3615 Hamilton Street
The History of the Building
The northern boundary of the houses on the northern side of Hamilton St. from 31st St. to 38th St. was the northern border of the Bingham-Baring estate.
3601-03, 3605-07, 3609-11, 3613-15, and 3617: These house appear to have been built by the same builder but may have been built for three different developers. They were all built about 1877-’78.
“Circa 1880, two-and-one-half story Second Empire-style
doubles, stone facade over brick. Victorian wood porches (3609-11, 3613--15
removed). Slate-shingled mansards with four dormers with decoratively carved
wood gables. Ornate wood Victorian cornices. Segmental stone
lintels. 3601-03 and 3613-15 have roof cresting.”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
of 3615 Hamilton Street
1872 Atlas shows 3601-3619 owned by J. G. Hardie. In 1860, James G. Hardie
lived at 3200 Arch St. The 1861
Directory lists him as a merchant with an office at 633 Market St.
1877, August: Deed transferred from James H. Lyons to John
Waddell.
The 1881 Directory lists James H.
Lyons, plumber, 17 N. 9th St., house 1327 Green. The 1870 census lists him as 35 years old
with a wife and one child. He was born
in Ireland. His real estate holdings
were listed at $1,000 and his personal property at $200. He owned 3607-3617 Hamilton St. which he sold
to various individuals between October, 1877 and June, 1879.
1877, October: Deed transferred from John Waddell to Thomas
Hunter.
1877, October: Deed transferred from Thomas C. Hunter to John & Clara
J. (wife) Wadell.
1880:
John Waddell 40 Linen
merchant
Clara Waddell 23 Daughter
Florence Waddell 1 Grand-daughter
(ED 487, 25)
1881, March: Deed transferred from John & Clara J (wife) Wadell to Nellie Dearborn Smith.
John Waddell died Feb. 7, 1883. They were living in New York on West 27th
St. In 1900, Clara Waddell was
divorced. It appears that she had
remarried and then divorced. She had had
three more children aged 7 to 11 who had the name Clements. They were living on Oak Lane and had one
servant and two boarders.
1887 Directory:
George W. Smith (George
W. Smith & Co.)
George W. Smith & Co. advertised
themselves as “designers and manufacturers of art furniture; office and bank
work a specialty.”
In 1881, he lived at 2023 N. College Ave.
George W. Smith & Co.’s Artistic
Furniture Factory, 1892
3907-3919 Powelton Ave.
from the Hexamer
General Surveys, Vol. 26.
1893: Arthur D. Smith was elected to serve as a director of the Powelton
Club.
1898, Oct. 18:
“Miss Marie Bondrias de Morat,
daughter of Mr. O. B. de Morat, and Mr. Arthur
Dearborn Smith were married at the home of the bride’s father, 3917 Walnut street, Tuesday evening by Rev. J. E. Monehan,
of St. James’ Roman Catholic Church.
Miss Helen de Morat, a sister of the bride,
was maid of honor, and Mr. Rayburn C. Smith, the groom’s brother, was the best
man. Archbishop Ryan and Bishop
McCloskey, of Louisville, were among the guests.
“After a wedding tour,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith will be at home at 224 South Forty-fourth
street.” (Phila. Inquirer, Oct. 23)
1900:
Ella D. Smith 51 Widowed
with 3 children; born in N.H., father born in N.H., mother in Virginia; owner,
free of a mortgage
George S. Smith 27 Compositor
printer; father born in Vt., mother in N.H.
Rayburn
C. Smith 22 Manufactured furniture; father born in Vt., mother in N.H.
Emma B. Scott 34 Servant
(ED 543, 10B)
1902: “An engagement of interest to West Philadelphia society is
that of Miss Mary Virchaux Houston, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Hugh Boyle Houston, of [3915] West Walnut street,
to Mr. Rayburn Clark Smith, son of the late George W. Smith. Miss Houston made her debut several seasons
ago, at a reception given by her parents, at the Flanders. She is a member of the Philadelphia Cricket
Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mr. Smith is a graduate of the University of
Pennsylvania, being a member of the Class of 1898.” (Phila. Inquirer,
Sept. 21, 1902)
1903, April 22: Marriage of Mary Virchaux
Houston to Rayburn Clark Smith.
1906 Blue Book: Mrs. George W. [Ella D.] Smith
1910:
Ella D. Smith 60 Widowed,
3 children; born in N.H., father in N.H., mother in Va.
George S. Smith 37 Clerk
for manufacturing co.; father born in Vt., mother in N.H.
William C. Smith 62 Brother-in-law;
clerk for manufacturing co.; widowed; born in Vt.
Emma B. Scott 38 Servant;
single
(ED 492, 2B)
In 1920, Ella (now listed as Mrs. George W.) and son George live with Uncle
William Smith and Emma Scott at 4235 Walnut.
In 1930, Ella and George were living
with Rayburn and his family in the Spruce Hill Apartments, 4400 Spruce St. Rayburn was a manufacturer of radio
cabinets. His wife was a hostess at the
Athletic Club. (George was enumerated a
second time as a patient at Pennsylvania State Hospital for the Insane, 4401
Market St.)
The house was
not enumerated in the 1920 census which was held in January. It was probably empty.
1920, May: Deed transferred from Nellie Dearborn Smith to Gus
A. Rohland.
1930:
Clara M. Rohland 75 Owner,
house valued at $12,000; born in Va., father born in
N.Y., mother in Va.
Gus
A. Rohland 43 Electrician; single; born in Va.
Otto J. Rohland 41 Electrician;
single; born in Va.
Ethel Hohl 21 Lodger; stenographer in a law office
Emma C. Anderson 29 Lodger;
stenographer in a department store
-- 2nd Household
Andrew McDonald 65 Woodworker in a
saw mill; born in Australia, immigrated in 1882; renting for $75 per month
Agnes McDonald 65 Born in
Australia, immigrated in 1883
Louise McDonald 36 Saleslady in a
department store; born in Virginia
(ED 398, 5A)
In January, 1920, they were listed
in the census at 1339 N. Hobart St.
Clara’s husband, Otto F. Rohland, was 76. His parents were born in Bremen,
Germany. When Gus Adolph Rohland registered for the WWI draft, he lived at 3600
Hamilton St. He was born July 29,
1886 in Richmond, Va. He worked for the
Royal Electrotype Co. As a contact, he
listed, Clarence B. Rohland who was living at the
Hotel Ocean Plaza in Ocean Grove, N.J.
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Revised 3/25/2012