The History of the Building
This house was probably built about 1860-61. It is not indicated on the Smedley Ward Map, published in 1862. However, it was apparently occupied when the
1861 Directory was compiled.
“Italianate,
two-and-one-half story house, stone, elaborate millwork in wood porch. Entrance
is part of three-story rectangular tower. Front first-floor projecting bay;
front gable with heavy modillioned cornice and
tripartite arcuated windows below. Building has arcuated and ogee-shaped windows throughout”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
Previous Residents of
1861 Directory: J[
The 1860 census lists
him and his family living in the 12th Ward (between 3rd
& 6th, Vine and Poplar).
By 1866, he was living at 202 N. 35th
St.
1870:
Henry Justi 32 Dental surgeon (?); born in
Lizzie Justi 29
August Justi 7
Amelia Justi
5
Henry Justi 2
Margaret Fist [?] 30 Domestic
servant; born in Ireland
Only in 2nd enumeration, Nov.
1870:
Henrietta Justi 1
Bertha Justi abt
70
May Justi abt
25
Maggie Justi abt
25
(1st enumeration: p 30; 2nd
Enumeration, p 18)
The 1867 directory lists Henry Justi, dental depot, 520 Arch St., living at 3106 Baring
St. They moved to Baring St. about
1862. In May, 1863, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the death
of Mrs. August L. Justi, wife of H. D. Justi. She was 23
years old. Lizzie Justi
was born Elizabeth Caroline Kuemerle.
Bertha Justi
was apparently his mother. She
immigrated with him in 1850. She was
born about 1799 and died Feb. 26, 1879.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported that the funeral was from the home of her daughter, 319 N. 32nd
St.
“About the year 1819, porcelain
teeth were first manufactured in this country and a number of persons
experimented in this line with more or less success. Mr. H. D. Justi of
“Up to about the year 1855, only one
kind of teeth had been manufactured, teeth for gold and silver plate, and but
very little attention had been paid to their construction of form to approach
nature. Then a rubber base was introduced, and from that time the entire dental
business has been revolutionized. Mr. H. D. Justi
seeing that there was room for improvement, succeeded in constructing moulds
suitable to the various formations of the jaws, adopting curved lines in which
he could sink any depth around the neck of the teeth to receive the gum color,
and temporizing the materials so that in one very easy operation he had the
tooth ready to finish. This mode of manufacturing artificial teeth has been
copied by all other manufacturers.
“The cut herewith represents Mr. H.
D. Justi's new factory
at Thirty-second and
“A large stock of artificial teeth,
dental instruments, filling materials, etc., always kept on hand at H. D. Justi's Dental Depots, 66 Madison street,
Chicago, 1301 and 1303 Arch street, Philadelphia.”
(Philadelphia
and Popular Philadelphians. 1891: 139.)
1878, June 25: Death of Louisa Justi,
1 year old, Daughter of Henry D. and Lizzie Justi of
3401 Baring St. Burial was at Odd
Fellows Cemetery. (Phila.
Death Index)
1878, July 4: Death of Bertha H. Justi,
5 years old,, daughter of Henry and Lizzie Justi of 3401 Baring St.
Henry D. Justi
(1834-1922)
1880:
Henry D. Justi 45 “Dental Department;” born in
Elizabeth Justi 40
Augusta Justi 17
Amelia Justi 14
Henry Justi 12
(ED 483, p 26,
image 25)
1885: Henry Martin Justi,
Junior, Class of ‘89...Course in Science...
(Catalogue
of the University of Pennsylvania. 1885)
1890 Directory: Henry D. Justi, offices
at 3401 Arch St. and 3127 Spring Garden St.
Henry M. Justi
1890 Members of the Franklin Institute: Henry D. Justi and Henry M. Justi
1892: Henry Justi joined a law suit
aimed at stopping the electric trolleys on Baring St. to replace the old horse-drawn
streetcars. (See the Powelton
History Blog for details.)
1895 Directory: Henry D. Justi,
president of H. D. Justi & Son at 55 Forest
Building
Henry M. Justi, H.
D. Justi & Son
1898 Blue Book: Henry Justi and H. M.
Justi were members of the Powelton Club. (For a brief
history of the club, see the Powelton
History Blog.)
1898, Jan. 12: Marriage of Harriet Elizabeth Monson of New
Haven, Conn., to Henry Martin Justi.
In 1900, they were living at 3311
Powelton Ave.
1900:
Henry D. Justi 66 Born in
Elizabeth C. Justi 60 Married 37 years, 6 children, 3
surviving
Augusta E. Justi 36
Amelia R. Justi 34
Teresa Huber 25 Servant; born in
Mary Witt 29 Servant; born in
(ED 539, p 13b)
1920:
Henry D. Justi 85 No
occupation; born in
Elizabeth C. Justi 80 Parents born in
Augusta E. Justi 56 Daughter; single
Amelia R. Justi 53 Daughter; single
(ED 682, 2B)
1922, Feb.
5: Death of Henry D. Justi, 88 years old, of 3401
Baring St.
“Philadelphia,
Pa., February 6 [1922].—Henry D. Justi, well known
for his philanthropies and a pioneer in the dental supply business, died
yesterday at his home, 3401 Baring street. He was 88 years old. Death was due
to a complication of diseases.
“In 1857 Mr. Justi
established a dental supply house at
“Mr. Justi
was a member of the
(Dental Summary. 1922)
1930:
Augusta Justi 66 Owner,
house valued at $25,000; father born in
Amelie R. Justi 64 Sister
Sarah E. Tasco 50 Servant; black, widowed; born in
(ED 396, 2A)
Revised
1/14/2012 About Powelton Village