Delco Realty News and Media Walking Tour

 

 

The Old Chester High School on W. 9th Street about 1910

 

 NOTE. Beginning about 1908 the Chester Times began a column called Realty News. Originally the column only appeared once in awhile. By early 1912 the column was featured every Saturday and featured all Delco Real Estate news, including new developments. builders, architects, deeds filed for the week etc. The column was a main feature for decades. So if you are looking for information on your house and have a rough idea of the date a look at the Realty News is worth the look. Look at the example below

 

 

CHESTER TIMES – June 29, 1912

            BUILDING AND REALTY NEWS OF THE WEEK – Several New Operations Including $25,000 Haverford Dwelling – In City and County

            The building and realty business throughout the entire county continues to be interesting and the subject of much favorable comment, not only among builders and real estate men, but among various citizens in different parts of the county.  Taken from a building standpoint, Delaware County is rapidly growing.  Development is great throughout all of the boroughs and townships in the county.  While there is considerable building in Chester, there does not seem to be as great an activity in the county’s metropolis as in its suburban district.

            A number of new operations have been reported for the county during the past week.  Nothing new in the building line has occurred in Chester during that time worthy of special mention.  Operations now under way are rapidly being completed. One trouble experienced by builders and especially in the City of Chester, is the storage of bricks.  Sometimes operations are suspended for a half day because of the lack of this important material.

            In the building line the largest new operation reported is probably that of the proposed $25,000 residence to be erected at Haverford.  Bids are also being received for a new school building at East Lansdowne and an addition to the power house of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company at Folsom.  H.K. Mulford Company of Philadelphia has just completed a big new laboratory at its Glenolden Works.  The Carnegie Library building at Ridley Park has also been completed.

            IN THE CITY – William Hewes of 11032 Highland Avenue, a contractor and builder, has completed two of the four houses he is erecting at Twelfth Street and Highland Avenue.  The other two buildings will soon be ready for the roofs.  All are said to be sold.

            Contractor Hewes has also purchased a lot having a sixty foot frontage on Highland Avenue about West Twelfth Street.  He contemplates the erection of several additional dwellings on this site.  The residences will be of brick, have front porches and be modern in every detail.

            The brick dwellings at 2727 West Third Street which was recently sold by the Misses Bourke to William Hewes, has been sold by the contractor to Thomas H. Quinn, a blacksmith of West Third Street near Highland Avenue.

            William L. Devinney of 2519 West Third Street, a West End contractor, has about completed the three dwellings, which he was erecting on the site of an old blacksmith shop at Third and Booth Streets.  He contemplated the erection of two modern brick dwellings at Fourth and Palmer Streets.

            Francis J. Moore, a builder of Marcus Hook, is erecting two two-story brick dwellings on the North side of West Fourth Streets, west of Palmer Street, is having them plastered.  They will soon be completed.

            Martin J. Dwyer of 1802 West Third Street, a builder and contractor, who is erecting two two-story brick dwellings on the south side of West Second Street, west of Reaney Street, sis progressing nicely with the work.  The floors have been laid in one and the studding set up, while the flooring in the other is being put down.

            Contractor Amos Sheaff, who is erecting the store, residence and candy factory at Third and Lloyd Streets for T. Brooks McBride, is having troubles of his own with the foundations.  He has struck a solid bed of rock and for several weeks past blasting and drilling have been in progress.  The place represents a veritable quarry and when the excavation is completed there will be enough stone to build the foundation walls for a long row of houses.  This unforeseen rock obstruction will delay the progress of the improvement for a long time and it will be late in the fall, it is expected, when the buildings are erected.

            The Penn Steel Casting Company will begin the erection of a brick addition to the plant at the foot of Penn Street at an early day.  This concern is very busy at the present time and all the departments of the plant are working on full time.

            Two of Samuel R. Bell’s new houses of Lloyd Street, below Third, are under roof, two more have reached the second floor and the foundation walls are finished for four additional homes and ready for the bricklayers.  These houses are of brick two stories high, with front porches and provided with modern conveniences for houses of that size.

            The three cozy little homes built by James D. Rostron, on Mary Street, in the rear of his property at Third and Howell Streets, are practically completed and ready for occupancy.  The houses are substantially built, convenient and just suited to small families of moderate means.

            Contractor and Builder George D. Hewes is rushing to completion his row of two-story brick houses on Pusey Street and the brick work is well advanced.

            The plasterers and carpenters are putting the finishing touches to the two brick houses of George Wiegand, at Third and Ulrich Streets and the painters are busy also.  The improvement is a noticeable one and the houses corresponds with those erected by the owner on the opposite side of the street.

            IN THE COUNTY – Plans are in progress for a $25,000 residence to be erected at Haverford for Boyd Lee Spahr of the Land Title Building, Philadelphia.  The architect is Horace Wells Sellers of Philadelphia.  The building is to be of stone and timber and three stories in height.

            The Board of Education of East Lansdowne has received bids for proposed new school building to be erected at that place. The plans and specifications were made by W.W. Cochran of East Lansdowne and call for a two-story building of stone with a shingle roof, electric light and steam heat.

            J.B. Flounders of Philadelphia is taking bids for the new residence of H.K. Broomall to be erected at Media.  It is to be of brick and frame, two and a half stories high, 25 by 50 feet and is to have a shingle roof, electric light, hot water heating, etc.  The plans were prepared by N. Flounders, a Media architect.

            Stewart & son and Page, architects of Philadelphia, have received bids for alterations and additions to be made to the residence at Rosemont, owned by the R.K. Cassatt Estate.  When completed the building will be a three-story structure, with hot air heat and with marble and tile work.

            Additions and alterations will be made to the Armory at Media for which Price and McLanahan of Philadelphia, have prepared plans.  The building, when completed, will be one of terra cotta and stone, two stories in height, and equipped with a slag roof and steam heat.

            A cottage will be built at Highland Park for Frederick Beinhauer of 2235 Chadwick Street, Philadelphia.  Bids were received up until yesterday by the architect, Wallace Eugene Nance of Wilmington, Del.

            Alterations and additions will be made to Founders Hall, Haverford College, Haverford, the extension to be of granite.  The architects, Savery, Scheets, and Savery of Philadelphia are taking bids for a few days on the proposed work.  Several Philadelphia contractors are bidding upon the work.

            Architect N. Flounders of Media was prepared plans for a residence to be erected on Swarthmore Avenue, Swarthmore for H.W. Twaddell of that place.  The buildings is to be of stone and frame 36 by 31 feet, two and a half stories high, with a shingle roof, electric light and hot water heat.  J. B. Flounders of Philadelphia received sub-bids up until Wednesday last on the work.

            A one story brick addition is to be built to the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company’s Power house at Folsom.  It is to be of brick, one story high, and have a slag roof.  The owner is the Philadelphia Electric Company and the architect, J.T. Windrim of Philadelphia.  Several Philadelphia contractors are bidding.  It is understood that some Delaware County men are also figuring on the work.

            SALES IN THE SUBURBS – The recent transactions in real estate at the offices of Swope and Sons, Darby, include the sale of brick dwelling and lot 25 by 100, 304 South Third Street, Colwyn, to George W. Westenberger of Philadelphia for Julius Nelson of Sharon Hill; 310 South Sixth Street, Darby, to Frederick H. Mann of Philadelphia for Alois Muller of Darby; 316 South sixth Street, two-story brick to Harry A. Vossen for Louis P. Albrecht of Philadelphia; the two-story brick dwelling and lot 25 by 120, No. 222 South Fifth Street, Darby to John Sowers of Darby for J. Clinton Boyer of Philadelphia; detached brick dwelling, corner Second and Frances Streets, Colwyn to Ada Miller for W Edward Miller of Colwyn; the two brick dwellings and lots No. 114-116 South Third Street, Colwyn to John Scherff of Darby for George A Drovin, trustee of Philadelphia; lot 29 by 125 on Clifton Avenue above Bartram Avenue, Collingdale to Hugh Cox of Collingdale for Thomas Hetherington of Glenside, Pa.; lot 109 by 139 Chester Pike and Pine Street, Darby to Hugh Cox of Collingdale for Harry Doak of Darby; new dwelling and lot 25 by 109, 306 South Third Street, Colwyn to Matthias Herman of Philadelphia for J. Nelson of Sharon Hill; NO. 444 South Fourth Street, Colwyn to Robert E. Miller for Selina Burns of Ardmore, Pa.; No. 221 South Sixth Street, Darby to Matthias Herman of Ashland, Pa. for Gerald Carroll of New York; brick dwelling, corner Pear and Walnut Streets to Louis J. Brehm of Philadelphia for J.P. Stoope; the brick dwelling and lot 25 by 100, 409 Colwyn for the estate of M. Eaton.

            The same firm reports the following rentals:  440 South Fourth Street to W. Headley of Colwyn; 647 Main Street to Edward Charsha of Philadelphia; 101 South Sixth Street to W.L. Lewis of Darby; 31 South Seventh street to William L. Edgar of Sharon Hill; Hibbard and Jackson Streets, Collingdale to G.H. Barr of Philadelphia; 20 South Sixth Street to Mrs. Powers of Colwyn; 116 Ridley Avenue, Sharon Hill to C.H. Donovan of Virginia; 600 Pine Street to C.A. Cotton of Darby; 2 South Fifth Street to George Waszilycaak of Darby; 30 South Seventh Street to Evelyn Kruger of Philadelphia; 99 Parker Avenue to A.W. Middleton of Philadelphia, 109 North Tenth Street, Darby to F. Schall of Darby; 919 Ridge Avenue to G. Barnett of Philadelphia, 210 South Second Street to P.H. Garretson of Philadelphia and 424 Colwyn Avenue to John Shields of Philadelphia