The History of the Building
“Circa
1875, three-story smooth cut ashlar
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
Previous Residents of
1878 map:
shows house and names C. P. Keen
1881 Directory: Joseph S. Keen, Jr., Woolman, Keen & Co.
He was not found in the 1880 census
and this house was apparent not enumerated.
Joseph Keen’s
partner, Samuel C. Woodman, was married to his sister Lucy Keen. They lived next door at 3312 Race St.
1898 Blue Book: Harold P. Keen and Joseph S. Keen, Jr. were
members of the Powelton Club. (For a brief history of the club, see the Powelton History Blog.)
1900:
Joseph S. Keen, Jr. 55 General manager, American Pipe Co.;
owner, free of a mortgage
Charlotte S. P. Keen 49 General
supervisor, American Pipe Co.; married 28 years, 1 child
Harold P[erot]
Keen 26 General
supervisor, American Pipe Co.
Martin O. Malley 56 Servant; born in
Mary Cassidy 36 Chambermaid;
born in
Beatrice Loftus 25 Cook; born
in
Annie O’Connell 22 Waitress; born
in Ireland
(ED 587, 6B-7A)
Joseph Swift
Keen, Jr. was the son of John Sidney Keen and Hanah McIlvain Keen (3312 Race St.) and the grandson of Joseph Swift Keen (3227
Chestnut St.). In 1870, he lived in Ward
27 (ED 89) with his aunt and uncle, John Humphries (age 69) and Mary (67) McIlvain. They lived
next door to Joseph’s sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Nathan Sellers. Joseph married Charlotte S. Perot., the
daughter of Sansom Perot, a malt manufacturer, and
Mary Williams Poultney (1804 – 1887). In
1900, Nathan and Mary Sellers lived next door at 3308 Race St.
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S.
Keen, Jr.
Mr.
& Mrs. Harold Perot Keen
In 1910, Joseph was widowed and he
and Harold and his wife were living in New Castle, Del.
1910:
Henry H[erbert]
Donaldson 52 Professor of natural science; married, 3 years ago; born in
N.Y., father born in N.Y., mother in Ireland
Emma B. Donaldson 53 Born in
N.Y., father in
Catherine A Miller 55 Cook; widowed; 8 children, 1 surviving
Anna McGurk 24 Waitress; born in
(ED 533, 6A)
“Donaldson was a prominent neurologist whose thorough
studies of the brain were published as a book, The Brain, in 1895. At the Wistar
Institute, Donaldson introduced the albino rat as an experimental subject and
developed the Wistar rat strain later used in many
psychological studies.” (http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/calendar/cal0512.html)
1920:
Henry H
Donaldson 62 Professor of neurology
Emma B
Donaldson 60
Elizabeth Jones
32 Cook; black; born in
(689, 5A)
1930:
They lived at 4417 Spruce which they owner.
It was valued at $35,000
Revised 9/18/2011