3432 Powelton Avenue

3420-3432 Powelton Ave.

The History of the Building

3420-3432: “Circa 1895, three-story rowhouses, built as a single row; rusticated stone basements; Pompeiian brick facades. Single porch supported by wood Tuscan columns extends across front of all seven houses. Each house has paired windows, repetition interrupted at second floor by alternating projecting bays and tripartite windows topped by terra cotta panels; most have tall gables with cast terra cotta ornament; 3422 and 3430 have Dutch gables; a mansarded roof with red pantiles extends between each gable.”

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

Previous Residents

1900:

John L. Thompson 60 Insurance; widowed

Theodore P. Thompson 25 Clerk

Helen Thompson 12 Daughter

Sarah A Troxell 64 Housekeeper; born in Mass., father in England, mother in Mass.

(ED 578, 51A)

1904 Who’s Who in Pa.: THOMSON, John L.:

Vice President of the Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company of Philadelphia; born in that city Oct. 19, 1839. He was educated in the public schools and began his business life in 1865 in a wholesale grocery and sugar refinery establishment. In 1864 he entered the office of the Pennsylvania Fire as a clerk, was promoted to Assistant Secretary in 1877, to Secretary in 1881, and to Vice President Sept. 1, 1890. Mr. Thomson was Secretary of the National Board of Fire Underwriters from 1884 to 1888 inclusive. Address, 3432 Powelton Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.”

1920:

John L. Thomson 80

Mary R. Thomson 72

Mary T. Robison 41 Daughter

John T. Robison 19 Grandson, clerk in a railroad office

Mary Fay 54 Servant; born in Ireland (English)

Margaret Odea 50 Servant; born in Ireland (English)

(ED 688, 1A)

1890: John Thomson was at 206 N 33d St.

1921, Oct. 25: Death of John L. Thomson, 82 years old, husband of Mary R. Thomson of 3432 Powelton Ave.

“Funeral of John L. Thomson. The funeral of John L. Thomson, prominent insurance man of this city, who died on Tuesday, was held yesterday afternoon at his home, 3432 Powelton avenue, with private internment. Mr. Thomson, who was former vice president of the Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company, maintained an office in the Drexel Building up to the time of his death.” (Phila. Inquirer, Oct. 29, 1921)

1930:

Gertrude Monroe 49 Widowed; renting for $140 per month

Lewis Simonet 23 Nephew; [occupation in retail radio illegible]single; father born in N.Y.

Adrian Simonet 60 Daughter-in-law; bookkeeper; married at age 35; born in N.Y., father born in France, mother in N.Y.

Phebe R. Hurton 70 Lodger; works in corset shop; single; mother born in Maryland

Josephine Sennebrell 65 Lodger; widowed

Amdnola J. Maru 75 Lodger; widowed

Beatrice Hallgo 21 Lodger; single; born in Ohio

(ED 397, 4A)

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Revised 3/16/2012