Philly & Stuff: September 2017

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Saint George's Hall / House - 1877/1903 - 1903/1923 - 13th, 19th and Arch Streets - St. George's Statue

Saint George's Hall - 13th and Arch Streets - 1895

Saint George's Hall - 13th and Arch Streets - 1900

Saint George's Statue -
MLK Drive Fairmount Park Phila.
- Designed and cast by Elkington & Company of Birmingham England, 1877
(image source: Wikipedia Commons - Unrestricted Usage)

Source: A History of the Society of the Sons of Saint George established at Philadelphia by Theodore Knauff, 1923

Frank Rizzo Statue - Location - Location - Location

I have to fully concede that Frank Rizzo's statue in front of the Municipal Services Building across from City Hall is there for another 25 years til the last of us Boomers goes to our eternal reward. As we all know premature plans to send the statue south to Marconi Plaza in South Philly is Fake News.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Rizzo

One of Philly's greatest patron's and French immigrants (from the French Revolution period) Stephen Girard 1850-1831 - His statue has migrated over the centuries 19th, 20th and 21st centuries from City Hall to Reyburn Plaza to out behind the Museum in the Park, as his fame and memory from Philly's consciousness fades. Or did they send old Stevey, has he finally made it to Manayunk? LOL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Girard

In any case, Frank's statue is safe for the moment. Examination of a sampling of news data, lots and lots it btw, suggests to me that Frank might have been a narcissist if he were born rich. But more likely he recognized the importance of publicity all through his police career. That or he had John Travolta's publicist out of college to help him along. Or a couple of news reporters always in need of filler on a back page in return for other favors etc. later on etc. Wink. Nod.

The earliest clip suggests an early connection to State Rep James H. J. Tate's home neighborhood around W Hunting Park Ave near Simon Gratz High which I bet got good police response and protection with Frank as a foot soldier in that station house. And Frank's rise seems to parallel old Jimmy Tate's blessings from the fates etc.

Nothing Frank in his day didn't do that the old Irish Micks like my great great grandad did on the old Police force in its day, did not do or would not do in terms of serving and stabilizing the community.

Grandfathered into the fabric of 20th century history is old hiz honor Mayor Frank Rizzo.

Inquirer 5 Nov 1945

Inquirer 5 June 1945

Inquirer 17 Jan 1952

Inquirer 4 Nov 1952

Inquirer 26 Feb 1953

Inquirer 19 July 1953

Inquirer 1 Nov 1953

Inquirer 26 Aug 1955

Inquirer 30 Apr 1958

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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Isaac Paschall Morris House - 826 Pine Street

826 Pine Street - 1958

1867 McElroy Philadelphia City Directory

The previous 1860 McElroy City Directory mentioned before, says 824 Pine for home address of Isaac P. Morris.

On the 1875 PhilaGeoHistory map, there are four empty lots on the that block. Meaning to me that the house did not change for I. P. Morris but the address was a typo or a convenience / inaccuracy by the Post Office at the time.

In other documents, 826 Pine St. the address of his youngest surviving son on that address up until the turn of the 20th Century.

1910 Bromley Phila. City Map

Also with the Colonial / Federalist style of the house, I would have to say the Morris house was probably in that family for some generations.

Which leaves me with the thought with this building still standing, if its interior is still Federalist etc.. And that photos with those original interiors and the priceless furniture in the Cedar Grove / Art Museum collection and some computerized photo-shopping would make for some interesting photos of some of the furniture - in situ - in those original rooms of the Isaac Paschall Morris House at 826 Pine Street.

Those old pieces of course from 1841 onward when Isaac had inherited Cedar Grove and the style in furniture would have been changing to other than Colonial / Federal periods in favor of Empire, early and late Victorian. Just a thought.

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Commercial Museum - 1921

Armory - Broad and Race Streets - 1911

Shot Tower Playground - 1914

Southwest Corner of Broad and Arch Streets - 1914

Grand Army of the Republic Badge

Source: Hisotry of the George G Meade Post No.1 - Pennsylvania 1889

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Saturday, September 23, 2017

I. P. Morris - Isaac Paschall Morris - 1803 / 1869

Ghosts of Cedar Grove Mansion Philadelphia

McElroy 1860 Philadelphia City Directory

Isaac Paschall Morris (I. P. Morris)
1803 - 1869

Rebecca Thompson Morris
1811 - 1881

James Thompson Morris
1842 - 1874

Isaac Wistar Morris
1844 - 1872

John Thompson Morris
1847 - 1915

Lydia Thompson Morris
1849 - 1932

Good Will Engine Company No. 20 - P. F. D. Engine Company No. 17 - Race and N. Juniper Streets

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044091967554;view=1up;seq=83

Lots to be said for what a photo says especially in terms of history or historical speculation.

This photo of a book in 1896 on old fire engines gives minimum detail except to say that I. P. Morris only built three engines and the one above is the deluxe model and was eventually scrapped in 1888 after the engine got into an accident on the job and I presume could not be repaired. Custom made items are hard to replace or repair on any level.

I was curious about the photo itself. Who or what was the Good Will engine. No doubt there is documentation in libraries etc. but in terms of what is available on the Internet where I do my limited research, a lot of sketchy details. Many collateral bits of newspaper items piece together an explanation.

Looking around for Goodwill or Good Will Engine on the Internet brought me these items among others.

During the Sanitary Fair of 1864, Goodwill enjoy won for "Prize Fire Horn" which is a new horn as prize or an award for the company horn?

Inquirer 17 June 1864

Which leave me looking for a location of Goodwill Engine Co. As of 1870, the Engine House would appear to be at "Race street, below Broad".

Inquirer 30 June 1870

Do not know if image above of and Engine House is the building that housed GoodWill Engine No. 20. It looks like a nice building. On the 1875 city map, that address is for Engine 17 P.F.D. at Race and N. Juniper.

According Wikipedia, the Philadelphia Fire Department came into official city recognition in 1871.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Fire_Department

Meaning that after 1871, the city pays Firemen directly and directly manages the Engine Houses. Before that, the volunteer fire engine companies existed with some subsidies from the city.

Ran into a newspaper article about how GoodWill engine house was out on parade in mid 1860s with other engine companies in the city. The article stated that the volunteers in parade numbered over 200. A lot of volunteers.

The nature of this social fabric switch is noted in a burial notice of the time, 1877, mentioning "Volunteer Firemen's Association, Volunteer Firemen's Burial Relief Association, the "late" Good Will Fire Company and Engine Co. No. 17 P. F. D..

Inquirer 12 Sept 1877

On a few funeral notices, former volunteer addresses were all within a few blocks radius of the Race and N. Juniper sts. address of the fire house.

In its time, the volunteer fire brigades, seeing the members sizes, were no doubt important local social institutions providing occasional employment, and burial insurance of in most cases probably passing the hat to cover the average cost of funerals back then, coffin and plot, of less than twenty dollars.

With a photo above with "17" on the engine, that would seem to date this photo of firemen as city employees somewhere along a timeline of 1871-1888. Which means labeling the photo in 1896 as Good Will Engine may be that the name for the company stuck after it merged into the city fire department.

Also with "100 men strong" in volunteers as when the Good Will Company marched in Grant's 1869 Inaugural Parade in Washington DC, no doubt a number of pubs and saloons in the neighborhood would have been gathering spots for drinking, weddings, wakes, political electioneering etc.

Social fabric of center city no doubt changing around early 1870s with the construction of the new Public Buildings aka City Hall.

Philly History history archives have images of the old Fire Department HQ at 1328 Race St. Do not know when it was built, in stages etc. Does not match image above.

https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Detail.aspx?assetId=97768

https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Detail.aspx?assetId=67898

Building would appear to have been there in 1916 with Sanborn map.

Which leads us to old equipment stored in that old HQ - no date.

N. Juniper and Race Sts. - no date

https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Detail.aspx?assetId=52111

And I. P. Morris, Isaac Paschall Morris, 1803-1869, Druggist, Machinist, Iron Foundry owner.

One of the twenty wealthiest Philadelphians at his death. No living descendants that I can deduct. Buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery.

The only male inheritor of Cedar Grove Mansion in Harrowgate, donated by his daughter Lydia Thompson Morris to the city, relocated in Fairmount Park.

His business concern I. P. Morris & Co. that built the fire engine above specializing in marine boilers and marine engines, aka The Port Richmond Iron Foundry, bought out by Cramp and Sons in 1891.