddess of victory, which rises to 13 feet.
Mary Cochran Hirst’s husband, William Lucas
Hirst, served as legal advisor to the Roman Catholic
Diocese and, despite the intense anti-Catholicism
of the time, also served as City Solicitor.
Although I was not able to track down Corp. Cochran,
I learned a lot during my search. In the end, it really
is not important that we know who James J. Cochran
was. Today he is a symbol. Regardless of how each
of us feels about armed conflict, the monument reminds
us that this community united to show respect for
one of their own and the others like him who had fallen.
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