The Cambridge Trust Company at 5th and Market Sts. in Chester was built 100 years ago.
Note: In Delaware County 100 years ago and all thru the 1920's decade the county was building like crazy. Developments and businesses were being built everywhere. The Chester Times on most Fridays did a column on the latest building permits etc. every Friday. This is from 100 years ago.
CHESTER TIMES
September 1, 1923
BUILDING AND HOUSING PLANS IN THIS LOCALITY
Situation to Relieve the Present Demand Not Very Encouraging
Notwithstanding the great demand for
houses in Chester, very little building in the dwelling line is now going
on. Only in a very small way are housing
accommodations being met. The effort to relieve the tense situation is hardly
noticeable. During the month of August
there were 39 permits issued by Building Inspector James Devlin, five of which
called for the erection of nine dwelling houses of a total valuation of
$44,300. The number of permits also
included seven that were issued for the erection of additions to six dwellings
and one store. The cost of these
improvements was estimated at $7,000 in all.
As to numbers of operations, garages take the lead by many points. There were 27 permits issued for the building
of such structures, ranging from $50 to $2,500 each, or a total of $16,600
value. Altogether, the building
activities in Chester for the month of August, and for which permits were
issued, represents but $69,800 in all.
Besides the above, there are several
large and important buildings BEING ERECTED, NAMELY, THE Cambridge Trust
Company’s new bank building at Fifth and Market Streets; the J. G. E. Smedley
School, Eighteenth and Upland Streets; Booker T. Washington High School,
Seventh and Central Avenue; the Clayton School annex; the Arasapha-Aberfoyle
extension, and a number of dwelling houses started months ago, will mean an
expenditure of over a million dollars in the construction line.
The foregoing shows the trend of
advancement in building construction in Chester, even under the trying
conditions of material and labor prices.
Could the cost of building be reduced to anything near normal, Chester
would soon be blessed with at least another 500 houses for which there is an
urgent demand today.
IN THE EARLY DAYS – To digress for a
little, and show, by way of comparison, how real estate has advanced in the
central part of the city in less than seventy-five years. To do so, take into consideration the
industrial foresight of James Campbell, father of Colonel James A. G. Campbell,
president of the Delaware County Trust Company.
The elder Campbell was born
practically with a loom at his elbow. He
first saw the light of day at Stockport, England, August 12, 1805. At a very young age, he found employment in a
cotton mill in his native town. Upon
reaching his majority, he came to the United States to seek his fortune and found
it. Coming to this country, he was first
employed by John A. Phillips, in a cotton mill at Rockdale, and later became
the manager of the Penns Grove Mills at Glen Riddle, then operated by James
Houghton. In 1837 he began manufacturing
on his “own hook,” at Penns Grove starting with six looms, which his
father-in-law sold to him on advantageous terms.
Within another year, Judge George G.
Leiper persuaded Mr. Campbell to rent the factory building at Leiperville,
which was formerly used as a bark mill, but which had been enlarged and made
suitable for a cotton factory. By 1847,
according to an article, published in the Republican, Mr. Campbell had then a
mill of 1008 jail. He will start with
fifty looms, and also a mile of 456 spindles, then said to be the only one of
its kind in this country.
In 1853 something happened which set
Chester all agog. James Campbell,
according to the Republican, started the manufacturing of cotton goods in the
building back of the jail. He will start
with fifty looms, driven by a ten-horse power steam engine, and will soon
increase the number of looms to one hundred.
In the mill will be the first looms ever set in motion on the spot first
occupied as the capitol of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Campbell will be the Columbus
of manufacturing in Chester. The new
industry was first known as “The Pioneer Factory.”
According to Ashmead’s history of
Delaware County, a number of inhabitants were present at the first starting of
the mill. When the machinery began to
move, those present as spectators and the employees of the mill, broke as of
one accord, into a cheer, after which all joined in singing “Hail, Columbia.”
In those days, spinners were paid $20
per month, and weavers received $13.
They were everything but unhappy in those days.
MARCH OF PROGRESS – On December 9,
1850, Mr. Campbell purchased the old jail and two lots to the West, facing on
Fourth Street, the property including half a block facing on Market Street, or
from Fourth Street to the grounds on which stands the Colonial Court
House. For the land and buildings
thereon erected, he paid the magnificent sum of $3,520.
What has happened in seventy-three
years? The properties now constituting
the same plot of land Mr. Campbell purchased for a mere song, is now assessed
at a total $201,044. The selling price
of the same may easily be fixed by adding another $400,000.
Such is the march of progress which
mark Chester’s advancement. And yet,
many people think and say that Chester is a slow town.
BUILDING PERMITS – The lull in the
building line continued this week, though some improvement was shown over the
preceding week. Permits issued by
Building Inspector J. A. Devlin were as follows:
Holden Construction Company for two
two-and-one-half story brick houses to be erected on the north side of
Twenty-Third Street between Crozer and Howard Streets at a cost of $15,800.
M. Pastuszek, for two two-story brick
houses at 2508 ad 2510 West Ninth Street at a cost of $6000.
Philadelphia Suburban Gas Company for alterations
and additions to one-story brick stable at Second and Welsh Streets at a cost
of $3000.
J. Hinkson for alterations to store
front at 407 Market Street at a cost of $2900
Thomas Elliott for brick garage to be
erected at the rear of 319 East Twelfth Street, $300
J. H. Philips for one-story brick
addition on north side of East Fourth Street between Morton Avenue and Upland
Street, $800
B. D. Lane for alterations to store
front at 514 Market Street, $1000
J. Q. Smith for concrete garage at
1124 Baker Street, $500
George Holden for corrugated iron
garage at rear of 1405 Crosby Street, $200
J. Tribet for concrete garage at rear
of 224 Edwards Streets, $150
I still have a few Prospect Park Centennial books from 30 years ago for sale. The price is 20 dollars. If interested in buying one email me. keith106@rcn.com
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