The house was originally a more simple Italianate
(lower photo). It was renovated in 1893
by architect Addison Hutton..
The garage was added in 1916.
“Circa
1895, late Queen Anne; style two-and-one-half story building of Pompeiian
brick. Two-story projecting bay, arched entry. porch wall, and windows. Shallow
pitched hipped roof with overhang.”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
History
1873, Sept. 18: Deed transfer - First
Presbyterian Church to Edward P. Alexander (Book 77 pg 68)
http://philadox.phila.gov/phillyhistoricalindex/
In 1870, Edward lived with his
brothers at 3626
Baring St.
1880:
Edward Alexander 35 Belting maker; born in N.H.
Eurretta M. Alexander 27 Born
in R.I., parents born in Pa.
Charles O. Alexander 1 month
Mary Morning 20 Servant;
born in
Mary Redmond 23 Servant;
born in
(ED 487, p 4)
The Alexander Brothers company,
established in 1867, manufactured leather belts used to transmit power from an engine
powered by steam, water, or, later, electricity to one or more machines.
Euretta Andrews Alexander grew up at
3507
Baring St. She was the daughter of
Alexander and Amelia Andrews. The
history of their family in Powelton and their relationship to the Northminster
Presbyterian Church is described in a piece in the Powelton
History Blog.
Edward P. and Eurreta Alexander,
1887
1890: Alexander Edward
P. (Alexander Bros.)
1900:
Edward P Alexander 55 Belt manufacturer; born in N.H.; owned
free of a mortgage
Euretta M Alexander 47 Married
26 years, 4 children; born in R.I., father in
Charles O Alexander 20
Amelia D Alexander 18
Emily J Alexander 13
Julian Alexander 11
Josephine Alexander 36 Sister; single; born in N.Y.
Margaret E Furey 34 Servant;
cook; single; parents born in
Mary Boyle 36 Servant;
widowed, no children born in
(ED 543, 12B)
Emily Alexander Hildebrand died in
1987 in Contra Costa,
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Edward P. Alexander
Miss Josephine Alexander
1909: Edward P. Alexander was an Elder at Northminster
Presbyterian Church, 3500 Baring St.
1909: Julian Alexander, Sophomore, Chemical
Engineering (Catalogue of
1920:
Edward P.
Alexander 75 Manufacturer of leather belts
Euretta M.
Alexander 67
Josephine
Alexander 83 Sister
May M Boyle 55 Servant; born in
Bridget
McCrossin [?] 52 Servant; born in
(ED 686, 15B)
Euretta Alexander died August,
1923. E.P. Alexander died in January,
1927.
1922, May 15: a deed transfer recorded from Edward and Euretta
M. Alexander to P. B. Garwood.
1930:
Percy B.
Garwood 59 Electrician in electrics store; married at age 23; father
born in Ohio; owner, house valued at $17,000
Isabel E.
Garwood 54 Married at age 18; born in Ireland, immigrated in 1880
Walter C.
Isabell 40 Lodger; purchasing agent for department store
Thomas H.
Callard 30 Lodger; director of advertising firm; born in Oregon
-2nd household
William B.
Mills 51 Police superintendent; married at age 48; renting for $125
per month
Ethel H. Mills 38 Married
at age 35
Mary C. Mills 1 year 6 months
Ethel A. Mills 2 months
(ED 398, 16A)
In 1920, the Garwoods lived at 4136
Parkside Ave.
In 1920, William Mills lived at 4261
Parkside Ave. He was divorced. In 1910, he lived at 4113 Cambridge St. with
his first wife, Edith. They had been
married for 4 years and had no children.
It was her 2nd marriage.
1949, July: Deed transferred from Isabel S. Garwood to George
E. and Mary Kangian.
1950 Directory: George E. Kangian
George Kangian was born in
Philadelphia in 1919. In 1930, his
family lived at 3721 Haverford Ave. He
described his background on a website for memories of WWII veterans. "My father was an immigrant from Bitlis,
Armenia. He came to this country and opened a shoe store. When he made enough
money, he brought over other members of his family, who in the tradition of the
times and at Georges fathers request brought with them a wife of 15, sight
unseen. The marriage worked out and the family grew to two girls and George the
youngest and only son. Arranged marriages were common throughout the world in
those days.
“The depression wiped out my
father’s business and he lost his four shops, all the money in the failed banks
and our house. It contributed to his death at the age of 55. Times being what
they were I never had access to a car, there was not a lot of money for
anything beyond the rent at times. We rode the trolleys everywhere we wanted to
go. I went to West Philadelphia High school and was active in the Boy Scouts. I
had plans to attend the seminary as religion was always an important part of my
life and my mother thought it would be a good idea. As my father had died and
my sisters were married I felt I should take care of my mother. I worked prior
to the war at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone. When war broke, being
the only son and in a war critical industry I could have easily avoided serving
in the military. I felt it was my duty to enlist, especially being the leader
of a scout troop, always telling boys about patriotism. The farthest I had ever
been from home prior to the war was upstate New York for the first National Boy
Scout Jamboree in 1937….
“I heard about Pearl Harbor like
most people. I was on Lancaster Avenue and someone had a radio. Being a bit
older than some of my later peers in the air force I was more aware of world
events and like the situation today in the middle east, we all knew something
was coming. No one expected it to come the way it did though. At 23 I signed up
at the local armory where the Army was quartered. One of the recruiters was
asking what people wanted to do and I said fly for the Navy, I was told to shut
up.
“I joined in July of 1943 at 23 and
went armament school at Lowry Field in Denver Colorado and then a course in
Amarillio before going to gunnery at Harlingen Texas where we got out wings….
“Post war I did some radio work for
WCAU and some people thought I should become a disc jockey, television was in
its infancy but with my background in Miami, I decided to try for a job as a
social director for the Philadelphia Housing Authority. The man who took my
application though I would be better suited as a manager of the projects and
that is what I became. I worked over 15 years with the housing authority before
opening my own dry cleaning business from which I retired. I stayed active with
the Boy Scouts in the inner city as well and have been in scouting for 70+
years.
“I'm still working with the Boy
Scouts [Dec., 2002], Mary and I have traveled pretty extensively as I also have
a great interest in anthropology. We have a large collection of commemorative
spoons that is unusual as they represent different events and visits to all the
countries and states we have been to. Some of my crew still keep in touch and there
have been the reunions over the years that we have attended together.”
These memories from George Kangian
and his memories of his WWII experience are available from Ken Arnold’s
web site of WWII memories.
1963: Lanie Melamea was quoted in the Powelton Post.
< 304 N. 35th across to 315 N. 35th >
Updated 6/27/2011