3500 Hamilton St.

 

Description: 3500hamilton

 

The History of the Building

 

“Circa 1870, three-story Italianate house, stuccoed. Flat roof with bracketed overhang. Circa 1910 Colonial Revival porch alterations. Middle register of second floor later altered.”

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

 

Previous Residents

 

1870: 3500 Hamilton

Albert Ashmead                      46        Real estate agent; not real estate, personal: $5,000

G Elisa Ashmead                    46        Real estate: $50,000

G Thomas Ashmead                21        Farmer; personal: $3,000

S Albert Ashmead                   20        Physician

K Walter Ashmead                  16

H William Ashmead                14        Twin

H Charles Ashmead                 14        Twin

Emeline Ashmead                   12

Elisabeth Ashmead                 10

W Nathaniel Ashmead              8

H Peter Ashmead                      3

Harriett Wilson                        21        Domestic servant; black; born in Del.

(ED 77, 22; 2nd enum.: 31)

            The 1856 1858 Directories list Albert Ashmean, 36th & Bridge (Spring Garden)

            In 1880 they were living in Lower Merion where he is listed as an “oil merchant.”  In 1910 they were living in Norristown.

 

1880:

William J. Latta                       23        Railroad superintendent

Margaretta Latta                      58        Mother; widowed

Samuel W. Latta                      30        Brother; physician; married

Margaret B. W. Latta               25        Sister

Helen E. Latta                         21        Sister

John S. Latta                            17        Brother; works in hardware store

Thomas L. Latta                      15        Brother; at school

Eliza Clark                              22        Servant; father born in Ireland

Maria Mc Mullin                      47        Servant; father born in Md., mother in Ireland

(ED 487, 24)

            In 1870, the Latta family lived in Sadsbury, Chester Co. (4 miles west of Coastville).  William S. Latta was a physician born about 1823 and died between 1870 and 1880.  The household included 7 children.  Samuel W. Latta was listed as a Navy surgeon.

            By 1887, Margaretta, John and Thomas lived at 3717 Hamilton St.  William lived at 3719 Hamilton St. and Samuel was at 201 N. 35th St.

            In 1895, John was listed at 3719 Hamilton. Samuel lived at 3626 Baring St.  Thomas was working for Armstrong & Printzenhoof and living at 3918 Spruce.  William was listed as “president” and living in “Wissahickon Heights.”

            In 1900, John, his sister Margaret and an older married sister, Mary Latta Jones, lived at 3717 Hamilton St.  Samuel was still at 3626 Baring St.

            In 1906, John lived at 3902 Chestnut St. with Margaret.  Samuel still lived at 3626 Baring St.  Thomas lived at the NE corner of 39th and Spruce and William at Moreland Ave. corner of Huron, Wissahickon Heights.

            In 1900, he lived at 3626 Baring St.  By 1910, Samuel had moved to 3611 Powelton Ave.  In 1920, he lived at 3602 Powelton Ave.

            In 1930, William lived at 428 West Moreland Ave., Philadelphia with his son and daughter. He was a traffic manager for the railroads.  His son was a statistician for Bell Telephone and his daughter was an “artistic helper at an art studio.”

 

1887 Directory: Jesse W. Thatcher, physician, 3500 Hamilton

            In 1881, he lived at 300N. 38th St.

1898 Boyd’s Blue Book: Dr. and Mrs. Jesse W. Thatcher

                                      Paxson Blakey Thatcher

 

 “JESSE W. THATCHER. M. D.

            Dr. Jesse W. Thatcher was born in Delaware county, Pa., May 18, 1850, and like so many other representative physicians he is a son of a farmer. His father, Isaac Thatcher, was a producer of the products of the soil for many years prior to his death. Dr. Thatcher received a good common school education and graduated with honors from the West Chester High School. He entered the Hahnemann Medical College of this city in 1868 and after a three years' graded course he graduated therefrom in 1871. After graduating he located at Quakcrtown, Pa., and was the pioneer homoeopathic physician of that place. After many trials and hardships in overcoming the prejudice which then existed towards homoeopathy he gradually acquired an enormous practice, and was soon considered the most successful physician in that section. Desiring to enter a larger field for the display of his talents, Dr.'Thatcher came to this city and locating in West Philadelphia he began anew a battle of success. To-day he stands abreast of the most successful physicians in either school of medicine in his section of the city. He has occupied the position of Physician to the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People ; also to the Presbyterian Home for Widows and Indigent Women; and is also on the Obstetrical Staff of the Women's Homoeopathic Hospital. He is a member of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, the State Homoeopathic Society, and the I. H. A. Society. Dr. Thatcher married in 1875, Elizabeth, the daughter of Paxon Blakley, of Quakertown, Pa.”

(Philadelphia and Popular Philadelphians, 1891)

 

1889: J. W. Thatcher, MD; a presentation: “Aborted Amputation” given to theHahnemannian Assoc. 6/16/1898 pg. 180 Proceeding of IHAssoc 1898)

 

1899: Paxson Blakley Thatcher, MD (Alumni catalog of U. of P 1917-he died in 1916)

 

1900:

Jesse W Thatcher         50        Physician; owner with a mortgage

Elizabeth Thatcher      46        Married 26 years, 7 children, 5 surviving

Paxson B Thatcher      25        Physician

Letitia A Thatcher       21

Lillian Thatcher           19

Royal J Thatcher          14

Robert F Thatcher       10

Emma J Broadnax       29        Servant; black; born in Va.

(ED 543, 11A & B)

 

1910:

Jesse W Thatcher         59        Medical doctor

Elizabeth C Thatcher 57        Married 31 years, 7 children, 5 surviving

Lillian Thatcher           29

Royal J Thatcher          25        Automobile mechanic

Robert B Thatcher       20

Mary Smith                  29        Servant; black; married once, 3 children; born in Md.

(ED 492, 2B-3A)

 

1911: J. W. Thatcher elected to the Judiciary Committee of the Germantown Homeopathic Medical Society 1/6/1911

 

1913: Sale of William J. Latta collection of Napoleana Library at Anderson’s April 21 N. Y. times (same Wm. J. who lived at 3500 in 1880? Or possibly his father) ) N.Y. Times 3/31/1913       

 

1915, Dec.: death of Jesse W. Thatcher  (http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.aspx?pid=359978351&tid=14426240)

            In 1920, Elizabeth Thatcher was living in the Hampton Court Apartments at 205 N. 35th St. with her daughter, Lillian.

 

“DEATH OF DR. J. W. THATCHER

Dr. J. W. Thatcher, 3500 Hamilton St., one of the best known physicians in West Philadelphia, died of pneumonia on Wednesday. He was taken ill the preceding evening, after having visited sixty-four grip patients that day. The illness was at first apparently a heavy cold. Because of his exhausted condition, however, pneumonia soon developed.

Dr. Thatcher was sixty-five years old. He had been practicing in West Philadelphia for the last forty years. He was a member of the Germantown Medical Society and the State society of homeopathic doctors. He is survived by a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth B. Thatcher; two sons, Dr. T. B. Thatcher and Royal J. Thatcher, and two daughters, Mrs. Arthur L. Bunting and Miss Lillian Thatcher.”

 

1920:

Harry G Haring           61        Retail druggist; owner with a mortgage

Ulia Haring                  55        Born in Md.

---- next household

Emma McCoy             45        Single

----

George L Standring     49        Window shade business; father born in England

Anna R Standring        48        Father born in England

John R Standring         25        Clothing salesman

---

Mary N Delp               41        Single

Catherine N Delp        43        Sister; single

---

Emma Garwithen        58        Widowed

---

Alice Kelly                  32        Public school teacher; single

--

Phebe E. Miller           38        Single

Clara B. Miller 34        Sister; secretary for railroad; single

---

John W. Riley              31        Wire chief for Western Union; born in N.Y., father born in N.Y., mother in Pa.

Ella N. Riley                21        Parents born in Western Prussia

(ED 686, 1B-2A)

            The Delp sister were from Hatfield, Montgomery Co., Pa.  Their father was a farmer.  In 1900, Mary lived with her brother and sister-in-law, Irwin and Annie Delp, at 2120 N. 3rd St.  In 1930, Catherine lived with them at 134 E. Washington Lane.  Irwin was an accountant.

 

1921: Stewart Dickson, 2nd yr. student at U. of P. Evening Sch. of Accounts & Finance (U. of P. Catalogue,1921)

 

 

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