3405 Powelton Avenue

The History of the Building

William Sellers sold the lot to Enoch Lewis on Feb. 23, 1884, the same day he sold 3401 to Anna Burnham. (177, 120)

“In 1885 [sic.], Mr. Enoch Lewis... bought a lot east of 3409 Powelton Ave. and built a large brick house.”

(North of Market. Harold S. Colton, 1961: 39.)

“Built 1885. Three-story red brick Queen Anne residence; terra cotta balustrade in wrap-:around porch; brick arched entryway with balcony above leads to the front door; gabled fronted main block of 'the building is delineated at floor by limestone belt courses. The house has large blocks of terra cotta floral panels and ‘18’ and, ‘85’ below the half timbered and stuccoed gable. The building has undergone minimal alteration. Architect: Wilson Brothers.”

(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the national register of Historic Places)

History of 3405 Powelton Avenue

1887 Directory: Lewis, Enoch, purchasing agt., 233 S 4^th, h 3405 Powelton

In the 1881 Directory, he was listed at 2224 Green St.

1895 Directory: Lewis, Enoch, treas., N College av c 21^st, h 3405 Powelton av.

1900:

Enoch Lewis 78 Capitalist; born in Del., father in Pa., mother in Del.

Charlotte 76 Married 54 years, 5 children, 3 surviving; born in N.J.

Bridget Hagan 29 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated 13 years earlier

Bridget Duffy 25 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated 9 years earlier

(ED 539, 10A)

1910:

Enoch Lewis 96 Own income; born in N.J.; owned the house free of a mortgage

Hannah J Barrett 40 Boarder; trained nurse

Maude J Hopkins 51 Boarder; born in Maine

Chas C Duchett 50 Servant; black; born in Md.; married at age 29

Mary McNamee 37 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1904

Maurice Conway 28 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1902

(ED 488, 1A)

Enoch Lewis was the Chief Purchasing Agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1861, he was involved in a plan to get President-elect Lincoln to Washington without risking an assassination plot that was reportedly planned for the stop in Baltimore. His description of the plan is summarized in the Powelton History Blog.

A brief bio of their daughter provides insights into the family:

“Mary Thorn Lewis, reformer and social activist, was born on February 27, 1854 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Enoch Lewis, a Philadelphia railroad executive, and Charlotte S. Thorn. Both parents were reform activists and members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Famous visitors to her girlhood home [2224 Green St.] included William Lloyd Garrison, Jane Addams, and Susan B. Anthony.

“She was educated in private schools and at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied chemistry for three years. She met her future husband, Rev. William C. Gannett, a Unitarian minister, in the mid 1870s.... [They] moved to Hinsdale, Illinois, where her husband was pastor of the Unitarian Church. The couple were to have two children.”

http://www.winningthevote.org/MLGannett.html

1920:

Theodore J Lewis 64 No occupation listed; owned free of a mortgage

Anna B Lewis 63 Father born in Mass.

Burnham H Lewis 22 No occupation listed

Margaret Furey 42 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1893

Mary A Furey 40 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1893

Mary M Albright 66 Servant; born in Scotland, parents born in Ireland, immigrated in 1877

(ED 682, 3B)

He was the son of Enoch Lewis, the previous owner. Ann Burnham was the daughter of George Burnham (3401 Powelton) who was president of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the largest manufacturer of steam locomotives. They married in April, 1881. His sister, Anna Lewis, married her brother, George Burnham, Jr., and they lived at 214 N. 34^th St. Theodore and Anna previously lived at 212 N. 34^th St.

Burnham Lewis was in the Harvard class of 1920. In 1930, he and his wife, Edytha R. [Macy], were living in Weston, Mass. She was from a very prominent family in Westchester, N.Y. that made its money first in shipping, the in oil. Burnham Lewis was listed as a fruit importer. They had two sons: Burnham M. and Theodore E. They owned a house valued at $200,000. She filed for divorce in Reno, Nev. in 1932. In 1933, on arriving on a ship from France (traveling alone), he listed his address as “Boston Mass., Harvard Club.” He died in 1973 in Marin Co., Calif.

1930:

Theodore J Lewis 74 No occupation listed; he married at age 26; this father was born in Del., his mother in N.J.; owned the home which was values at $60,000.

Anna A Lewis 74 She married at age 25; her father was born in Mass.

Mary Fury 44 Maid; born in Northern Ireland, immigrated in 1902

Margaret Fury 46 Waitress; born in Northern Ireland

Bridget Brais 60 Cook; born in Irish Free State, parents born in Northern Ireland, immigrated in 1890

(ED 396, 23A)

2009: It is now the home of the Drexel university chapter of ΠΚΦ, Pi Kappa Phi.

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