3411 Powelton Avenue

 

 

three-and-one-half story yellow brick and painted brown. Colonial Revival residence, symmetrical with bowed two-story outer bays, porch which has aluminum-sheathed cornice is supported by wood ionic columns. Ionic fluted pilasters flank the central door and attic pedimented dormer. All windows have stone flat-arched lintels with keystones. A dentilled egg-and--dart cornice caps the 2nd story; metal modillioned egg-and-dart cornice meets the flat roof. Architect: Hazelhurst and Huckel.”

(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, 1985)

 

The History of 3411 Powelton Ave.

 

The 1872 Atlas shows the north side of the 3400 block of Powelton Ave. was owned by John and William Sellers.

 

1883, January: Deeds for the western end of this block (3411-3427) transferred from William F. & Amelia Sellers to Lewis and Elizabeth Emery, Jr.

 

1896, June: Deed transferred from Lewis Emery Jr. to Alter Megear.

 

1900:

Alter Megear                52        Capitalist; owned free of a mortgage

Elizabeth T. Megear    46        Married 19 years, 3 children, 2 surviving; born in Del.

Thomas J. Megear        16

Ethel T. Megear          14

Mary Dougherty          30        Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated 10 years earlier

Maggie Dougherty       27        Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated 11 years earlier

Maggie Dougherty       23        Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated 5 years earlier

(ED 539, 10A)

            The 1887 to 1895 directories list his office address as 329 Walnut St. and his home address as 3306 Arch St.

 

1910:

Alter Megear                62        Own income

Elizabeth T. Megear    56        Married 29 years, 3 children, 2 surviving; parents born in Del.

Mary Dougherty          33        Servant; born in Ireland

Margarett Tobin          19        Servant; born in Ireland

Mary Finnerty              31        Servant; born in Ireland

(ED 488, 1a)

 

1920:

Alter Megear                72        Widowed; father born in Del.; owned free of a mortgage

Mary Dougherty          46        Housekeeper; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1890

Sarah Friel                   28        Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1913

(ED 682, 3B)

            “Alter Megear, C. E., (Wilmington, Del.,) son of Thomas L.[sic., Jefferson, born 1809] and Mary C. (Alter) Megear, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., October 23d, 1847, and entered the Institute in September, 1864. He entered upon the work of his profession in October, 1868, in Edgemoor Iron Works, near Wilmington, Del., remaining until July, 1878, since which time he has not practiced engineering. Member of the Engineers' Club, of Philadelphia, Pa. Married, October 28th, 1880, Elizabeth T. Belts, daughter of Edward Belts, of Wilmington, Del. One child. P. O. address, 3306 Arch street, Philadelphia, Pa.”

(Biographical Record of the Officers and Graduates of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1824-1886. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Henry Bradford Nason. 1887)

            His father, Thomas J. Megear was a silversmith & clock and watch maker, probably learning these crafts from his brother-in-law, Ziba Ferris.  Alter lived with his Ferris grandparents when growing up.

            He was a member of the Union League.

 

1922, August 22: Alter Megear died in Ventnor, N.J.  Funeral services were held at his late residence, 3411 Powelton Ave. (Phila. Inquirer, 8/23/1922)

 

1923: S. E. Kratzok, 3411 Powelton Ave.

(Jewish Publication Society of America, 1923-24.)

 

1923, April: Deed transferred from Pennsylvania Company for Insurance on Lives & Granting Annuities & Thomas J Meager by the Pennsylvania Co For Ins. on Lives & Granting Innuities the attorney in face ex. of will of Alter Megear dec'd to Louis Kahn.

 

1923, April: Deed transferred from Louis Kahn to Samuel & Lena (wife) Willig.

            In 1920, Samuel and Lena Willig lived at 1947 Moyamensing, Philadelphia.  He was a business lawyer.  They were Russian Jews.  She was born in Russia and immigrated in 1891.  He was born in Philadelphia, but his parents immigrated from Russia.

 

1925, June: Deed transferred from Samuel & Lena (wife) Willig to Jacob Roberts.

 

1925, June: Deed transferred from Jacob Roberts to Albert Quell.

            The 1950 directory lists Albert Quell real estate at 1420 Walnut St.  He lived at 19th & (1832) Spruce.  His WWII draft registration lists the same office and home addresses.  He was born in 1895 in Philadelphia and died here in 1983.

 

1927, August: Deed transferred from Albert Quell to James McDonough.

 

1927, September: Deed transferred from James Francis McDonough to Jacob Roberts.

 

1927, September: Deed transferred from Jacob Roberts to Eva Stern.

 

1929, April: Deed transferred from Eva Stern to Sylvia Kernish.

 

1929, September: Deed transferred from Sylvia Kernish to Simon B. Greenebaum. & L Asso

            Simon Greenbaum was a manufacturer of boys shirts.  In 1920, he and his wife Matilda lived in an apartment at the Majestic Hotel on Broad St. near Girard..  Their parents were born in Germany.

 

1930:

Herbert J. Perry           35        Salesman of laundry machines; born in Wisc.; renting for $75 per month

Anna Perry                  30        Father born in Ohio

Nancy J. Perry                         1yr, 4 mons.

---

William Dowell           70        Publisher; born in N.Y., father in Scotland, mother in the U.S.; renting for $40 per month

Mary C. Dowell           63        Born in N.Y., parents born in Ireland

---

George Craig               57        Assistant Chief clerk of a steam railroad; renting for $135 per month

Eleanor Craig              59        Father born in Bavaria, mother in N.Y.

---

Wilton W. Blancké (a)   45        Public school teacher; father born in England, mother in Ohio; renting for $100 per month

Josephine K[atzenstein] Blancké (b)   40          Public school teacher; born in N.C., parents born in Germany

---

Ida Katzenstein           47        Born in N.C., parents born in Germany

Caroline Katzenstein (b) 45      Sister; Insurance broker; born in N.C., parents born in Germany

---

Charles F. Feurer (c)     68        Decorator, Japanning; born in Germany; renting for $85 per month

Madge B. Feurer          60        Manager of Japan shop

Margaret B. Plass         [34]      Daughter

C. Webster Plass          35        Son-in-law; Sales manager for an oil business

---

Herman S. Hettinger   28        University teacher; renting for $50 per month

Sarah S. Hettinger       27        Librarian

(ED 396, 23A)

 

(a) “Phi Beta Kappa, University of Pennsylvania 1903. Juniors: Wilton W. Blancke.... “

(Hand Book of the University of Pennsylvania Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Delta ... ; 1919)

 

Wilton W. A Gateway to Music by Wilton W. Blancke, Jay Speck, c1930.

“King (The) of the mountains; a lyrico-comedy with music, in 3 acts. Rook and lyrics by W. W. Blancké. Music by Louis Kazze. Founded on Edmond About's novel Le roi des montagnes. Text. © 1 c. Sept. 10, 1930; D unpub. 7183; Wilton W. Blancké, 3411 Powelton Ave., Philadelphia. 5569" (Catalog of copyright entries, Part 1.  By Library of Congress, 1929)

 

(b)       “Caroline Katzenstein (1888-1968) was a leader in the Pennsylvania suffrage movement. She served in official positions for the Equal Franchise Society of Philadelphia, the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and the National Woman’s Party. After women won the vote in 1920, Katzenstein continued to fight for women’s rights and lobbied tirelessly for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment for over twenty years. In 1919, Katzenstein used her expertise in publicity to aid the Women Teachers Organization of Philadelphia in their efforts to increase salary for women teachers. Additionally, Katzenstein was a successful insurance agent for the Equitable Life Insurance Society of New York, the Massachusetts Bonding and Insurance Company (Philadelphia Branch), and the Philadelphia Life Insurance Company.

            “The Caroline Katzenstein papers document Katzenstein’s participation in the suffrage movement from 1909 to 1921, her efforts to help women obtain equal pay for equal work in the 1920s, her tireless promotion of the Equal Rights Amendment from 1923 to 1965, and her career as an insurance agent (1909-ca. 1930).

            Background note:

            “Caroline Katzenstein was born in 1888 to Mr. and Mrs. Emil Katzenstein, and spent her childhood in Warrenton, North Carolina. Following the death of their father, Katzenstein and her three sisters [Selma, Ida, and Josephine Blancke] moved to Philadelphia in 1907. Katzenstein found herself amidst an impassioned women’s suffrage movement, and she quickly committed herself to the cause. When the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association (the Pennsylvania branch of National American Woman Suffrage Association) and the Women Suffrage Society of Philadelphia jointly opened a headquarters in Philadelphia, she was named its secretary in 1910....”

(Caroline Katzenstein Papers, ca. 1850-1965, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 2008)

            Caroline Katzenstein, 1911

    (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)

 

Josephine K Blancké was her sister.

In 1920, Ida, Caroline and Josephine (all still single) had lived at 4922 Chestnut St.  Caroline listed her occupation as” secretary, reform movement.”  Josephine was a teacher.

In 1910, all four sisters lived at 4727 Hazel Avenue.  The oldest, Selma (35) was a music teacher.

 

(c)  “Charles F. Feurer. Birth - Death: 1861-1935" (Who’s Who in American Art, 1985)

In 1900, they lived on 10th St.  He was a “Japan coater” and immigrated in 1871.

 

1931, August: Deed transferred from Asset Bld & Loan Assn. successor to Simon Greenebaum Bld & Loan Assn Corp to Rosa Staunton.

 

1934, May: Deed transferred from Rosa Staunton to Provident Trust Co. Trustee (Sherriff sale).

 

1941 Application for Membership in the American Public Health Association: Eugene P. Campbell, M.D.

“The head of ICA’s public health office was Eugene P. Campbell, a medical graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a master degree in public health from the Pennsylvania School of Public Health. He had a rich Latin American experience. He joined the Institute of Inter-American Affairs during World War II and served as the American director of the co-operative health service in Guatemala under the aegis of the State Department. In 1945 he became field director of South American cooperative health services, and a few years later he was stationed in Brazil.

“In 1955 he was appointed Acting Chief (and later Chief) of ICA’s Office of Public Health in Washington, D.C. He remained in this position until 1961 when he was transferred to India to work with USAID.  During the mid-1950s, Campbell orchestrated ICA’s participation in a number of Congressional hearings that resulted in the full financial backing of malaria eradication as the number one health program in developing countries. Thanks to Campbell, in 1957 the US Congress authorized several million dollars to malaria eradication, support which continued until the mid-1960s. This was a major campaign that covered all rural locations in Latin America. Financial resources for this campaign were granted on the condition that a large proportion of funds would be spent in the US, the donor country, for buying insecticides, spraying equipment, and pharmaceutical products. The presence of such products in Latin America increased dramatically after World War II, entrenching foreign aid as an indirect subsidy to American business.”

(“International Health, the Early Cold War and Latin America.” Marcos Cueto.)

 

1942, December: Deed transferred from Provident Trust Co. Trustee to Harry May, Jr..

 

1942, December: Deed transferred from Harry May Jr. May to Harold & Bella (wife) Lipshutz.

 

1950 Directory: Robert J. Germane

                          Caroline Katzenstein

                          Edward H. Cleeland

                          George S. Hirst

                          George E. Walls

 

1952, January: Deed transferred from Harold & Bella (wife) Lipshutz to Bessie Hoffman.

 

1953, June: Deed transferred from Bessie Hoffman to Leonard A. Gottlieb & Nathaniel S. Hyman.

 

1953, December: Deed transferred from Leonard A. Gottlieb & Nathaniel S. Hyman to Alvin Magilver & Louis Magilner w/ deed of Trust from Joseph H. Magilner.

 

1958, Oct.: Became the property of Drexel University

 

<3421 Powelton                                                                                                    3409 Powelton >

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Revised 6/2/2011