The History of the Building
3614-16: “Circa
1875, three-story, Victorian double, brick with stone facade, flat roof with
elaborate wood cornice; Victorian wood porch; incised stone lintels”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1880:
Joseph
Ashbrook 39 Life
insurance agent
Kate S. Ashbrook 35 Parents
born in
William S. Ashbrook 11
Mary Tierney 29 Servant;
born in
(ED 487, p 16)
In
1870, they lived at 315 Washington Ave. For a summary of his service during the
Civil Was, see A
Civil War Chronicle: Joseph Ashbrook on the Powelton History Blog. (More of his biography appears below.) Catherine Sinclair Ashbrook’s family history is
summarized in a blog entitled Mrs.
Joseph Ashbrook.
1881: Joseph
Ashbrook appointed manager of the insurance department of the Provident Life
and Trust Company
1899: Donald
Sinclair Ashbrook listed as a freshman majoring in Chemistry, University of
Pennsylvania
1900:
Joseph Ashbrook 59 President of Life Insurance Co.
Catherine S. Ashbrook 55 Married
33 years, 3 children, 2 surviving; parents born in Scotland
William S. Ashbrook 31 Life
insurance clerk
Donald S. Ashbrook 19 Student, Univ. of Penna.
Mary Temple 40 Servant;
parents born in
Mary M. O’Halloran 20 Servant; born in
(ED 543, p 8B)
Joseph Ashbrook
“ASHBROOK,
Joseph
“Insurance manager of the Provident Life and
Trust Company of
(Who’s
Who in Pennsylvania, 1904)
“Ashbrook, Joseph, life insurance officer; born
at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 4, 1840; son of James and Eliza (Garwood) Ashbrook;
educated in public schools of Philadelphia; married, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct.
29, 1867, Catherine S. Sinclair; children: William S. and Donald S.
Vice-president and director, Provident Life & Trust Co. of Philadelphia,
until his resignation on account of ill health. Widely known as a writer and
speaker on subjects relating to life insurance. Served as captain 118th
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers; was badly wounded soon after entering army ;
brevetted major United States Volunteers for "gallant and distinguished
services." Republican; Methodist. Member, American Historical Assn.,
Military Order of the Loyal Legion and Grand Army of Republic. Club, Union
League of Philadelphia; Residence, 3614 Baring St. Office, 401-409 Chestnut
St., Philadelphia.”
(Applegate
Surname Genealogy. Men of 1914 Biographical
Sketches, Page 5.)
1901, March 16: Death of Edward G.
Ashbrook. Funeral services at 3614
Baring St. Burial at West Laurel Hill
Cemetery.
Joseph Ashbrook’s younger brother,
Edward, was living across the street at 3603
Baring St. In 1887, he lived 3612
Hamilton St.
1904: William
Sinclair Ashbrook a member of
Pennsylvania Commandery, Military Order of Loyal Legion (Who’s Who in Pennsylvania)
1906 Blue Book: Mr.
& Mrs. Joseph Ashbrook
William S. Ashbrook
D. S. Ashbrook
Miss E[lizabeth] Sinclair [Mrs. Ashbrook’s
sister]
1906, Dec. 5:
Marriage license issued to Julia H. Hays of 3503
Hamilton St. and Donald S. Ashbrook of 3614 Baring St.
In 1910 and 1920, they lived in
Wilmington, Del. where he was a chemist for a cotton mill. They had two daughters. They divorced in the 1920s. In 1930, Donald was living in a hotel in
Stonington, New London, Conn. where he was Vice President of a cotton mill. He remarried in the 1930s. In 1929, Julia married Frank G. Tallman, a
widowed vice president of DuPont who had retired four years earlier.
1910:
Joseph Ashbrook 69 Vice president, life insurance company;
owner, free of a mortgage
Catherine S. Ashbrook 65 Married
43 years; 3 children, 2 surviving; parents born in Scotland
William S. Ashbrook 42 Secretary
in life insurance
Eliza W. Sinclair 67 Sister-in-law; single; parents born in Scotland
Catherine A. Devlin 42 Servant; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1880
Nora McLarthy 24 Servant;
parents born in Ireland
(ED 492, p 5B)
In
1900, Elizabeth Sinclair was a boarder at 315 N. 37th
St.
William
Ashbrook got married about 1913 at age 45.
His wife, Mildred, was 24. They
raised three children at 4431 Spruce St.
1918, Aug. 11: Death of Joseph Ashbrook, 78
years old; funeral from his late residence, 3614 Baring St.
1920:
Catherine S. Ashbrook 75 Widow; parents born in Scotland; owner,
free of a mortgage
Bertha Andres 22 Servant;
born in Hungary, speaks German, immigrated in 1912
Anna Drew 42 Servant,
cook; born in Hungary, speaks Magyar, immigrated in 1905
(ED 686, p 5A)
1925, Nov. 23: deed transfer registered from Catherine Ashbrook
to A[lexander] H. Sinclair (2272, 43)
Alexander Sinclair lived next door
at 3612
Baring St.
In 1930, Catherine Ashbrook, age 85,
was living at the Garden Court Apartments, 4701 Pine St.
1930:
Ernest Cooper 52 Proprietor
of an apartment house; married at age 32; born in England, immigrated in 1905;
owner
Mathilde Cooper
52 Married at age 30; born in England, immigrated in 1905
Margurite
Cooper 25 Secretary at a bank; born in England, immigrated in 1905
Howard Cooper 28 Reporter
at an audit house; married at age 22; born in England, immigrated in 1905
Reland Cooper 29 Daughter-in-law;
saleslady at a department store; married at age 23; born in Ohio
Ernest A Cooper
15
Mary L Rorer 60 Lodger; Office clerk at a hospital; single
Sarah Hunt 26 Lodger; married at age 23; born in West Virginia
(ED 398, 18A-B)
In 1920, they lived next door at 3616
Baring St.
1950
Directory: Howard Cooper
Harold
Huddleson
2009: current owner:
Donna Martorana
Revised
8/20/2012 About
Powelton Village