Philly & Stuff: April 2018

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Lloyd Titus - 1870?-1936 - Inquirer 26 Oct 1900

"William Loyd Titus" - typo? - legal name change?

The American Architect and Building News Vol. 26, Dec 21, 1889

Sailed for Europe on American line steamship Rhynland for Liverpool from Philly May 19, 1900 on $250 Scholarship Prize from T Square Club.

Returned:

Inquirer 28 Aug 1900

My interest in Lloyd Titus is that I grew up across the street from the old George L. Horn school, 1902, named for the local big Republican honcho who sold the land for the school from his adjoining home and property. I went to the local parochial school Joan of Arc down the street btw.

Not much on the internet which tells me that Titus if he married had no children and or surviving children when he died around 1936, perhaps in New Jersey. No children or relatives usually means no obit in the local paper somewhere even as a footnote. That or he died a pauper, buried in a pauper's grave or was cremated etc. No interest in his passing?

Because of his association with T Square Club, it would seem he hung out with a very professional artsy crowd, probably more architects than bona fide artists which he seemed more to lean to . A small elite of sorts at a certain point on a timeline in a berg like Philly.

The link below sort of disses him because he was not a licensed architect because the tone of institutional elitism as in local I-Vee league architectural and engineering schools sort of makes his apprenticeship with Frank Miles Day irrelevant. That only degree-ed architects can deliver PC Colonial Revival architecture and not "Non-architects"?

Problem with some is "is he an architect - no degree - or a draftsman"? Real problem is some historian who might be an engineer or an architect to fully explain and or understand the jobs and actual bureaucratic and or professional roles that Titus' various jobs entailed in Philadephia government of the time?

The link from the Philadelphia Buildings and Architects site only lists his start date in life in relevance to their Internet product - "fl. ca. 1887" - (flourished circa) -

is 1887 when Lloyd Titus graduated from the 8th grade or the 12th grade at Thaddeus Stevens school?

I have to wonder if the George L Horn school at Frankford and Castor Aves. is the last building standing with architectural credit given to Lloyd Titus. Wikipedia updated at a very slow pace sometimes.

It does not do much good to put buildings on National Historic Registers if they can easily disappear in any fire etc. (Edison High) Wink. Nod. New supermarket or mini strip mall needed at Frankford and Caster Aves. anyone?

George L Horn is I think on its second Charter School adventure. The building would make great condos. Too bad the commuter R.R. train does not stop at Frankford Junction anymore, down the street, except in ghost time.

Lloyd Titus