3410-3412:
“Circa 1875,
two-and-one-half story Second Empire style stone double with wood porch and
original wood gabled entry. First floor projecting wood bays. Six segmental
windows below small and bracketed wood cornice; Four
dormers with segmental window heads project from slate-shingled mansard.”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
History
1880:
William S. Stamm 53 Naval
engineer
Emily P. Stamm 51
Edward P. Stamm 20 Medical student
Norman L. Stamm 17
Susan C. Labarr 31 Servant
(ED 483, 18)
In 1870, they lived at 925 Wallace
St.
“William S. Stamm.
Born in [Bern twp., Berks Co.,] Pennsylvania. Appointed from Delaware, February
28, 1851; entered the service as third assistant engineer; coast survey,
1851-62 [1852?]; steam-frigate "Powhatan," East India Squadron,
1852-56. Promoted to second assistant engineer. May
21, 1853. Promoted to first assistant engineer, May 9, 1857; special duty,
1857-58; steam-sloop "Hartford," East India Squadron, 1859-61.
Promoted to chief engineer, September 22, 1861 ; steam-sloop
"Canandaigua," South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, 1862-64 ; special
duty, Newburgh, N. Y., 1864-68; fleet-engineer, Pacific Fleet, 1868-71;
inspector machinery afloat, Philadelphia, 1872-76; fleet-engineer, Pacific
Station, 1876-77; member of Board of Examiners, 1878-80.”
(A Naval Encyclopædia.
1880, pg. 1003)
The Independence Seaport Museum has
a portrait of William Stamm and his uniform.
William Stamm
and Emily Paxson were married in 1857. She was the daughter of Edward and Ruth Paxson. Her father
was an attorney. In 1860, Emily and
William lived with her parents at 713 Wallace St.
Edward Paxson
Stamm,
married Harriet Key. They had a daughter
born in 1883. He died in Grand Rapids,
Michigan in 1890 at the age of 30.
Norman Stamm
(see below) married Lottie Lee Knight.
It was her second marriage. In
1888-’89, he worked as a clerk in Merchantville, N.J. where her father was a
stock broker. She died in 1896 at about
age 39. He soon married her sister,
Elizabeth Knight.
Susan Labarr,
their servant, was later the housekeeper for Curtis Paxson,
Emily Paxson Stamm’s
nephew, who lived at 522 N. Preston St.
Curtis divorced his second wife sometime before 1900 and married Susan Labarr sometime between 1910 and 1920. He died in 1921 and she continued living on
Preston St. until her death in 1934.
1882, March 20: Emily Paxson died at
the age of 52.
1890 Census Veterans Schedule: William S. Stamm, Retired Chief
Engineer, U.S.N., Feb., 1851 - Dec., 1881.
Retired Dec. 1881. (ED 511, 4)
1895 Directory: William S. Stamm,
U.S.N., h 3412 Race St.
1896: As a retired Chief Engineer, William Stamm
was paid $3,300 per year.
1896: Death of Lottie Lee Knight Stamm,
wife of Norman L. Stamm daughter of Thomas C. Knight
and daughter-in-law of Chief Engineer William S., Stamm,
U. S. N. Funeral at the
residence of her father, at Merchantsville, N. J.
1897, June 27: William Seaman Stamm
died at the age of 72.
“William S. Stamm,
a retired chief engineer of the United States Navy, died at his home here aged
72 years. He entered the service in
1851. In 1858 he was engaged in the work
of assisting in laying the Atlantic telegraph cable receiving as a token of his
energy and ingenuity a gold medal from the New York chamber of commerce. He became a chief engineer in July, 1861 and
during the latter part of the war was superintendent of repairs of the ironclad
fleet off Charleston harbor. He was
placed on the retired [sic.] in December, 1887, when he attained the age of 61
years.” (Phila. Inquirer, June 29, 1897)
1900:
Norman L. Stamm 37 Civil engineer; married [for second
time]; owner, free of a mortgage
Elizabeth K. Stamm 29 Married 3 years, 1 child; born in N.J.
Charlotte E. Stamm 4 Daughter; born in N.J., parents both
born in N.J. [sic.]
Muriel L. Stamm 11
months
Margaret
Diamond 42 Servant; born in Ireland
Marguerite Y.
Carlin 15 Servant; born in N.J., parents born in Ireland
(ED 578, 1A)
Elizabeth Knight Stamm
was the sister of his first wife, Lottie Knight (see above). Apparently Charlotte was the daughter of
Lottie Stamm.
1906 Blue Book: Mr. & Mrs. Norman L. Stamm
Mrs. William H. Moses
1910:
Norman L. Stamm 46 Civil engineer working on city survey;
married twice; owner, free of a mortgage
Elizabeth K. Stamm 38 Married 12 years, 1 child; born in N.J., father born in Md., mother in N.J.
Charlotte E. Stamm 14 Born in N.J., father born in Pa., mother
in N.J.
Mariel
L. Stamm 10 Mother born in N.J.
Rosa P. Jones 31 Servant, cook; mulatto; widowed; born in Va.
(ED 533, 3A)
1918: Marriage of Jennings E. Warren and Charlotte Elizabeth Stamm, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman L. Stamm.
1920:
Norman L. Stamm 56 Civil
engineer for a municipality; owner free of mortgage
Elizabeth
K. Stamm 48 Born in N.J.
Muriel L. Stamm 19 Daughter
Jennings
E. Warren 25 Son-in-law; mariner in ship yard; parents born in MD.
Charlotte S. Warren 23 Daughter
(ED 689, 5B)
In 1930, Jennings and Charlotte
Warren lived at 4437 Sherwood Rd. He was
working as an insurance adjuster.
1922, March: “N. L. STAMM, HARBOR ENGINEER,
DISMISSED. Charges of Virtual Insubordination Preferred Against City
Employee. Mayor Moore Serves Notice That
Co-operation Must Be Forthcoming.
“Summary
dismissal of Norman L. Stamm, harbor engineer of the
Department of Wharves, Docks, and Ferries at $4000 a year was announced by
George F. Sproule, director of the department,
through Mayor Moore’s office yesterday.
“Stamm is practically accused of insubordination and failure
to co-operate with the Director or carry out his orders.
“The
official statement from the Mayor’s office presents the charges as follows:
“’Mr. Stamm has been
with the department since 1911, but according to the charges against him, has
utterly failed to co-operate with the department in its progressive programme of the past two years. Desiring to carry out the
Mayor’s policies of progressive work along the river front, Director Sproule has made great strides forward in pier building
where the services of Mr. Stamm were badly needed.’
“Five
Days to Answer
“’During recent months, however, the engineer
has failed to respond to the Director’s requests and orders, resulting in the
breach which so far as the charges are concerned separate him from the
service. Mr. Stamm
will have five days to respond to the charges, but the Mayor announced that his
services in the Department of Wharves, Docks, and Ferries were at an end.
“’In consequence of the conference with the
Mayor this morning, and in order that the pier work may be hastened,
particularly that of Chestnut street and the new Girard piers above Market street,
Assistant Director Carroll R. Thompson was ordered to take over the engineering
work, and from this time on will be in direct charge.’
“After Director Sproule
had left, Mayor Moore said:
“’There seems to be a disposition at the
beginning at the last half of this administration to show independence of
orders. The answer to this is: Any city employee who feels he cannot get along
with this administration has the option of getting out. We have great work ahead during the next two
years and there are plenty of men ready and willing to take the place of those
who do not wish to serve.’
“’I have nothing to say.’ Mr. Stamm said at his home, 3412 Race street,
last night, when questioned regarding the action of the Mayor and Director Sproule. ‘There will probably be a statement within a
few days, but this evening I do not care to discuss the matter.’” (Phila. Inquirer,
March 3, 1922)
1930:
Norman L. Stamm 66 Married at age 26; owner, house valued
at $19,000
Elizabeth R. Stamm 57 Married at age 27; born in N.J.
Marid S. Schock 29 Daughter;
widowed; mother born in N.J.
(ED 397, 17A)
1950 Directory: James J. Henry, attorney
2010: Purchased by Drexel University
Revised 1/15/2012 About Powelton Village