3402 Baring Street
3400-3402 Baring was built in 1873-’74 by Thomas D.
Crespin as were 3404-06 and 3408-3410.
Crespin usually identified himself as a bricklayer, although he is
listed as a builder in the 1881 city directory.
From at least 1856 until the 1870s, he lived at 116 N. 39th St. (which
no longer exists) with his wife and seven children. In the 1870 census he declared $25,000 in
real estate and $1,400 in personal property.
His younger brothers, James C. Crispen and Joseph Crispen, probably
worked with him. They were also
bricklayers. In the late 1860s, Joseph
lived at 34th and Filbert Sts. He did not
claim any real estate. Thomas Crispen
also apparently built 3509-11 and 3417-3421 Hamilton St. (The name was variously spelled Crespenn or
Crispenn.)
“Second
Empire-style, two-and-one-half story stone: double with original wood porch,
balustrade addition. Decorative woo.& cornice; paired brackets with
triglyph detail. Arcuated lights in dormer windows. Entrance to 3400 within
rectangular tower; top of tower removed. Two-and-one-half story bay, projects
towards
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
The History
1866,
June 14: Transfer of lots 3400, 3402, 3404, 3406, 3408 and 3410 Baring from
Richard Smethurst to William Sellers and John Sellers Jr.
The 1858 Directory lists Richard Smethurst, conveyancer & accountant, 144 S 4th St.
1874,
January: Deed transferred from Thomas D. Crispen to Charles A. Enell.
1874,
September: Deed transferred from Charles A. Enell to Reese W. Flower.
“Reese Wall Flower, aged 68, died of
pneumonia around 8 AM on June 27, 1875. He had inherited considerable wealth
(about $80,000 [$1,270,000]) from his step-grandfather John Wall and a paternal
uncle John Flower and then had prospered in the lumber business. The
Philadelphia City Directories show him maintaining a downtown residence from
the early 1840s to the late 1850s and describe him as a gentleman. This was a
euphemism for a man of independent means who did not have to work for a living.
Although he also kept a home in West Philadelphia, the U.S. Censuses for 1860
and 1870 show his residence to be in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County at
the Flower farm. In fact, an 1848 map of the township shows him as the owner of
the farm with two structures on it; he had retired from active business
operations. As far as is known, he had joined no business associations or
social clubs. No likeness of him is known to exist. Late in life he endured
some reverses with investments in small, undercapitalized railroad lines but
still left a considerable estate at his death, which happened at 3402 Baring
Street, the West Philadelphia residence. He had moved to this address only in
the year of his death.” (Observational
Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania 1751 – 2007. Robert H. Koch, 2008)
His estate was between the West
Chester Pike and Cobbs Creek in Upper Darby.
1876: Nellie B. Harral attended the Fourth Annual Congress of
the Association for the Advancement of Women.
1878,
August: Deed transferred from Alfred L. Carey to Henry K. Smith.
1880:
Henry Smith 62 Superintendent W.C. Penna. R.R.
Elizabeth Smith 61
Mary E. Smith 20
Charles Smith 22 Telegraph
operator
Sarah Connor 26 Servant;
born in
Kate Finn 24 Servant;
born in
(ED 483, 23-24)
1890: Harry
Keen, clerk
He
was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Keen.
In 1880, he lived with them at 3414
Race St. In 1895, he was listed at 3512
Hamilton St.
James
C. Smith
1892,
February: Deed transferred from Elizabeth Stallman Smith (Trustee of Will of)
Henry K. Smith to Freeman D. Somerby.
The 1890
directory listed him at 500 N. 32nd St. and working for The Mutual
Banking, Surety, Trust & Safe Deposit Co.
1895 Directory: Freedman H. Somerby
1900:
Benjamin Hawley 46 Physician; born
in Ct., father born in Ct., mother in Mass.; renting
Helen E Hawley 46 Married 23
years, 5 children, 4 surviving; born in Mass.
Benjamin F Hawley 18
Joseph E Hawley 13
Harold T Hawley 11
Horace H Hawley 8
(ED 539, 11A)
Benjamin
F. Hawley was the son of the B. F. Hawley, the town clerk for Bristol,
Conn. In 1880, he was a student in
Bristol. He and Helen Ely were already married.
She was born in Holyoke, Mass. In
1887, he was a student living at 1611 Race St. and city directories for
1889-’95, list them at 417 N. 33rd
St. The 1906 Blue Book lists B. F.
Hawley and B.F. Hawley, Jr. living at 3408
Spring Garden. They had a summer
residence at Bayhead, N.J. In 1910, they
lived at 3646 Chestnut St.
Source: The Washington Times, Nov. 4, 1910
c1903: B. F. Hawley, 3402 Baring
(List
of members. Proceedings of the Philadelphia County Medical Society. ...
Philadelphia County Medical Society. 1904)
1910:
Abbie W Somerby 44 No occupation
listed; single; born in Vt., father in
Elizabeth Somerby 36 Boarder;
public school teacher; born in S. America; parents born in
(ED 488, 1B)
c1911: “Fuller, Allen J. General
Superintendent, Bureau of Water, Phila., for mail: 3402 Baring...”
(Membership
Directory. The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania. 1912)
In
1890, Alan J. Fuller lived at 3313
Spring Garden St. and in 1900, he was at 3417
Hamilton St.
1920:
Abby M Somerby 51 Boarding
house keeper; born in
— next household
John G Fuller 51 Real
estate broker; father barn in
Alice C Fuller 50 Father
born in
Sarah C Fuller 10
John G Fuller 6
---
Elizabeth Schaefer 38 Lodger;
high school teacher; born in
Grace McAlister 20 Lodger;
bookkeeper for a department store; born in N.J., parents in N.Y.
Florence McAlister 19 Lodger;
bookkeeper for a department store; born in N.J., parents in N.Y.
John N Faust 48 Lodger;
salesman for [illegible] Scale Co.
Aubrey Faust 45 Lodger
(ED 682, 2B)
In
1910, the Fullers lived at 3310Hamilton
St. J. Culter Fuller’s mother lived at 208 N. 34th
St. His brother, J. Cutler
Fuller, lived at 309 N. 34th
St.
1950 Directory: Elsie L. Lowrie
Revised
9/18/2011