3509 Baring
Street
“Italianate three-story house;
flat roof with Colonial Revival dentillated cornice; porch removed and front
two-story enclosed; additions built in twentieth century. Building
roughcasted.”
(Inventory of Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the
National Register of Historic Places, 1985)
History
1859
Directory: George Askin, hatter, 36th & Baring
Henry J. Askin, real estate agent, 112 S.
4th, Baring (WP)
John Askin, salesman, 110 S. 2nd, h 36th
& Baring
The 1858 directory lists John H.
Askin, salesman at 110 S 2nd living at Haverford above 36th.
1860:
James H. Askin 38 Real estate; real estate: $16,000,
personal: $2,500
Louisa Askin 38
Louisa Askin 12
Ella C. Askin 7
Mary E. Askin
1
Isabel Askin 87 Born in Ireland
John Askin 42 Clerk; personal property: $1,000
Elizabeth Askin 40
Emily M. Askin 36
George E. H. Askin 31 Hat finisher
James A. Hill 24 Bank clerk; real estate: $12,000,
personal: $1,000
Isabel Hill 23
William H. Hill 21 Salesman
(Precinct 7, 106, image 20)
Louisa
Askin married Charles E. Hopkins. She
died very young in March, 1876.
1863, March 22, Death
Notice: “ASKIN – On Sunday, March 22d, Mrs. ISABELLA ASKIN, relict [i.e.,
widow] of the late John Askin, in the 80th year of her age. The relatives and friends of the family are
invited to attend the funeral from the residence of her son, J. Henry Askin,
Baring street, west of Thirty-fifth, on Thursday afternoon, March 26th, at 2
o’clock.” (Phila. Inquirer, March 24,
1863)
1867, April: Deed
transferred from Elizabeth Jane Askin to William D. Heston.
In 1870, the Askins
lived in Radnor, Delaware Co. James
Henry Askin was listed as a banker with real estate worth $75,000 and personal
property worth $125,000. He played a
central role in the early development of Wayne. His home in Wayne is now the Louella
Apartments.
“James
Henry Askin purchased 300 acres of farmland on which he proposed to build a
Victorian development to be named "Louella" after his daughters,
Louisa and Ella. Askin was successful in creating his private estate at the
heart of which was the magnificent mansard-roofed mansion. Apart from building
the Wayne Presbyterian Church and a row of mansard-roofed villas on
Bloomingdale Avenue, Askin was also responsible for one of the most important
buildings in the town: The Wayne Lyceum Hall, later named Wayne Opera House (c.
1871). The Opera House had stores, a post office and a library reading room on
the 1st floor, a 450 seat meeting room and stage on the 2nd floor and a meeting
room for the Masonic Lodge. Later the building would be the first place in
Wayne to see silent movies. Askin's plans to create and sustain a more
elaborate development were derailed by the financial depression of 1873 and
towards the end of the 19th century a number of things happened that would
shape the Main Line.
“In
1880 Askin sold his land to Anthony J. Drexel and George W. Childs who wanted
to build an elaborate planned community.” (History of
Wayne, Wayne Business Association.)
For
a map of his holdings in Radnor Township and a picture of Louella, his mansion
in Wayne, see the Powelton
History Blog.
1870, January: Deed transferred from George Evans & wife to
Isaac Ray.
1870:
Isaac Ray 63 Physician; born in Mass.; real estate: $15,000, personal:
$50,000
Abby Ray 63 Born
in
Benjamin S. Ray
33 Physician;
born in
Lucretia
Tinkham 67 Born
in
Martha Tinkham 37
Born in
Catherine
Cullin 20 Domestic
servant; born in
(1870: ED 77,
pp 24-5)
Isaac Ray
(1807-1881) was an American psychiatrist, one of the founders of the discipline
of forensic psychiatry. In 1838, he published A Treatise on the Medical Jurisprudence of Insanity, which served
as an authoritative text for many years. He lived in Philadelphia for the last
15 years of his life during which time he was in private practice.
For more on
Isaac Ray, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Ray.
1880:
Isaac Ray 73 Physician;
born in
Abbie M. Ray 73
Born in
Mary Ann Ray 65
Sister; single; born in
Annie Mc Elhone
35
Servant; born in
Annie Conner 20
Servant; born in
(1880: ED 487,
p 18)
1881, March 31: Death of Isaac Ray, 74 years old. Burial at Providence, R.I.
“Obituary
– Dr. Isaac Ray
“Isaac
Ray, M.D., the distinguished physician, died yesterday at his residence, 3509
Baring street, in the seventy-fourth year of his life. He was born in Beverly, Mass., in 1807, and
was educated at Bowdoin College, where he graduated before he attained his
majority. He then proceeded to Boston,
where he devoted himself to the study of medicine, turning his attention to the
treatment of the insane. His first
charge was at the asylum at Eastport, Me., whence he was transferred to that at
Portland, where he resigned in 1841 to take a similar position at Augusta, in
the same state.
“Four
years later he was appointed superintendent of the Butler Asylum for the Insane
at Providence, Rhode Island, where he continued for many years, his reputation
steadily increasing till it became national and then extended to Europe, where
he was elected an honorary member of the Medical Psychological Society of
London, the diploma only reaching him last month. In 1868 he resigned his position at
Providence, owing to failing health, and removed to this city, where he has
ever since resided, acting often as a consulting physician, and writing many
valuable medical papers for the periodicals sustained by his profession. His volume on ‘The Medical Jurisprudence of Insanity’
is everywhere known and acknowledged as an authority. At the time of the Winnemore trial and
conviction in this city in 1867 Dr. Ray’s name came prominently before the
public in connection with a well considered report on the mental condition of
the accused. Dr. Ray leaves a widow, but
no children. His death was a result of a
complication of diseases, from which he suffered for many years.” (Phila.
Inquirer, April 1, 1881)
1885, Sept. 2: Death of Abagail May Ray, 78.5 years old, of 3509
Baring St. Burial at Providence, R.I.
1885, November: Deed transferred from Edward Hopper (surviving
executor and Trustee of Isaac Ray) to Sallie H. Skillern.
1890 Directory: Ross, Emeline widow of William
Ross, Frank R., Clerk
Ross, Laura F.
Skillern, Samuel R., physician
1892: Ross Skillern; undergraduate student, in Biology; (Catalogue
of the U. of Penna.)
1892: Samuel R. Skillern joined a law suit aimed at stopping the
introduction of electric trolleys on Baring St. to replace the old horse-drawn
streetcars. (See the Powelton
History Blog for details.)
1900:
Samuel R.
Skillern 56 Physician; born
in
Sarah Ross
Skillern 47 Married 26 years, 3 children; born in
Ross Hall
Skillern 24 Physician
Claude L.
Skillern 22 Salesman of Strichs (?)
Samuel R.
Skillern, Jr. 14 In school
Letitia Green 57 Sister-in-law;
widowed, 2 children; born in
Esther Ross
Green 31 Niece; born in
Sarah Clark 25 Servant; black; married, 1 child; born in
Lelia Lewis 20 Servant; black; born in
(ED 543; p 12a)
In 1880, they lived at 3416
Baring St.
1903, June 27: Marriage of Theodosia Hendrickson Hartman to
Penn-Gaskill Skillern, M.D.
In 1906, they Skillern lived at 3316 Race
St.
Dr. Ross Skillern
1910:
Samuel R.
Skillern 75 Doctor of
medicine; born in
Sarah H.
Skillern 56 Married 35 years, 3 children; born in
Claude F. V.
Skillern 32 Meat salesman
Samuel R.
Skillern, Jr. 24 No occupation
Letitia Green 67 Sister-in-law;
widowed, 2 children; born in
Esther Green 41 Niece;
born in
Grace Taylor 30 Servant;
black; born in
(ED 492, p 3a)
1911: the Smith Atlas gives the owner as Sallie Hall Skillern.
1911, July 23: Death of Sarah Hall Skillern, wife of Dr. Samuel
R. Skillern and daughter of late ex-Governor Ross of Delaware. Funeral services were at St. Andrew’s Church.
(Phila. Inquirer, 7/25/1911)
1915: H. Leslie Fry;
application and dues for membership in the Homeopathic Medical Society
of Pa. (Hahnemannian Monthly)
1918: Major Ross Hall Skillern
First
Lieutenant Samuel Ruff Skillern, Jr.
Physicians
who have been recommended for Commission in the Medical Officers Reserve Corps.
(
1919, September: Deed transferred from Ross Hall
Skillern & Samuel Ruff Skillern (Executors of will of Sallie H Skillern
& Ross Hall Skillern & his wife, Eliza P. Skillern, Claude LeVert
Skillern & his wife Ethel M Skillern, Samuel R. Skillern to Henrietta T.
Cooke.
Samuel
Skllern died February 17, 1921 at the home of his son, Ross Skillern, Bleddyn
Rd. and Montgomery Ave., Ardmore. He was
87 years old.
1920:
William A. Frain 61 Traveling salesman, lighting; renting
Ella R. Frain 58 Father born in
William L. Frain 36 Music teacher
Madeline R. Frain 41 Daughter-in-law
Robert R. Frain 4 yrs. 11 mons. Grandson
---
Charles B. Pitt 60 Wholesale butter dealer; born in N.Y.,
father in Englad, mother in N.Y.
Emily E. Pitt 57
Mary B. Hasting 36 Step-daughter;
born in
---
Horace G. Hill, Jr. 36 Engineer [rest
illegible]
Arline Hollister Hill 29 Born in N.Y.
---
Harry W. Maloy
43 Merchant, funeral supplies; parents born in Del.
Elsia D. Maloy 42 Born in N.J.
Sara E. Maloy 85
Mother; widowed; born in
---
Martha B. Altemus 63 Widowed
Eleanor L. Altemus 28 Daughter; social
service, medical; born in N.J.
---
Mary G. McGlade 42 File clerk at the Navy yard; single;
parents born in
Genevieve McGlade 34 Sister; cataloguer
at Free Library; born in N.J., parents in
Kathleen McGlade 31 Sister; assistant
cataloguer at Free Library; born in N.J., parents in
(ED 686, 2B)
Horace
and Arline Hill moved to 308 N. 37th
St. He grew up at 3416
Baring St. His father grew up at 3405
Hamilton St.
1950 Directory: Norman C. Farnlof
Joseph T.
Heise
Mrs. Norman P. Stratton
2009: current owner: Sarah J. Bernard
six apartments
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Powelton Village